Singular is referring to just one person or thing. while plural denoting to more than one person or thing
Plural noun is mostly made by adding "s" to the end of a word. e.g
| Singular (Tilo) | Plural (Jam'i) |
|---|---|
| Boy (yaro) | boys (yara) |
| girl (yarinya) | girls ('yanmata) |
| book (littafi) | books (littafai) |
| cat (mage) | cats (maguna) |
| weeks (mako/sati) | weeks (makwanni) |
But if the final letter of the noun is "ch", "s", "se", "sh", "x", or "o", the plural can be formed by adding "es", for example:
Amma idan harafin ƙarke na kalma ya ƙare da waɗannan haruffan "ch", "s", "se", "sh", "x" ko "o", to akan samar da plural ne ta hanyar sanya "es" a ƙarken kalma.
Misali:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Brush (buroshi) | brushes (buroshi fiye da ɗaya) |
| box (akwati) | boxes (akwatuna) | potato (dankali) | potatoes (dankali da yawa) |
| horse (doki) | horses (dawakai) |
| gas (iskar gas) | gases (gas da yawa) |
| torch (cocila) | torches (cociloli) |
| watch (agogo) | watches (agogo da yawa) |
| dress (suturar mata) | dresses (suturun mata) |
If noun has 'y' as its final letter, the 'y' is usually change to 'i', then 'es' should be added to the word thereafter to form plural.
| Singular (tilo) | Plural (jam'i) |
|---|---|
| lady (mace) | ladies (mata) |
| baby (jariri) | babies (jarirai) |
| army (rundunar soji) | armies (rundunar sojoji) |
| city (birni) | cities (birane) |
| body (jiki) | bodies (jikuna) |
Plural can be formed by changing "f" to "v", then "es" to be added afterwards. E.g.
| Singular (tilo) | Plural (jam'i) |
|---|---|
| leaf (ganye) | leaves (ganyayyaki) |
| life (rai/rayuwa) | lives (rayuka) |
| self (kai) | selves (su) |
But some nouns are different in plural form
| Singular (tilo) | Plural (jam'i) |
|---|---|
| Man (namiji) | men (maza) |
| mouse (ɓera) | mice (ɓeraye) |
| oasis (gurin yada zango) | oases (guraren yada zango) |
| goose (ƙwaƙwa) | geese (ƙwaƙwa da yawa) |
| tooth (haƙori) | teeth (haƙora) |
| woman (mace) | women (mata) |
| foot (tafin ƙafa) | feet (tafin ƙafafu) |
| ox (sa wanda aka dandatse) | oxen (shanu waɗanda aka dandatse |
| child (yaro ko yarinya) | children (yara) |
Some words don't change in plural.
| Singular (tilo) | Plural (jam'i) |
|---|---|
| sheep (tinkiya) | sheep (timakai) |
| swine (alade) | swine (aladu) | deer (barewa) | deer (barewa da yawa) |
| trout (kalfashe) | trout (kalfasai) |
| salmon (kifin teku) | salmon (kifayen teku) |
| cod (babban kifin teku) | cod (manyan kifayen teku) |
| cannon (makamin yaƙi) | cannon (makaman yaƙi) |
| dozen (goma sha biyu) | dozen (jam'in 'dozen') |
| gross (kuɗi) | gross (kuɗaɗe) |
Some words have two plural forms.
| Singular (tilo) | Plural (jam'i) | Plural 2 |
|---|---|---|
| penny (sile) | pennies (silalla) | pence (silalla) |
| pea (waken fis) | peas (jam'in 'pea') | pease (jam'in 'pea') |
| genius (ɗan baiwa) | genuises ('yan baiwa) | genii ('yan baiwa) |
| brother (ɗan uwa) | brothers ('yan uwa) | brethren ('yan uwa) |
| person (mutum) | persons (mutane) | people (mutane) |
Some words have no plural. E.g.
advice (shawara), information (bayanai), knowledge (ilimi), news (labarai), progress (mataki, wakana), work (aikin da mutum yake yi a matsayin sana'a) money (kuɗi), luggage (jakunkunan matafiya), furniture (kayan ɗaki), scenery (siffar guri), machinery (mashina)
Aika Zuwa
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