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Plural with 'S

Level 1

In Dutch, when a word ends in a single long vowel like a, i, o, u, or y, we add -'s to make it plural (e.g., auto's). This prevents the vowel from sounding 'short' when the -s is added.

How It Works

Dutch spelling relies heavily on the distinction between open and closed syllables. A single vowel at the end of a word is 'open' and therefore long. If we added a plain -s, the syllable would become 'closed,' making the vowel short.

When to use -'s:

  • Single long vowels (-a, -i, -o, -u, -y): Words ending in a single vowel (e.g., oma's, radio's, taxi's, menu's). For the letter -y, the apostrophe is used only if it follows a consonant (e.g., baby's).
  • Single letters and numbers: To avoid confusion, single characters take -'s (e.g., a's, 8's).
  • Abbreviations and Acronyms: Most initialisms take -'s (e.g., cd's, tv's). Initialisms written in capitals also take -'s when read letter by letter (e.g., BV's). Lowercase acronyms ending in a vowel also use it (e.g., havo's).
  • Long 'e' sounds: Words ending in a long 'e' sound that is not a schwa (often marked with a diaeresis) take -'s (e.g., aloë's).

When NOT to use -'s:

  • Multiple vowels or -ie: If the long sound is written with more than one letter or a combination of vowels, no apostrophe is needed (e.g., bureaus, hindoes, koffies).
  • The letter -y after a vowel: If the -y follows another vowel, just add -s (e.g., cowboys).
  • The letter -e: A final -e is usually a 'schwa' (short 'uh' sound) and does not need protection (e.g., tantes).
  • Accented vowels: If the vowel has an accent, the pronunciation is already fixed (e.g., cafés).
  • Acronyms read as an ordinary word: These do not use an apostrophe (e.g., vips), unlike initialisms read letter by letter (cd's).
  • Initialisms ending in -s or -x: To maintain readability, these take -en instead (e.g., sms'en, gps'en).

Examples (4)

  1. Ik heb veel mooie foto's gemaakt.

    I took many beautiful photos.

    Word by Word: I have many beautiful photo's made.

    The word 'foto' ends in a single 'o'. To keep the 'o' long in the plural, we add -'s.

  2. Er staan drie taxi's voor het station.

    There are three taxis in front of the station.

    Word by Word: There stand three taxi's for the station.

    Words ending in -i always take -'s in the plural.

  3. De baby's slapen in hun wiegjes.

    The babies are sleeping in their cribs.

    Word by Word: The baby's sleep in their crib-little-s.

    Unlike English, Dutch keeps the 'y' and adds -'s for the plural.

  4. Zijn oma's wonen in Amsterdam.

    His grandmas live in Amsterdam.

    Word by Word: His grandma's live in Amsterdam.

    The final 'a' in 'oma' is long, so it requires an apostrophe before the plural -s.

Common Mistakes

  • Applying the English 'y' to 'ies' rule.

    De babies spelen.
    De baby's spelen.

    In Dutch, words ending in 'y' take -'s. Do not change the 'y' to 'ie'.

  • Adding an apostrophe to words ending in -e or -ie.

    Mijn tante's drinken twee koffie's.
    Mijn tantes drinken twee koffies.

    The final -e or -ie does not need an apostrophe. The 'e' already ensures the vowel sound remains correct.

  • Forgetting the apostrophe for abbreviations in capitals or single letters.

    Ik zie twee cds en drie As.
    Ik zie twee cd's en drie A's.

    Abbreviations like cd and single letters take 's in the plural, so that cd's and A's are not misread as the words cds or As.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

'sLevel 1Plural with 'S

Learn This First

To understand the 'plural with apostrophe' rule, you first need to know how the standard -s plural works. Additionally, you must understand Dutch syllable structure and vowel length rules, as the apostrophe is used specifically to preserve the long sound of vowels (a, i, o, u, y) at the end of words.

Words in This Pattern

-'s