Plural in Dutch
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HideDefinition and usage of the Dutch plural
The plural noun is used when people want to describe more than one object, person, animal, event, place or idea. The following endings are used for plural nouns in Dutch:
- '-en'
- '-s'
- '-'s'
- '-eren'
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Plural with '-en'
Most nouns get '-en' at the ending to form the plural. The following rule is used to form plural nouns:
noun + en
Examples:
| Noun | Plural noun | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Het bord (the plate) | De borden (the plates) | Ik zet de borden in de kast. | I put the plates in the cupboard. |
| De fiets (the bike) | De fietsen (the bikes) | Er staan fietsen op straat. | There are bikes on the street. |
| De dief (the thief) | De dieven (the thieves) | Zij zijn dieven. | They are thieves. |
| De mok (the mug) | De mokken (the mugs) | Wij gaan meer mokken kopen. | We are going to buy more mugs. |
Mind the following rules when forming the plural nouns:
1. Short vowels stay short and long vowels stay long.
Example: kop (mug) - koppen (mugs)
2. In the plural form, the double vowel from the last syllabe disappears.
Example: heer (sir) - heren (sirs)
3. If a singular noun ends in 'f' or 's', these consonants change into 'v' or 'z'.
Example: reus (giant) - reuzen (giants)
Plural with '-s'
Besides in '-en' plural nouns can also end in '-s.
noun + s
Nouns that end in '–el', '-em', '-en', '-er', '-je' mostly end in '-s'. The table below shows some examples:
| Noun | Plural noun | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Het hondje (the little dog) | De hondjes (the little dogs) | Hij heeft drie hondjes. | He has three little dogs. |
| De kalender (the calendar) | De kalenders (the calendars) | Kijk even naar die kalenders. | Have a look at those calendars. |
| De kogel (the bullet) | De kogels (the bullets) | Hij heeft geen kogels. | He ran out of bullets. |
| Het meisje (the girl) | De meisjes (the girls) | Meisjes letten jullie op? | Girls do you pay attention? |
Plural with apostrophe '-s'
Nouns that end in the single vowels '–a', '-i', '-o', '-u', '-y' get a '-'s' when forming the plural. The apostrophe is added to keep the long single vowel at the end long.
Take a look at the table below to see how the plural with '-'s' is formed:
| Noun | Plural noun | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| De baby (the baby) | De baby's (the babies) | Zij past op drie baby's. | She babysits three babies. |
| De auto (the cars) | De auto's (the cars) | De auto's rijden snel. | The cars drive fast. |
| De pinda (the peanut) | De pinda's (the peanuts) | Ik eet veel pinda's. | I eat a lot of peanuts. |
| De hobby (the hobby) | De hobby's (the hobbies) | Wij hebben veel hobby's. | We have a lot of hobbies. |
Other plural forms of Dutch nouns
1. '-heid'
Nouns that end in '-heid' in the single form, end in '– heden' in the plural.
Examples:
- De beroemdheid (the celebrity) - de beroemdheden (the celebrities)
- De gruwelijkheid (the horror) - de gruwelijkheden (the horrors)
- De minderheid (the minority) - de minderheden (the minorities)
2. '-eren'
Some plural nouns end in –eren.
Examples:
- Het lied (the song) – de liederen (the songs)
- Het ei (the egg) - de eieren (the eggs)
- Het blad (the leaf) - de bladeren (the leafs)
3. '-a'
Nouns that end in the Latin suffix '–um', get an ending in '-a' in the plural.
Examples:
- Het podium (the stage) - de podia (the stages)
- Het centrum (the centre) – de centra (the centres)
- Het museum (the museum) - de musea (the museums)
Train your skills by doing exercises below!
Exercises
Exercise Dutch plural 1
Make the plural of the noun below.
Remember:
- Plural with '-en'.
- Plural with '-s' or '-'s'.
- Plural ends in '-heden'.
- Plural ends in '-eren'.
- Plural ends in '-a'.
De mok (the mug) - de (the mugs)
De eenheid (the unit) - de (the units)
Het boek (the book) - de (the books)
Het graf (the grave) - de (the graves)
Het groep (the group) - De (the groups)
De kat (the cat) - de (the cats)
Het mens (the human) - de (the humans)
De auto (the car) - de (the cars)
Het kind (the child) - de (the children)
Het meisje (the girl) - de (the girls)
Exercise Dutch plural 2
Make the plural of the noun below.
Remember:
- Plural with '-en'.
- Plural with '-s' or '-'s'.
- Plural ends in '-heden'.
- Plural ends in '-eren'.
- Plural ends in '-a'.
Het podium (the stage) - de (the stages)
De dag (the day)- de (the days)
De sok (the sock)- de (the socks)
De printer (the printer) - de (the printers)
De plaats (the place) - de (the places)
Een ski (a ski)- de (the skis)
Het paard (the horse) - de (the horses)
Het huis (the house) - de (the houses)
De paal (the pole) - de (the poles)
Het ei (the egg) - de (the eggs)
Exercises
Exercise Dutch plural 1
Make the plural of the noun below.
Remember:
- Plural with '-en'.
- Plural with '-s' or '-'s'.
- Plural ends in '-heden'.
- Plural ends in '-eren'.
- Plural ends in '-a'.
De mok (the mug) - de (the mugs)
De eenheid (the unit) - de (the units)
Het boek (the book) - de (the books)
Het graf (the grave) - de (the graves)
Het groep (the group) - De (the groups)
De kat (the cat) - de (the cats)
Het mens (the human) - de (the humans)
De auto (the car) - de (the cars)
Het kind (the child) - de (the children)
Het meisje (the girl) - de (the girls)
Exercise Dutch plural 2
Make the plural of the noun below.
Remember:
- Plural with '-en'.
- Plural with '-s' or '-'s'.
- Plural ends in '-heden'.
- Plural ends in '-eren'.
- Plural ends in '-a'.
Het podium (the stage) - de (the stages)
De dag (the day)- de (the days)
De sok (the sock)- de (the socks)
De printer (the printer) - de (the printers)
De plaats (the place) - de (the places)
Een ski (a ski)- de (the skis)
Het paard (the horse) - de (the horses)
Het huis (the house) - de (the houses)
De paal (the pole) - de (the poles)
Het ei (the egg) - de (the eggs)
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My lessons are adapted to your level and due to my job and experience I have acces to teaching methodes to learn you the basics of the Dutch language or to improve your level. I can help you to improve your level of writing and speaking or help you learn your first words and phrases.
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¡Hola! I’m Paul from Venezuela. I’ve been living in France since 2012, where I work as a fully qualified Spanish teacher at the university level, with up-to-date training.
I have extensive experience preparing students for DELE, SIELE, Bright, and CLOE exams, as well as general Spanish practice.
I specialize in helping students improve their Spanish pronunciation and grammar, assisting many in developing a more natural and fluid way of speaking.
I have worked for various universities and associations for over 10 years. Currently, I teach online for CoLanguage and engineering schools in France, mainly to university and high school students.
My sessions focus on encouraging students to use Spanish effectively, building their confidence, and helping them find their own natural way of expressing themselves in my language.
Looking forward to seeing you!
Paul
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Hello,
I am a multilingual teacher with experience in teaching French to German, Japanese, English, Bulgarian and Italian-speaking students, etc. (levels A1 to C1).
I have been teaching French for 8 years in Luxemburg and now in Bulgaria for 4 years, to teenagers, housewives, businessmen, employees, doctors, etc. I can also help you with DELF and DALF preparation. I give lessons via Skype, Zoom and Microsoft Teams in several countries.
My teaching method for each class : a grammar point together with listening, a lot of speaking with conversation questions or games. While you speak, I write all the new words you need to express yourself, illustrated by pictures or translated in your language.
I do my best to make you feel comfortable to speak and for you to have a pleasant time. According to me, using humour will help you learn more easily.
Whether you need to learn French for business, integration in a French-speaking country or studying, I will be happy to help you. Do not hesitate to contact me for a free trial lesson.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Katia
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