Plural of nouns
A1 Множественное число существительных 3 / 50
In short
To make a noun plural in the nominative, masculine and feminine nouns usually take -ы or -и, while neuter nouns swap -о -> -а and -е -> -я. A few very common words are irregular, some loanwords never change, and the stress often jumps - so always listen for it.
The rule
1. Masculine & feminine: -ы / -и. Drop the singular ending (or add to a consonant) and add -ы for hard stems, -и for soft stems and after certain letters:
- hard masculine (ends in a consonant) and feminine -а -> -ы: стол -> столы́, маши́на -> маши́ны.
- soft stems (-ь, -й, -я) -> -и: слова́рь -> словари́, неде́ля -> неде́ли.
2. Spelling rule (very important). After the seven letters к г х ж ч ш щ you must write -и, never -ы: кни́га -> кни́ги, ру́чка -> ру́чки, уче́бник -> уче́бники. The choice of letter is a spelling convention, not a phonetic one - but the letter does not tell you the sound: ж and ш are always hard, so the written -и after them is pronounced [ы] (ножи́ = нажы́, маши́ны = машы́ны), while after к г х ч щ it really is [и] (кни́ги, ру́чки).
3. Neuter: -о -> -а, -е -> -я. окно́ -> о́кна, мо́ре -> моря́. Notice the stress jumps in both directions.
4. Stress moves a lot. The plural stress is unpredictable, so learn it with the word: окно́ -> о́кна (back), мо́ре -> моря́ (forward), стол -> столы́ (forward).
5. Fleeting vowel. Suspect one whenever a masculine noun ends in -ец or -ок: the last -е- or -о- usually drops out before the plural ending - продаве́ц -> продавцы́, коне́ц -> концы́, кружо́к -> кружки́, плато́к -> платки́ (but уро́к -> уро́ки).
Forms & patterns
Hard masculine & feminine -> -ы
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| стол (m) | столы́ | table -> tables |
| студе́нт (m) | студе́нты | student -> students |
| маши́на (f) | маши́ны | car -> cars |
| газе́та (f) | газе́ты | newspaper -> newspapers |
Spelling rule: after к г х ж ч ш щ -> -и
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| кни́га (f) | кни́ги | book -> books |
| ру́чка (f) | ру́чки | pen -> pens |
| уче́бник (m) | уче́бники | textbook -> textbooks |
| нож (m) | ножи́ | knife -> knives |
Soft stems (-ь, -й, -я) -> -и
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| слова́рь (m) | словари́ | dictionary -> dictionaries |
| музе́й (m) | музе́и | museum -> museums |
| дверь (f) | две́ри | door -> doors |
| неде́ля (f) | неде́ли | week -> weeks |
Neuter: -о -> -а, -е -> -я
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| окно́ | о́кна | window -> windows |
| сло́во | слова́ | word -> words |
| мо́ре | моря́ | sea -> seas |
| зда́ние | зда́ния | building -> buildings |
Common irregulars (learn one by one)
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| дом | дома́ | house -> houses |
| го́род | города́ | city -> cities |
| друг | друзья́ | friend -> friends |
| брат | бра́тья | brother -> brothers |
| сын | сыновья́ | son -> sons |
| стул | сту́лья | chair -> chairs |
| лист | ли́стья | leaf -> leaves (листы́ = sheets of paper) |
| де́рево | дере́вья | tree -> trees |
| мать | ма́тери | mother -> mothers |
| дочь | до́чери | daughter -> daughters |
| челове́к | лю́ди | person -> people |
| ребёнок | де́ти | child -> children |
| сосе́д | сосе́ди | neighbour -> neighbours (hard д, but -и) |
Indeclinable loanwords (no change at all)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ко́фе | coffee |
| метро́ | metro |
| такси́ | taxi |
| кино́ | cinema / film |
| ра́дио | radio |
| пальто́ | coat |
Examples
| Русский | English |
|---|---|
| На столе́ лежа́т но́вые кни́ги. | New books are lying on the table. |
| В на́шей ко́мнате больши́е о́кна. | There are big windows in our room. |
| Мои́ друзья́ игра́ют в футбо́л. | My friends are playing football. |
| В кла́ссе стоя́т столы́ и сту́лья. | There are tables and chairs in the classroom. |
| Здесь живу́т хоро́шие лю́ди. | Good people live here. |
| Ма́ленькие де́ти лю́бят игра́ть. | Little children like to play. |
| В Росси́и есть о́чень ста́рые города́. | There are very old cities in Russia. |
| На пло́щади стоя́т такси́. | Taxis are parked on the square. |
Common mistakes
- кни́гы -> кни́ги - after г you must write -и, never -ы (spelling rule for к г х ж ч ш щ).
- ру́чкы -> ру́чки - same rule: after к the ending is -и.
- окна́ (wrong stress) -> о́кна - the stress jumps to the first syllable in the plural; mark and say it.
- дру́ги -> друзья́ - друг is irregular; the plural is друзья́, not the “regular” form.
- челове́ки -> лю́ди - the plural of челове́к is the separate word лю́ди.
- ко́фы / ко́фи -> ко́фе - loanwords like ко́фе, метро́, такси́, кино́ never change.
Tips
- Memory hook for the spelling rule: the seven letters к г х ж ч ш щ are “и-loving” - they always take -и in the plural (and elsewhere), so кни́ги and ру́чки are automatic.
- Plural endings depend on gender, so check the gender first (see lesson 1): -а feminine -> -ы/-и, neuter -о/-е -> -а/-я.
- A sizeable group of masculine nouns takes stressed -а́ / -я́ instead of the expected -ы / -и: дома́, города́, учителя́ (teachers), профессора́ (professors), поезда́ (trains), счета́ (bills), паспорта́ (passports), вечера́ (evenings), провода́ (wires) - the list is longer than it looks, so check a new word instead of guessing.
- The people-and-family irregulars come in pairs worth memorising together: брат -> бра́тья, сын -> сыновья́, друг -> друзья́, мать -> ма́тери, дочь -> до́чери, ребёнок -> де́ти, челове́к -> лю́ди.