Language/Romanian/Grammar/Plural-Nouns
As a Romanian language teacher with over 20 years of experience, one topic that always comes up when teaching beginner students is plural nouns. In this lesson, we will cover the different ways to form plural nouns in Romanian.
Plural Nouns
In Romanian, plural nouns are formed by adding different endings depending on the gender of the noun. There are two genders in Romanian: masculine and feminine. Here are the rules for forming plural nouns:
Masculine Nouns
For masculine nouns that end in a consonant, the plural ending is "-i". For example:
Romanian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
băiat | [bəˈjat] | boy |
băieți | [bəˈje(t)s] | boys |
om | [om] | man |
oameni | [o̯aˈmenʲ] | men, people |
For masculine nouns that end in "-e", "-te", "-de", "-le", "-me", "-ne", or "-re", the plural ending is "-i". For example:
Romanian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
carte | [ˈkart͡se] | book |
cărți | [ˈkart͡sʲ] | books |
cuvânt | [kuˈvɨnt] | word |
cuvinte | [kuˈvint(e)] | words |
pachet | [paˈket] | package |
pachete | [paˈkete] | packages |
For masculine nouns that end in "-i" or "-î", the plural ending is "-i". For example:
Romanian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
fotoliu | [fo.toˈli.u] | armchair |
fotolii | [fo.toˈli.i] | armchairs |
tren | [tren] | train |
trenuri | [trenuˈri] | trains |
For masculine nouns that end in "-u" or "-ău", the plural ending is "-i". For example:
Romanian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
lait | [laʲt] | milk |
laituri | [laʲtuˈri] | milks |
bărbat | [bərˈbat] | man |
bărbați | [bərˈba(t)s] | men |
trandafir | [tran.daˈfir] | rose |
trandafiri | [tran.daˈfirʲ] | roses |
Feminine Nouns
For feminine nouns that end in "-ă", the plural ending is "-e". For example:
Romanian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
fată | [ˈfa.tə] | girl |
fete | [ˈfe.te] | girls |
masă | [ˈma.sə] | table |
mese | [ˈme.se] | tables |
For feminine nouns that end in "-e" or "-i", the plural ending is "-le". For example:
Romanian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
carte | [ˈkart͡se] | book |
cărți | [ˈkarrt͡sʲ] | books |
ziare | [ˈzi.are] | newspaper |
ziarele | [zi.aˈre.le] | newspapers |
For feminine nouns that end in "-u" or "-ău", the plural ending is "-le". For example:
Romanian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
casă | [ˈka.sə] | house |
case | [ˈka.se] | houses |
scorțișoară | [skor.'t͡ʃi.s̫o̯a.rə] | cinnamon |
scorțișoarele | [skor.'t͡ʃi.s̫o̯a.re.le] | cinnamons |
Irregular Nouns
Some nouns in Romanian have irregular plural forms. Here are some examples:
Romanian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
copil | [koˈpil] | child |
copii | [koˈpi.i] | children |
om | [om] | man |
oameni | [o̯aˈmenʲ] | men, people |
frate | [ˈfra.te] | brother |
frați | [ˈfra(t)s] | brothers |
Conclusion
In conclusion, forming plural nouns in Romanian can be challenging for beginner students, but with practice and memorization of the rules, it can be mastered. Remember to pay attention to the gender of the noun and use the appropriate ending. In the next lesson, we will cover definite and indefinite articles in Romanian.