The plural: -ler and -lar
Turkish forms the plural with -ler or -lar, chosen by vowel harmony: evler (houses), kitaplar (books). Unlike English, a noun after a number stays singular: iki kitap (two books).
| Last vowel | Plural suffix | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| a, ı, o, u (back) | -lar | araba (car), kitap (book) | arabalar, kitaplar |
| e, i, ö, ü (front) | -ler | ev (house), kedi (cat) | evler, kediler |
When is there no plural?
- After numbers the noun stays singular: *üç elma* (three apples).
- After quantity words like *çok* (many), *birkaç* (a few) and *kaç* (how many): *çok insan* (many people).
- A few loanwords take *-ler* despite a back vowel: *saatler*, *alkoller*.
- Adjectives never take the plural: *yeni evler* (new houses).
Examples
- Bu kitaplar çok güzel.These books are very nice.
- Sokakta iki kedi var.There are two cats in the street.
- Masada beş bardak duruyor.There are five glasses on the table.
- Burada birçok öğrenci var.There are many students here.
- Yeni evler çok pahalı.The new houses are very expensive.
Common mistakes
- ✗ Masada üç kalemler var.✓ Masada üç kalem var.In English a noun after a number takes -s (three pens); in Turkish the number already shows the amount, so kalem stays singular.
- ✗ Burada çok turistler var.✓ Burada çok turist var.English says “many tourists” with -s; after çok (many) the Turkish noun stays singular.
- ✗ Bu masaler çok büyük.✓ Bu masalar çok büyük.Masa ends in the back vowel a, so the plural is -lar.
- ✗ Kaç çocuklar var?✓ Kaç çocuk var?English “how many children” uses the plural; after kaç the Turkish noun stays singular.
- ✗ Bu alkollar çok pahalı.✓ Bu alkoller çok pahalı.Alkol is a loanword that takes -ler despite its back vowel, like saat → saatler.