LangritForming plurals in Dutch
Most Dutch nouns form their plural with -en or -s. Here are the rules:
Rule 1: Add -en (most common)
The majority of Dutch nouns add -en:
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| de deur | de deuren | doors |
| het boek | de boeken | books |
| de stoel | de stoelen | chairs |
| het huis | de huizen | houses |
| de dag | de dagen | days |
Remember: all plural nouns use de, even if the singular is a het-word!
Spelling changes with -en
- Final -s becomes -z: huis → huizen, kaas → kazen
- Final -f becomes -v: brief → brieven (letters)
- Double vowel may simplify: maan → manen (moons), boom → bomen (trees)
- Single consonant may double: man → mannen (men), kat → katten (cats)
Rule 2: Add -s (unstressed endings, borrowed words)
Add -s to words ending in -el, -em, -en, -er, -je, or borrowed/foreign words:
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| de tafel | de tafels | tables |
| de broer | de broers | brothers |
| het meisje | de meisjes | girls |
| de auto | de auto's | cars |
| de foto | de foto's | photos |
Words ending in -a, -i, -o, -u, -y get an apostrophe + s: auto's, foto's, baby's
Rule 3: Irregular plurals
Some nouns have an irregular plural:
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| het kind | de kinderen | children |
| het ei | de eieren | eggs |
| de stad | de steden | cities |
Example sentences
- Ik heb twee katten. — I have two cats.
- De kinderen spelen buiten. — The children play outside.
- Wij kopen drie broden. — We buy three loaves of bread.
- Er zijn veel auto's op straat. — There are many cars on the street.