Noun Plurals

Level 1

Common plural endings are -i, -e, and -uri. Learn the actual plural with each noun; gender helps identify the pattern but does not determine every ending.

How It Works

To form plurals in Romanian, you must first identify the noun's gender using the three-gender noun system.

1. Masculine Nouns:
Most masculine nouns take the ending -i. This often causes a sound change in the final consonant (palatalization):

  • t → ț: băiat (boy) → băieți (boys)
  • d → z: brad (fir tree) → brazi (fir trees)
  • s → ș: urs (bear) → urși (bears)

2. Feminine Nouns:
Feminine nouns usually take -e or -i. They often involve vowel shifts in the stem:

  • -e ending: fată (girl) → fete (girls) [a → e shift]
  • -i ending: carte (book) → cărți (books) [a → ă shift]
  • -oa → o shift: floare (flower) → flori (flowers)

3. Neuter Nouns:
Neuter nouns are unique because they act masculine in the singular and feminine in the plural. Common endings are -e and -uri; other neuter nouns have -i, as in studiu → studii:

  • -e: scaun (chair) → scaune (chairs)
  • -uri: tren (train) → trenuri (trains)

Note: Modern loanwords often prefer the -uri ending. Some nouns like om (man/person) are irregular and become oameni (people).

Examples (5)

  1. Doi brazi verzi.

    Two green fir trees.

    Word by Word: Two fir-trees green.

    Shows the masculine plural ending -i and the d to z consonant shift (brad -> brazi).

  2. Am trei cărți noi.

    I have three new books.

    Word by Word: I-have three books new.

    Shows the feminine plural ending -i and the a to ă vowel shift (carte -> cărți).

  3. Multe scaune sunt în cameră.

    Many chairs are in the room.

    Word by Word: Many chairs are in room.

    Shows a neuter noun taking the -e plural ending (scaun -> scaune).

  4. Văd două trenuri.

    I see two trains.

    Word by Word: I-see two trains.

    Shows a neuter noun taking the -uri plural ending (tren -> trenuri).

  5. Acești oameni sunt prieteni.

    These people are friends.

    Word by Word: These people are friends.

    Demonstrates the irregular plural 'oameni' from the singular 'om'.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding '-s' to form plurals like in English or Spanish.

    două casas
    două case

    Romanian does not form the regular plural of casă by adding English or Spanish -s. Its plural is case.

  • Forgetting the internal stem changes (alternations).

    doi bradi
    doi brazi

    The ending -i often triggers a change in the preceding consonant, such as d becoming z.

  • Choosing the wrong plural form for scaun.

    două scauni
    două scaune

    The plural of scaun is scaune, with feminine plural agreement. Neuter gender alone does not select one ending: other neuter nouns have -uri or -i plurals.

How It Connects

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Noun PluralsLevel 1

Learn This First

To learn Romanian noun plurals, you first need to understand that every noun has a gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter), as the plural endings differ for each. Additionally, because pluralization often causes spelling and sound changes in the stem of the word, you should be comfortable with the Romanian alphabet and its special characters.

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