Plural of nouns
Spanish plurals are regular: add -s after a vowel and -es after a consonant.
| singular ends in | plural | examples |
|---|---|---|
| vowel | + s | casa → casas, coche → coches |
| consonant | + es | ciudad → ciudades, flor → flores |
| -z | z → ces | lápiz → lápices, vez → veces |
| stressed -í / -ú | + es (or -s) | rubí → rubíes |
| unstressed -s | no change | el lunes → los lunes, la crisis → las crisis |
Accent marks
- Words ending in stressed -ión lose the accent: canción → canciones.
- Some words gain one to keep the stress: joven → jóvenes, examen → exámenes.
Mixed groups
A masculine plural covers mixed groups: los padres = parents, los hermanos = brothers and sisters, los reyes = the king and queen.
Examples
- Tengo dos hermanos.I have two siblings.
- Las canciones son nuevas.The songs are new.
- Lo he dicho tres veces.I’ve said it three times.
- Los martes tengo clase.I have class on Tuesdays.
- Hay muchos lápices en la mesa.There are many pencils on the table.
Common mistakes
- ✗ dos profesors✓ dos profesoresA noun ending in a consonant takes -es. English speakers add only -s because “teachers” needs just an s.
- ✗ los lápizes✓ los lápicesBefore -es a final z becomes c. English plurals never change the last letter like this.
- ✗ los jovenes✓ los jóvenesThe plural has one more syllable, so the accent is needed to keep the stress on the first syllable.
- ✗ las cancións✓ las cancionesA noun in -ión is plural with -iones and loses its written accent, because the stress is now naturally on o.
- ✗ los luneses✓ los lunesDays that already end in -s do not change in the plural. English “Mondays” adds an s, Spanish does not.