-lar (koʻplik)

The Plural Suffix -lar

Level 1

-lar means "more than one": kitob → kitoblar (books), uy → uylar (houses), bola → bolalar (children).

How It Works

One shape for every word
Just add -lar, whatever the last sound is:

  • kitob → kitoblar (books)
  • uy → uylar (houses)
  • olma → olmalar (apples)
  • qiz → qizlar (girls)

There is no -ler as in Turkish or Azerbaijani.

Where it goes
Endings stack in a fixed order: noun, then -lar, then possessive, then case.

  • doʻst + -lar + -im → doʻstlarim (my friends)
  • kitob + -lar + -ni → kitoblarni (the books, as an object)

When Uzbek does not use -lar

  • After a number or nechta: uchta kitob (three books), never uchta kitoblar.
  • For things in general, Uzbek often keeps the singular: Men kitob oʻqiyman. (I read books.) See objects without -ni.

Plural sentences
In a noun sentence about several people, the noun may take -lar: Ular talabalar. (They are students.) Ular talaba is also correct. The verb after a plural subject is often singular: Bolalar oʻynayapti. (The children are playing.)

Other jobs of -lar

  • Respect: -lar can show respect for one person.
  • "And family": Anvarlar can mean Anvar and his family.
  • "Around" with times: soat beshlarda (at around five o'clock).

The pronoun ular (they) is u + -lar.

Examples (6)

  1. kitoblar

    books

  2. Olmalar juda shirin.

    The apples are very sweet.

    Word by Word: apples very sweet

  3. Bolalar hovlida oʻynayapti.

    The children are playing in the yard.

    Word by Word: children yard-in playing

    The verb is often singular even when the subject is plural.

  4. Doʻstlarim Toshkentda yashaydi.

    My friends live in Tashkent.

    Word by Word: friend-PLURAL-my Tashkent-in live

    doʻst + -lar + -im: the plural comes before the possessive.

  5. Kitoblarni stolga qoʻying.

    Please put the books on the table.

    Word by Word: book-PLURAL-OBJECT table-to put

  6. Ular talabalar.

    They are students.

    Word by Word: they student-PLURAL

Common Mistakes

  • Using a Turkish-style -ler after words with front vowels.

    kishiler
    kishilar

    Standard Uzbek has no vowel harmony. The plural is always -lar, even after i or e: kishilar, ishlar, kitoblar.

  • Adding -lar after a number.

    uchta kitoblar
    uchta kitob

    The number already says "more than one", so the noun stays singular.

  • Putting the possessive ending before -lar.

    kitobimlar
    kitoblarim

    The plural always comes first, then the possessive: kitob + -lar + -im → kitoblarim (my books).

How It Connects

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

-lar (koʻplik)Level 1The Plural Suffix -lar

Learn This First

Builds on No Vowel Harmony in Suffixes.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.