👥 English Plurals

⏱ 7 min read

English nouns usually become plural by adding -s or -es, but there are other common patterns and a few irregular forms. In this lesson you will learn how to make singular nouns plural and how to use them in everyday English. Each example includes translations in several languages.

🟢 Add -s

🪁 kite → kites
most nouns add -s
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: cometas
🇫🇷 French: cerfs-volants
🇩🇪 German: Drachen
🇮🇹 Italian: aquiloni
🇵🇹 Portuguese: pipas
🎈 balloon → balloons
add -s after a vowel + n
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: globos
🇫🇷 French: ballons
🇩🇪 German: Luftballons
🇮🇹 Italian: palloncini
🇵🇹 Portuguese: balões
🪴 plant → plants
regular plural with -s
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: plantas
🇫🇷 French: plantes
🇩🇪 German: Pflanzen
🇮🇹 Italian: piante
🇵🇹 Portuguese: plantas
🧸 teddy bear → teddy bears
pluralize the main noun: bears
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ositos de peluche
🇫🇷 French: ours en peluche
🇩🇪 German: Teddybären
🇮🇹 Italian: orsacchiotti di peluche
🇵🇹 Portuguese: ursinhos de pelúcia

🟡 Add -es

🥪 sandwich → sandwiches
words ending in -ch add -es
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: sándwiches
🇫🇷 French: sandwiches
🇩🇪 German: Sandwiches
🇮🇹 Italian: panini
🇵🇹 Portuguese: sanduíches
🦊 fox → foxes
words ending in -x add -es
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: zorros
🇫🇷 French: renards
🇩🇪 German: Füchse
🇮🇹 Italian: volpi
🇵🇹 Portuguese: raposas
🍑 peach → peaches
words ending in -ch add -es
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: melocotones
🇫🇷 French: pêches
🇩🇪 German: Pfirsiche
🇮🇹 Italian: pesche
🇵🇹 Portuguese: pêssegos
🚌 bus → buses
words ending in -s add -es
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: autobuses
🇫🇷 French: bus
🇩🇪 German: Busse
🇮🇹 Italian: autobus
🇵🇹 Portuguese: ônibus

🔵 Change -y to -ies

🧚 fairy → fairies
consonant + y becomes -ies
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: hadas
🇫🇷 French: fées
🇩🇪 German: Feen
🇮🇹 Italian: fate
🇵🇹 Portuguese: fadas
🍒 cherry → cherries
drop y and add -ies
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: cerezas
🇫🇷 French: cerises
🇩🇪 German: Kirschen
🇮🇹 Italian: ciliegie
🇵🇹 Portuguese: cerejas
🎉 party → parties
consonant + y → -ies
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: fiestas
🇫🇷 French: fêtes
🇩🇪 German: Partys
🇮🇹 Italian: feste
🇵🇹 Portuguese: festas

🟣 Irregular Plurals

🦷 tooth → teeth
irregular: the vowel changes
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: dientes
🇫🇷 French: dents
🇩🇪 German: Zähne
🇮🇹 Italian: denti
🇵🇹 Portuguese: dentes
🦶 foot → feet
irregular: oo becomes ee
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: pies
🇫🇷 French: pieds
🇩🇪 German: Füße
🇮🇹 Italian: piedi
🇵🇹 Portuguese: pés
🐭 mouse → mice
irregular: do not add -s
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ratones
🇫🇷 French: souris
🇩🇪 German: Mäuse
🇮🇹 Italian: topi
🇵🇹 Portuguese: ratos
👤 person → people
the usual plural of person is people
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: personas
🇫🇷 French: personnes
🇩🇪 German: Menschen
🇮🇹 Italian: persone
🇵🇹 Portuguese: pessoas

🧠 Useful Grammar

Singular vs. plural verbs
Use is with singular nouns and are with plural nouns.

🌵 The cactus is tall.
🌵🌵 The cacti are tall.
This / These
Use this for one thing and these for more than one.

🪁 This kite is blue.
🪁🪁 These kites are blue.
That / Those
Use that for one thing far away and those for several.

🎈 That balloon is red.
🎈🎈 Those balloons are red.

⚠️ Common Beginner Mistakes

❌ childs
✅ children
irregular plural
❌ womans
✅ women
the vowel sound also changes
❌ foxs
✅ foxes
add -es after x
❌ babys
✅ babies
consonant + y → -ies

❓ Useful Questions

🪁 How many kites do you have?
use how many with plural nouns
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Cuántas cometas tienes?
🇫🇷 French: Combien de cerfs-volants as-tu ?
🇩🇪 German: Wie viele Drachen hast du?
🇮🇹 Italian: Quanti aquiloni hai?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Quantas pipas você tem?
🍒 Do you like cherries?
likes and dislikes often use the plural
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Te gustan las cerezas?
🇫🇷 French: Aimes-tu les cerises ?
🇩🇪 German: Magst du Kirschen?
🇮🇹 Italian: Ti piacciono le ciliegie?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Você gosta de cerejas?
🚌 Where are the buses?
plural noun + are
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Dónde están los autobuses?
🇫🇷 French: Où sont les bus ?
🇩🇪 German: Wo sind die Busse?
🇮🇹 Italian: Dove sono gli autobus?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Onde estão os ônibus?
🐭 Have you ever seen mice?
irregular plural in a question
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Has visto ratones alguna vez?
🇫🇷 French: As-tu déjà vu des souris ?
🇩🇪 German: Hast du schon einmal Mäuse gesehen?
🇮🇹 Italian: Hai mai visto dei topi?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Você já viu ratos?

💬 Everyday Conversation

Packing for a picnic
practice plural food words
A: Did you bring the sandwiches?
B: Yes, and I packed some peaches.
A: Great! Where are the drinks?
B: They're in those baskets.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 A: ¿Trajiste los sándwiches?
🇪🇸 B: Sí, y también traje unos melocotones.
🇪🇸 A: ¡Genial! ¿Dónde están las bebidas?
🇪🇸 B: Están en esas cestas.

🇫🇷 A: As-tu apporté les sandwiches ?
🇫🇷 B: Oui, et j'ai aussi mis quelques pêches.
🇫🇷 A: Super ! Où sont les boissons ?
🇫🇷 B: Elles sont dans ces paniers.

🇩🇪 A: Hast du die Sandwiches mitgebracht?
🇩🇪 B: Ja, und ich habe ein paar Pfirsiche eingepackt.
🇩🇪 A: Super! Wo sind die Getränke?
🇩🇪 B: Sie sind in diesen Körben.

🇮🇹 A: Hai portato i panini?
🇮🇹 B: Sì, e ho messo anche delle pesche.
🇮🇹 A: Ottimo! Dove sono le bevande?
🇮🇹 B: Sono in quei cesti.

🇵🇹 A: Você trouxe os sanduíches?
🇵🇹 B: Sim, e também levei alguns pêssegos.
🇵🇹 A: Ótimo! Onde estão as bebidas?
🇵🇹 B: Estão nessas cestas.

📝 Example Sentences

🎈 The balloons floated into the sky.
regular plural with -s
🦊 Foxes are usually active at night.
plural subject + are
🪁 The kites flew above the beach.
more than one kite
🍒 The cherries are sweet and juicy.
-y → -ies
🐭 The mice disappeared before sunrise.
irregular plural
🥪 We made fresh sandwiches for lunch.
add -es after -ch
Mostly clear. Two stems were weak: - Q5 already said **buses**, so it gave away the answer. - Q8 put two ideas in one question. Use this version.

🏆 Final Practice

English in the Real World:

Read the situation. Choose the plural form that fits.
Question 1 of 8
✅ Correct: 0
❓ Questions: 0
🎯 Accuracy: 0%