Plural-Only Nouns
пари (money), очила (glasses), панталони (trousers) and ножици (scissors) exist only in the plural: Каде ми се очилата? (Where are my glasses?).
How It Works
Common plural-only nouns. пари (money), очила (glasses), панталони (trousers), ножици (scissors), гаќи (underpants), алишта (clothes), гради (chest). English treats money as singular, but in Macedonian пари is always plural.
The article follows the plural ending, as in the plural article: nouns in -и take -те (парите, панталоните, ножиците), and nouns in -а take -та (очилата, алиштата).
Agreement. The verb сум is се: Парите се во торбата. Adjectives and demonstratives are plural: Овие панталони ми се тесни (These trousers are tight on me). The object pronoun is ги: Ги оставив парите дома. With ми треба, the verb is plural too: Ми требаат ножици.
One pair. To say a pair of, use едни, the plural of еден: Купив едни нови панталони (I bought a new pair of trousers).
Compare irregular plurals, which do have a singular (човек → луѓе), and collective nouns, which look singular but mean a group.
Examples (6)
- Каде ми се очилата?
Where are my glasses?
Очила is plural, so the verb is се.
- Парите се во торбата.
The money is in the bag.
English uses is, but Macedonian needs the plural се.
- Купив едни нови панталони.
I bought a new pair of trousers.
Едни is the plural of еден and means one pair here.
- Ми требаат ножици.
I need scissors.
Треба becomes требаат because ножици is plural.
- Овие панталони ми се тесни.
These trousers are tight on me.
- Ги оставив парите дома.
I left the money at home.
The object pronoun for парите is the plural ги.
Common Mistakes
Using a singular verb with пари.
Парите е во торбата.Парите се во торбата.Пари is always plural, even though English money is singular.
Using the singular една with a plural-only noun.
Купив една нова очила.Купив едни нови очила.Очила has no singular. For one pair, use the plural едни and a plural adjective.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Plural-only nouns follow plural articles.
Related Patterns
- сумPresent Forms of Be
Plural-only nouns take се, the plural of е.
Level 1 - еден / една / едноOne and a
Едни, the plural of еден, means one pair.
Level 1 - ми требаNeeding Something
With a plural-only noun, треба becomes требаат.
Level 2 - луѓе / деца / браќаIrregular Plurals
Irregular plurals have a singular, while these nouns do not.
Level 2 - Collective Nouns
Collective nouns look singular but refer to a group.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice Plural-Only Nouns in Bubblegum
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