Plurals With No Change
d'Zëmmer can mean the room or the rooms, and d'Joer the year or the years. With a masculine noun the article changes: de Schüler, d'Schüler.
How It Works
1. Common nouns with no plural change
- Masculine: de Schüler (pupil, pupils), de Fësch (fish), de Schong (shoe, shoes), de Bäcker (baker, bakers)
- Neuter: d'Zëmmer (room, rooms), d'Joer (year, years), d'Dëppen (pot, pots)
- Feminine: d'Kichen (kitchen, kitchens)
The dictionary also accepts a second plural with -en for a few of them: Zëmmeren, Joren, Bäckeren.
2. How to tell one from many
- The article: a masculine noun changes from de to d': de Schong → d'Schong.
- The verb: D'Zëmmer ass grouss (one room) but D'Zëmmer si grouss (several rooms).
- A number or quantity word: dräi Joer, véier Fësch, vill Schüler.
3. Nouns ending in -en
Nouns such as Kichen and Dëppen end in -en in both numbers, so the n-rule can shorten them in both: d'Kiche before most consonants.
Examples (6)
- D'Zëmmer ass grouss.
The room is big.
Ass (is) shows there is one room.
- D'Zëmmer si grouss.
The rooms are big.
Si (are) shows there are several rooms.
- Mäi Brudder ass zwielef Joer al.
My brother is twelve years old.
The number shows that Joer is plural.
- D'Schüler schreiwen en Test.
The pupils are writing a test.
The plural verb schreiwen shows that Schüler means pupils.
- Ech kafe véier Fësch.
I am buying four fish.
Fësch is the same in the singular and the plural.
- Deng Schong sinn nei.
Your shoes are new.
Schong means both shoe and shoes.
Common Mistakes
Adding -er to Fësch.
Ech kafe véier Fëscher.Ech kafe véier Fësch.Fëscher means fishermen. The plural of Fësch is Fësch.
Using a singular verb with a plural noun that looks singular.
Déi zwee Zëmmer ass propper.Déi zwee Zëmmer si propper.Zwee Zëmmer means two rooms, so the verb must be plural.
Adding an English -s.
Hei sinn zwanzeg Schülers.Hei sinn zwanzeg Schüler.Schüler does not change in the plural.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Plurals With No Change, learn Plurals With -en.
Related Patterns
- Plurals With -er
Another way nouns form the plural.
Level 1 - Plurals by Vowel Change
Nouns that show the plural with a new vowel.
Level 1 - d'The Short Article D'
The article change de → d' shows the plural of masculine nouns.
Level 1 - sinnTo Be: Sinn
The verb form ass or sinn often shows whether a noun is singular or plural.
Level 1 - Measure Words After Numbers
Words such as Joer often stay the same after a number.
Level 2
Practice Plurals With No Change in Bubblegum
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