Basic noun plural
Ukrainian nouns change their endings in the plural based on gender and the stem type (hard, soft, or mixed). Masculine and feminine hard stems usually take -и, while soft and mixed stems take -і. Neuter nouns typically use -а or -я.
How It Works
To form the plural in the nominative case, follow these basic rules for each gender:
1. Masculine Nouns:
- Hard stems (end in a hard consonant): add -и (стіл → столи, телефон → телефони).
- Soft stems (end in -ь): replace -ь with -і (день → дні, учитель → учителі).
- Soft stems (end in -й): change to -ї (музей → музеї).
- Mixed stems (end in ж, ч, ш, щ): add -і (ніж → ножі, плащ → плащі).
- -анин/-янин Group: Nouns ending in -анин/-янин lose the suffix -ин in the plural (киянин → кияни, львів'янин → львів'яни).
- -р Group: Hard stems in -р take -и (директор → директори), while soft/mixed stems take -і (лікар → лікарі).
2. Feminine Nouns:
- Hard stems (end in -а): change to -и (книга → книги, газета → газети).
- Soft stems (end in -я): change to -і (пісня → пісні). If -я follows a vowel or apostrophe, it becomes -ї (сім'я → сім'ї).
- Mixed stems (end in -жа, -ча, -ша, -ща): change -а to -і (задача → задачі, площа → площі).
- Nouns ending in a consonant (third declension): add -і (ніч → ночі, подорож → подорожі).
3. Neuter Nouns:
- Hard stems (end in -о): change to -а (вікно → вікна, слово → слова).
- Soft stems (end in -е): change to -я (море → моря).
- Soft stems (doubled consonant + -я): countable nouns like завдання (assignment) use the same spelling in plural (завдання). Note: Abstract nouns in this group, like життя (life), are usually singular only.
- Mixed stems (end in -же, -че, -ше, -ще): change -е to -а (прізвище → прізвища). Exception: плече becomes плечі.
- Young Beings: Neuter nouns for young animals or people use the suffixes -ат-/-ят- (кошеня → кошенята, дівча → дівчата).
Important Stem Changes:
- Stress Shifts: Stress often moves between the stem and the ending (вікно → вікна, село → села).
- Vowel Alternation: An і in a closed singular syllable often changes back to о or е (кіт → коти, папір → папери).
- Fleeting Vowels: Some vowels disappear (хлопець → хлопці).
Pluralia Tantum:
Some nouns only exist in the plural form, such as гроші (money), двері (door), and штани (trousers).
Common Irregular Plurals:
Become confident with these high-frequency forms: люди (people), діти (children), друзі (friends), очі (eyes), вуха (ears), and плечі (shoulders).
Examples (6)
- Ці книги дуже цікаві.
These books are very interesting.
Word by Word: These books very interesting.
The feminine hard-stem noun 'книга' changes its ending from -а to -и.
- На столі лежать нові олівці.
New pencils are lying on the table.
Word by Word: On table lie new pencils.
The masculine noun 'олівець' drops the 'е' (fleeting vowel) and adds -і because it is a soft stem.
- У цьому місті є гарні парки.
There are beautiful parks in this city.
Word by Word: In this city there-are beautiful parks.
The masculine hard-stem 'парк' adds -и to become 'парки'.
- Мої друзі живуть тут.
My friends live here.
Word by Word: My friends live here.
'Друзі' is an irregular plural of 'друг' (friend).
- Великі вікна пропускають багато світла.
Large windows let in a lot of light.
Word by Word: Large windows let-in much light.
The neuter noun 'вікно' changes -о to -а and shifts the stress to the first syllable.
- Цікаві історії допомагають вчити мову.
Interesting stories help to learn the language.
Word by Word: Interesting stories help to-learn language.
Feminine nouns ending in -ія, like 'історія', change to -ії in the plural.
Common Mistakes
Using the wrong ending for neuter nouns.
Ці місти гарні.Ці міста гарні.Learners often try to use -и or -і for everything. Neuter nouns ending in -о must change to -а (місто → міста).
Forgetting vowel alternation (і to о/е).
На столі стоять стіли.На столі стоять столи.When a syllable becomes 'open' (ends in a vowel), the 'і' often reverts to 'о' or 'е'. стіл becomes столи, not стіли.
Using the Russian rule for numbers 2, 3, and 4.
два столадва столиIn Ukrainian, the numbers 2, 3, and 4 require the Nominative Plural, not the Genitive Singular. See 2, 3, and 4 with Nominative Plural.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To form basic plurals in Ukrainian, a learner must first understand the concept of grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, and neuter) as the plural endings vary based on the singular form. Additionally, familiarity with the soft sign is required to distinguish between hard and soft noun stems, which dictate which specific plural vowel is used.
- він/вона/воноThird-person Singular Pronouns
Understanding noun gender (masculine, feminine, and neuter) is essential because plural endings in Ukrainian are determined by the gender and stem ending of the singular noun.
Level 1 - вониThird-person Plural Pronoun
The third-person plural pronoun 'вони' provides the conceptual basis for plurality and often shares similar phonetic characteristics with plural noun endings.
Level 1 - Soft sign
The soft sign is necessary to understand soft-stem nouns, which take specific plural endings like -і or -я instead of hard-stem endings like -и or -а.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- два/три/чотири + Nominative PluralNumerals 2, 3, And 4 with Nominative Plural
This pattern explains how to use the nominative plural specifically after the numbers 2, 3, and 4.
Level 2 - і / оІ and О Alternation with Closed Syllables
Explains the vowel shifts (like стіл to столи) that frequently occur when pluralizing nouns.
Level 3 - Masculine noun gender
Understanding the base masculine gender is necessary to apply the correct plural endings.
Level 1 - Feminine noun gender
Understanding the base feminine gender is necessary to apply the correct plural endings.
Level 1 - Neuter noun gender
Understanding the base neuter gender is necessary to apply the correct plural endings.
Level 1 - Adjective Plural Agreement
Adjectives must also change their form to agree with plural nouns.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
- -ся (взаємне значення)Reciprocal -сяLevel 2
- був/була/було/булиPast Tense of БутиLevel 2
- Plural Past TenseLevel 2
- який (питальний)Interrogative Який AgreementLevel 2
- Animate Accusative PluralLevel 3
- і / еІ and Е Alternation with Closed SyllablesLevel 3
- за словами + GenitiveЗа Словами as Source MarkerLevel 5
- два/три/чотири + Nominative PluralNominative Plural After 2, 3, And 4Level 6
And 1 more in the full list.
Practice Basic noun plural in Bubblegum
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