Hoi! So far, we've been dealing mostly with singular nouns, like "the book" (het boek) or "a chair" (een stoel). But what happens when you have more than one? How do you talk about "books" and "chairs"? That's where plurals come in. Forming plurals in Dutch is a fundamental skill, and luckily, it follows a set of very consistent rules. Unlike English with its many strange plurals (mouse/mice, person/people), Dutch is much more predictable.
The vast majority of Dutch plurals are formed by adding one of two endings: -en or -s. The trick is knowing which one to use and understanding the spelling changes that come with them. This guide will break down the rules for both endings, cover the necessary spelling adjustments, and introduce you to the few irregular plurals you need to know. Let's multiply those nouns! 📈
The Two Main Endings: -en and -s
Think of -en as the default, most common plural ending. The -s ending is used in specific, well-defined cases to make pronunciation easier.
Rule 1: The Default Ending is -en
If a noun doesn't meet the criteria for the -s ending (which we'll cover next), it almost certainly takes -en. This applies to a huge number of common words.
- boek → boeken (books)
- stoel → stoelen (chairs)
- hond → honden (dogs)
Spelling Changes with -en
Just like with verb conjugations and adjective endings, adding -en can trigger some spelling changes to preserve the vowel sound of the singular form.
1. Long Vowel + Single Consonant: To keep the vowel sound long, one of the vowels is dropped.
- boom (tree) → bomen
- maan (moon) → manen
2. Short Vowel + Single Consonant: To keep the vowel sound short, the final consonant is doubled.
- bus (bus) → bussen
- kat (cat) → katten
3. Noun ends in -f or -s: The -f changes to a -v, and the -s changes to a -z.
- brief (letter) → brieven
- huis (house) → huizen
Rule 2: When to Use the -s Ending
The -s ending is used to avoid awkward pronunciations that adding -en would create. It's generally used for words that already end in a vowel sound or an unstressed syllable.
- An unstressed syllable like -el, -em, -en, -er, -ie.
Example: Adding -en to 'tafel' would make 'tafelen', which sounds like a verb. 'Tafels' is much clearer.- tafel → tafels (tables)
- bezem → bezems (brooms)
- token → tokens (tokens)
- kikker → kikkers (frogs)
- kantie → kanties (offices)
- A single vowel: -a, -o, -u.
To keep the vowel sound long, an apostrophe is needed before the -s.- auto → auto's (cars)
- paraplu → paraplu's (umbrellas)
- agenda → agenda's (agendas)
- Loanwords from English or French ending in a vowel sound.
- café → cafés
- bureau → bureaus
- hotel → hotels
Summary: -en vs. -s
| Use -en (The Default) | Use -s (The Exception) |
|---|---|
| Most one-syllable words (boek, huis, man). | Words ending in unstressed -el, -em, -en, -er. |
| Words ending in a stressed syllable. | Words ending in a single -a, -o, or -u. |
| Words where adding -en doesn't cause pronunciation issues. | Most loanwords. |
Irregular Plurals
Dutch is quite regular, but there are a handful of common nouns with irregular plurals that you simply have to memorize. Luckily, there aren't many!
Plurals with -eren
A small group of neuter nouns (het-words) form their plural with -eren.
- het kind (child) → de kinderen
- het ei (egg) → de eieren
- het lied (song) → de liederen
Other Common Irregular Plurals
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| de stad | de steden | city / cities |
| het schip | de schepen | ship / ships |
| het lid | de leden | member / members |
| de koe | de koeien | cow / cows |
| de dag | de dagen | day / days |
Nouns That Don't Change in the Plural
Some nouns, particularly units of measurement or words that are already plural in meaning, don't change. You can tell they are plural from the context (e.g., the number before them).
- één jaar (one year) → twee jaar (two years)
- één uur (one hour) → drie uur (three hours)
- één glas (one glass) → vier glazen (four glasses) - *Note: this one can be regular too!*
het boek → de boeken
🧠 Plural Formation Quiz
What is the correct plural form of the following nouns?
1. de appel (the apple)
2. de foto (the photo)
3. het glas (the glass)
4. het kind (the child)
Conclusion
You now have a solid understanding of how to form plurals in Dutch! The system is highly regular and centers on the choice between the -en and -s endings. The key is to learn the specific cases where -s is required; for almost everything else, -en is your go-to ending. Don't forget the spelling changes that go with them, as they are essential for correct writing and pronunciation. By memorizing the few irregular plurals and practicing the main rules, you'll be able to talk about more than one of anything with confidence. Heel goed gedaan! (Very well done!) 🎉