Common Plurals With ـان

Level 2

مردان means men, زنان means women, and دوستان means friends. Learn these common plurals as forms of their actual nouns.

How It Works

Start with known pairs. مرد → مردان, زن → زنان, and دوست → دوستان are useful written-standard forms. The noun’s lexical meaning stays the same while the ending marks more than one referent.

The same noun may also have a plural in ـها. دوست‌ها is possible. This entry teaches stable written forms; spoken plural forms belong in their own attested and explicitly labeled examples. Do not change a familiar word merely because another noun has a spoken reduction.

Some vowel-final nouns have a changed plural shape, such as دانشجو → دانشجویان. Do not attach letters by guesswork. Check the known plural when the word ends in a vowel.

When an adjective follows, it remains unchanged and is linked with ezafe: دوستانِ خوب. Not every plural in Persian is built with ـان: many Arabic-origin nouns have familiar loan plurals, which should be learned separately.

Examples (4)

  1. مردان

    men

    A familiar plural of مرد.

  2. زنان

    women

    A familiar plural of زن.

  3. دوستانِ خوب

    good friends

    The plural noun takes ezafe; the adjective remains خوب.

  4. دانشجویان

    university students

    The attested plural of دانشجو includes a connecting ی.

How It Connects

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

Common Plurals With ـانLevel 2

Learn This First

Learn attested ـان plural pairs and their register; animacy alone does not choose every plural.