Noun plural
A1 El plural del sustantivo 2 / 49
In short
To make a Spanish noun plural, add -s after a vowel and -es after a consonant. A final -z becomes -ces (luz -> luces), and adding a syllable sometimes makes a written accent appear or disappear (canción -> canciones, joven -> jóvenes).
The rule
The plural ending depends on the last sound of the singular noun. The article goes plural too (el -> los, la -> las), which you learn in the next lesson.
Rule 1 - vowel + s. A noun ending in an unstressed vowel - or in a stressed -á, -é, -ó - adds -s:
- casa -> casas, coche -> coches, libro -> libros, café -> cafés.
Rule 2 - consonant + es. A noun ending in a consonant adds -es (here final -y counts as a consonant):
- papel -> papeles, ciudad -> ciudades, profesor -> profesores, rey -> reyes.
- Recent loanwords in -y are the exception: the -y becomes -i, the plural takes -s, and a written accent appears - jersey -> jerséis, espray -> espráis.
Rule 3 - z -> ces. A final -z changes to -ces (Spanish never writes ze/zi):
- luz -> luces, lápiz -> lápices, vez -> veces, pez -> peces.
Rule 4 - stressed -í / -ú. Nouns ending in a stressed -í or -ú take -es in careful usage:
- rubí -> rubíes, tabú -> tabúes. (Everyday words like menú -> menús just add -s.)
Rule 5 - unstressed vowel + s stays the same. A word of two or more syllables already ending in -s, with the stress not on the last syllable, does not change - only the article shows number:
- el lunes -> los lunes, la crisis -> las crisis, el paraguas -> los paraguas.
Accent shifts. Adding -es can move a word into a new stress class, so a written accent may drop or appear to keep the spoken stress in place:
- drops: canción -> canciones, inglés -> ingleses (the extra syllable makes it a natural llana).
- appears: joven -> jóvenes, examen -> exámenes, origen -> orígenes (the accent keeps the stress where it was).
Mixed groups -> masculine plural. A group with at least one masculine member takes the masculine plural: los padres = father + mother, los niños = boys and girls, los reyes = the king and queen.
Forms & patterns
| Singular ends in | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| unstressed vowel | -s | libro -> libros |
| stressed -á / -é / -ó | -s | sofá -> sofás |
| consonant | -es | ciudad -> ciudades |
| -z | -ces | luz -> luces |
| stressed -í / -ú | -es | rubí -> rubíes |
| unstressed vowel + -s | (no change) | el lunes -> los lunes |
Accent changes on the plural:
| Singular | Plural | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| canción | canciones | accent no longer needed |
| inglés | ingleses | accent no longer needed |
| joven | jóvenes | accent added to keep the stress |
| examen | exámenes | accent added to keep the stress |
| jersey | jerséis | -y becomes -i and takes the accent |
Mixed-gender groups:
| Members | Plural |
|---|---|
| el padre + la madre | los padres |
| el niño + la niña | los niños |
| el rey + la reina | los reyes |
Examples
| Español | English |
|---|---|
| Tengo dos libros nuevos. | I have two new books. |
| Las ciudades españolas son bonitas. | The Spanish cities are pretty. |
| Compro tres lápices azules. | I buy three blue pencils. |
| Me gustan estas canciones. | I like these songs. |
| Los lunes trabajo en casa. | On Mondays I work at home. |
| Los jóvenes estudian mucho. | The young people study a lot. |
| Hay dos exámenes esta semana. | There are two exams this week. |
| Mis padres viven en Madrid. | My parents live in Madrid. |
Common mistakes
- lápizs -> lápices - a final -z turns into -ces before the plural ending.
- cancións -> canciones - after a consonant add -es, and drop the now-unneeded accent.
- jovenes -> jóvenes - the plural gains a written accent to keep the stress on the same syllable.
- los luneses -> los lunes - words ending in unstressed vowel + s don’t change; only the article marks number.
- papels -> papeles - a word ending in a consonant needs -es, not just -s.
Tips
- One question decides most cases: does the word end in a vowel or a consonant? Vowel -> -s, consonant -> -es.
- Treat -z -> -ces as automatic; it mirrors the c/z spelling rule described in the pronunciation guide.
- After you add -es, re-check the stress: the accent may drop (canción -> canciones) or appear (joven -> jóvenes).
- If a mixed or family group has any male member, use the masculine plural - los hermanos can mean “the brothers” or “the siblings”.
- Words like lunes, martes, crisis, paraguas already look plural - let the article (el vs los) tell you the number.