Plural of Words in -il

Plural of Words Ending in -il

Level 3

Look at where the stress falls. A stressed final -il becomes -ís: cadril, cadrís (hip), civil, civís. An unstressed -il adds -es: fácil, fáciles (easy), útil, útiles (useful).

How It Works

Stressed final -il → -ís. The -l is replaced by -is, and the two i's merge into one:

  • cadril → cadrís (hip)
  • civil → civís: os dereitos civís
  • funil → funís (funnel)
  • barril → barrís (barrel)
  • fusil → fusís (rifle)
  • infantil → infantís, xuvenil → xuvenís

The norm writes cadrís, never cadríis. The plural ends in a stressed vowel + s, so it needs a written accent (written accent rules). This is the same change as in words ending in -l: papel, papeis; animal, animais.

Stressed earlier → add -es. These words already have a written accent, and they keep it:

  • fácil → fáciles, difícil → difíciles
  • útil → útiles, fósil → fósiles
  • móbil → móbiles (mobile phone)

One-syllable words add -es, as in plural in -es: mil → miles, ril → riles (kidney), vil → viles.

Not like Spanish. Spanish adds -es to all of these words. In Galician, civiles and fusiles are errors: the plurals are civís and fusís.

Examples (6)

  1. Dóenme os cadrís.

    My hips hurt.

    Word by Word: Hurt-me the hips.

  2. Todas as persoas teñen os mesmos dereitos civís.

    All people have the same civil rights.

    Word by Word: All the people have the same rights civil.

  3. Estes exercicios son moi fáciles.

    These exercises are very easy.

    Word by Word: These exercises are very easy.

    Fácil is stressed on the first syllable, so it adds -es.

  4. Gardade os móbiles na mochila.

    Put your phones away in your backpacks.

    Word by Word: Keep-you-all the mobiles in-the backpack.

  5. Na adega había tres barrís de viño.

    There were three barrels of wine in the cellar.

    Word by Word: In-the cellar there-was three barrels of wine.

  6. Os libros infantís están ao fondo.

    The children's books are at the back.

    Word by Word: The books children's are at-the back.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -es to a word stressed on -il, as in Spanish.

    Os dereitos civiles.
    Os dereitos civís.

    Civil is stressed on the last syllable, so the plural is civís.

  • Writing a double i.

    Dóenme os cadríis.
    Dóenme os cadrís.

    The two i's merge into one accented í: cadrís.

  • Using -ís on a word stressed earlier.

    Son exercicios fácis.
    Son exercicios fáciles.

    Fácil is stressed on fá-, not on -cil, so it simply adds -es: fáciles.

How It Connects

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

Plural of Words in -ilLevel 3Plural of Words Ending in -il

Learn This First

Plurals in -il depend on whether the final syllable is stressed.