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Short Plurals - Plurals Flashcards Exercise
2 'the plural' -
(het) enkelvoud
2 'the singular'
- not to be confused with
(de) eenvoud
2 'simplicity'
‑>>
Dutch words have a plural either in -EN or in -S (a few can have both)
- and there are some irregular plurals that will be
listed at the end of the lesson.
There are three good rules:
'schwa')
followed by a consonant have -S plurals
In Dutch, the definite article 'the' is either
'de'
or 'het'
(often shortened to
" 't "
.)
Plurals always take 'de' as the article.
The indefinite article 'a' is:
een
- or for emphasis: één
'one'
|
|
The arrows ‑>> in the examples lead to some explanation of the words, sometimes a picture, sample sentences and/or related words. Optional!
After studying the page, test your understanding of the Dutch Plurals in the Flashcards Exercise
|
Almost all words with a voiceless E
(
'schwa') in the last syllable
followed by a consonant
have an -S plural
(exceptions below.)
There are no one-syllable nouns with voiceless E.
| |
| (de) enkel
/ enkels
2
| - ankle / ankles ‑>> 2 |
| (de) vogel
2
/ vogels
2 | - bird / birds ‑>> |
|
(de) merel
/ merels
| - blackbird / blackbirds ‑>> |
| (de) lepel
/ lepels
| - spoon / spoons ‑>> |
| (de) tafel
2
3
4
/ tafels
2
| - table (to sit at) / tables ‑>> |
|
(de) stapel
2
/ stapels
| - stack / stacks |
|
(de) heuvel
/ heuvels
2
| - hill / hills |
| (de) tegel
/ tegels
2
| - tile / tiles |
| (de) regel
2
/ regels
| - 1. rule (instruction; prescription) 2. line (sentence) / rules; lines ‑>> |
|
(de) winkel
2
/ winkels
2
winkel / winkels | - shop, store / shops, stores ‑>> |
| (de) wortel
/ wortels
| - root; carrot / roots; carrots ‑>> 2 |
| (de) appel
/ appels
| - apple / apples ‑>> |
| (de) sinaasappel
2
/ sinaasappels
| - orange (a fruit) / oranges ‑>> |
| (de) tunnel
2
/ tunnels
2
| - tunnel / tunnels |
| (de) druppel
/ druppels
2
| - drop (a very small amount of liquid) / drops |
| (de) bijbel
/ bijbels
| - bible / bibles ‑>> |
|
(de) bezem
/ bezems
| - broom / brooms ‑>> |
| (de) bliksem
/ bliksems
2
| - lightning; lightning bolt / lightning bolts ‑>> |
| (de) molen
/ molens
| - windmill / windmills ‑>> |
| (het) kussen
2
/ kussens
| pillow, cushion - pillows ‑>> |
|
(het) gegeven
2
/ gegevens
2
| - known fact, data ('given') / facts, data |
|
(de) jongen
/ jongens
| - boy / boys |
|
(de) toren
/ torens
| - tower; castle (chess) / towers; castles ‑>> 2 |
|
(de) anjer
2
anjer / anjers
| - carnation (a flower)
- carnation / carnations ‑>> |
| (de) Nederlander
2
/ Nederlanders
2
| - Dutchman/men ‑>> |
| (de) buitenlander
/ buitenlanders
| - foreigner, alien, expat / foreigners
‑>>
the South-African word is: 'uitlander'
2
|
| (de) polder
/ polders
| - polder, reclaimed land / polders ‑>> |
|
(de) kraker
/ krakers
2
| - squatter / squatters |
|
(de) suiker
/ suikers
| - sugar / sugars ‑>> |
|
(de) vinger
/ vingers
| - finger / fingers
‑>>
note NG pronunciation is different from English |
|
(de) schouder
/ schouders
| - shoulder / shoulders ‑>> |
|
(de) emmer
/ emmers
2
3
emmer / emmers
| - bucket / buckets ‑>> |
| (de) meter
/ meters
| - meter (3.3 feet) / meters ‑>> |
|
(de) veter
2
/ veters
2
| - shoelace, shoestring / shoelaces ‑>> |
| (het) cijfer
/ cijfers
| - digit, number, mark / numbers ‑>> |
| (de) koffer
2
/ koffers
| - suitcase / suitcases ‑>> |
| (de) klinker
/ klinkers
| - vowel / vowels ‑>> 2 |
| (de) medeklinker
/ medeklinkers
| - consonant / consonants ‑>> |
| Apostrophe-S | |
|---|---|
|
Dutch words ending in a single vowel -a, -i, -o or -u (not -e!)
have an S-plural,
but it usually is an apostrophe-s: 'S plural, to keep the ending vowel
long.
A single O in autos would be short, while autoos looks funny. (See also below.) | |
| (de) paprika
/ paprika's
| - bell pepper ‑>> |
| (de) camera
/ camera's
| - (picture) camera ‑>> |
|
(de) kolibri
/ kolibri's
| - hummingbird ‑>> |
|
(de) auto
/ auto's
auto / auto's
2 | - car / cars ‑>> |
|
(de) foto
/ foto's
2
3
foto / foto's | - picture, photograph / pictures |
| (de) kilo
2
/ kilo's
2
| - kilo, kilogram (2.2 lbs) / kilograms ‑>> |
| (het) risico
2
/ risico's
| - risk / risks ‑>> |
| (de) paraplu
/ paraplu's
2
| - umbrella / umbrellas ‑>> |
| Other -S Plurals | |
| Many other words have -S Plurals. A few examples: | |
| (de) ooievaar
/ ooievaars
2
| - stork (the baby delivery bird) / storks |
|
(de) geranium / geraniums
| - geranium (a flowering plant) / geraniums |
|
(de) lelie
/ lelies
2
lelie / lelies
| - lily / lilies |
| Modern Loanwords | |
| Modern words adopted from foreign languages usually have an -S plural | |
| (de) fan
/ fans
| - fan: admirer, enthusiast, devotee / fans |
| (de) computer
/ computers
| - computer / computers |
| Diminutives and other words ending in -E | |
| Diminutives (words ending in -je) always have an -S ending, like most words ending in -E | |
|
(het) meisje
/ meisjes
| - girl / girls |
|
(het) glaasje
glaasje / glaasjes
| - small glass, usually filled with liquor
small glass / small glasses |
| (het) koekje
/ koekjes
| - cookie ‑>> |
| (het) snoepje
/ snoepjes
| - piece of candy |
| (het) blaadje
/ blaadjes
2
| - (small) leaf; small, insignificant piece of notepaper ‑>> |
| (het) krukje
2
/ krukjes
| - stool (seat without back support) ‑>> |
|
(het) straatnaambordje
2
/ straatnaambordjes
| - street name sign |
| (het) suikerklontje
/ suikerklontjes
2
| - sugarcube ‑>> |
|
(het) viooltje
/ viooltjes
viooltje / viooltjes
| - violet (a flowering plant) / violets
- violet / violets ‑>> |
| (de) dame
/ dames
| - lady; queen (chess) / ladies; queens ‑>> / ‑>> |
| (de) postbode
/ postbodes
2
| - postman, mail carrier / mail carriers ‑>> |
| (de) machine
2
/ machines
2
| - machine, device, apparatus / machines
‑>>
Note French CH |
| Words ending in -E, derived from verbs, designating types of people | |
| There is a small group of words ending in -E and often beginning with GE- that have an -EN ending. These words are derived from verbs or adjectives and indicate a type of person. | |
| (de) gevangene
/ gevangenen
| - prisoner / prisoners |
| (de) gelovige
2
/ gelovigen
| - believer (Christian) / believers ‑>> |
| ongelovigen
| - non-believers (not Christians) |
| (de) heilige
/ heiligen
2
| - saint / saints ‑>> |
|
(de) bejaarde
2
/ bejaarden
| - elderly person / elderly people ‑>> |
|
(de) getuige
2
/ getuigen
2
| - witness / witnesses |
| (de) afgevaardigde
2
/ afgevaardigden
2
| - delegate, representative / delegates, representatives |
| Unfortunately there is no general rule for non-diminutive words ending in -E | |
| (de) voorwaarde
/ voorwaarden
2
| - condition, precondition / conditions, preconditions |
| Voiceless E-Consonant S-Plural Exceptions | |
| Unfortunately, a few words ending in voiceless E followed by a consonant do not have an -S plural but an -EN plural. (see also) | |
| (de) heiden
/ heidenen
2
| - heathen / heathens
do note that the N in heidenen and words like it is not doubled, because the E is voiceless. |
| (de) christen
/ christenen
| - Christian / Christians
‑>>
note that most people in Holland pronounce this CH as K * |
| (de) engel
/ engelen
| - angel / angels |
| (de) reden
2
/ redenen
2
| - reason, cause / reasons, causes
reason, sense is (de) rede
2
|
| (het) artikel
/ artikelen
2
| - 1. article (newswpaper) 2. clause (document) 3. item (sales) / articles; clauses; items |
| (de) schepen
/ schepenen
| - medieval lawman/men (an obsolete word)
(schepen
is also 'ships') |
plurals. The rule also applies when one-syllable words are the end part of
compound words.
Dutch syllables are centered around vowels. A syllable ending in a
consonant is called a 'closed syllable' - a syllable ending in a vowel
is called an 'open syllable.'
When there is one consonant between vowels, that consonant almost
always starts the second syllable and the
first syllable is 'open.'
When there is more than one consonant,
usually one remains with the first syllable, and that first syllable
is 'closed.'
The -EN plural adds a syllable to words, and that syllable will take
at least one consonant from the root word - if the root word ends in
a single consonant, the previously last syllable goes from 'closed' to
'open,' and that may cause a problem.
Dutch spelling rules say that a single vowel in a closed syllable is
short (double vowels are always long) - but a single vowel in an open
syllable is long (except single E at the end of a word,
which is
voiceless
.)
Ja
('yes')
zo
('so; this way')
nu
2
('now')
BUT: (EXCEPTION!) je
('you')
So for words ending in a single consonant, the -EN plural causes:
- a doubling of that consonant when there is a single, short vowel,
to keep the syllable 'closed' and the vowel 'short'
Example:
(de) zon / zonnen
zon-nen - 'sun/suns'
- or if there was a double, long
vowel in the last syllable, it is now written as a single vowel, because the
syllable is now 'open'
Example:
(de) zoon / zonen
zo-nen -
'son/sons'
This logical and beautiful dance of double or single vowels and
consonants is also found and explained in
adjectives,
verbs
and long and short vowels.
Keep in mind that when at the end of Dutch words, B is pronounced as P, and D as T - but in the middle of a word, like after -EN is added for a plural, B is pronounced as B and D as D.
| (de) rib
2
/ ribben
2
| - rib / ribs |
| (de) lip
/ lippen
| - lip / lips |
|
(het) paard
2 /
paarden
2 | - horse / horses |
| (de) kaart
/ kaarten
| - card; map / cards; maps |
| 1. -EN Plurals with Diphthongs | |
|---|---|
| Diphthongs (au, ei, eu, ij, oe, ou and ui) are always long, both in 'open' and 'closed' syllables, so there are no further spelling changes when the plural -EN is added. IE is a way of spelling 'long I' - it also remains unchanged by adding an E-ending and for convenience I have put it in this group. | |
| (de) wenkbrauw
2
/ wenkbrauwen
| - eyebrow / eyebrows ‑>> |
|
(de) kabeljauw
2
/ kabeljauwen
2 | - cod, a fish / cods |
|
(de) kei
2
/ keien
| - rock, boulder / rocks, boulders ‑>> |
|
(het) feit
/ feiten
| - fact / facts ‑>> |
| (de) kleur
2
/ kleuren
| - color / colors ‑>> |
| (de) breuk
2
/ breuken
| - a crack; fraction / cracks; fractions ‑>> |
| (de) meeuw
/ meeuwen
| - seagull / seagulls ‑>> |
| (de) vlieg
/ vliegen
| - house fly / flies ‑>> |
|
(het) wiel
2
/ wielen
| - wheel / wheels ‑>> |
| (de) Ier / Ieren
| - Irishman/men |
| (de) Arabier
/ Arabieren
2
| - Arab / Arabs |
|
(de) nier
/ nieren
2 | - kidney / kidneys ‑>> |
| (de) mier
/ mieren
2
| - ant / ants ‑>> |
|
(de) rivier
/ rivieren
| - river / rivers ‑>> 2 |
|
(de) margriet / margrieten
| - marguerite, daisy / marguerites, daisies ‑>> |
| (de) bandiet
2
/ bandieten
2
| - bandit / bandits ‑>> |
|
(de) dijk
/ dijken
| - levee, dike / dikes ‑>> |
| (de) bij
2 / bijen
2
bij / bijen
2
| - bee / bees ‑>> |
|
(de) dij
2
/ dijen
2
dij / dijen | - thigh / thighs ‑>> |
| partij
/ partijen
| - (political) party / parties ‑>> |
| (de) vijg
2
/ vijgen
| - fig / figs |
|
(de) bloem
2
/ bloemen
2 | - flower / flowers ‑>> |
|
(de) hoek
/ hoeken
2 | - angle; corner / angles; corners ‑>> |
|
(het) boek
/ boeken
| - book / books ‑>> 2 |
| (de) broek
2
/ broeken
| - one pair of pants / multiple pairs of pants
‑>>
English 'pants/trousers' does not have a singular, but Dutch does |
| (de) hoed
2
/ hoeden
2
| - hat / hats ‑>> |
|
(de) voet
/ voeten
2 | - foot/feet ‑>> |
| (de) stoel
/ stoelen
| - chair / chairs ‑>> |
| (de) schoen
/ schoenen
| - shoe / shoes ‑>> |
|
(de) vrouw
/ vrouwen
| - woman; wife /women; wives ‑>> / ‑>> |
|
(het) gebouw
2
/ gebouwen
| - building / buildings ‑>> |
|
(de) ui
2
/ uien
| - onion / onions ‑>> |
|
(de) bui
2
/ buien
2 | - (rain)shower / showers ‑>> |
| (de/het) duin
/ duinen
| - dune / dunes |
| (de) struik
2
/ struiken
| - bush / bushes ‑>> |
| (de) vuist
2
/ vuisten
2
3
vuist / vuisten
2
| - fist / fists |
| (het) enzym
2
/ enzymen
2
| - enzyme / enzymes ‑>> |
| 2. Words Ending in more than One Consonant | |
| When a word ends in more than one consonant, at least one will remain with the previously last syllable when the plural -EN ending creates a new syllable at the end of the word: the previously last syllable will remain closed, so there are no further changes to this type of words (mand/man-den, maand/maan-den.) | |
| (de) mand
/ manden
2
mand / manden
2
| - basket / baskets |
| (de) maand
/ maanden
maand / maanden
| - month / months ‑>> 2 |
|
(de) arm
/ armen
2 |
- arm (body part) / arms
‑>>
"de armen"
2
3
can also mean 'the poor' |
|
(de) balk
/ balken
| - (wooden) beam / beams |
|
(de) hand
/ handen
| - hand / hands ‑>> |
|
(het) land
/ landen
2 | - land, country / lands, countries ‑>> |
| (de) krant
/ kranten
| - newspaper ('courant') / newspapers ‑>> 2 |
|
(de) plank
2
/ planken
| - board / boards |
|
(de) wang
/ wangen
| - cheek / cheeks ‑>> |
| (de) barst
/ barsten
| - crack / cracks |
|
(het) paard
2 /
paarden
2 | - horse / horses ‑>> |
| (de) kaart
/ kaarten
| - postcard; playing card; map / postcards; playing cards; maps ‑>> / ‑>> / ‑>> |
| (de) schaats
2
/ schaatsen
| - (ice) skate / skates >> |
|
(de) mens
2
/ mensen
| - man, human / men, humans |
|
(het) recht
/ rechten
| - right / rights ‑>> |
|
(het) hert
/ herten
2 | - deer/deer ‑>> |
| (de) erwt
/ erwten
2
3
erwt / erwten
2
| - (green, British) pea / peas
‑>>
2 (W is not pronounced) |
| (de) speld
/ spelden
| - pin (sewing) ‑>> |
| (het) recept
2
/ recepten
| - recipe (cooking); prescription (medicine) / recipes; prescriptions ‑>> / ‑>> |
| (de) terp
/ terpen
| - 'high ground, mound, hill of refuge' / 'mounds' |
| (de) Belg
2
/ Belgen
| - Belgian person / Belgians ‑>> |
| (de) berg
/ bergen
2
| - mountain / mountains ‑>> |
|
(de) plicht
2
/ plichten
| - duty/duties |
| (het) ding
/ dingen
2
| - thing / things |
| (de) kring
2
/ kringen
2
| - circle, ring |
| (de) verdieping
/ verdiepingen
2
| - floor, storey >> |
| (de) ontwikkeling
/ ontwikkelingen
2
3
| - development ‑>> |
| (de) vreemdeling
/ vreemdelingen
2
| - stranger, foreigner / strangers, foreigners ‑>> |
| (de) uitvinding
/ uitvindingen
| - invention / inventions ‑>> |
| (de) uitzondering
2
/ uitzonderingen
2
| - exception / exceptions ‑>> 2 |
| (de) wandeling
2
/ wandelingen
2
| - stroll, walk, hike / hikes ‑>> |
| (de) vonk
/ vonken
2
3
vonk / vonken
| - spark / sparks ‑>> |
| (de) vork
/ vorken
| - fork / forks ‑>> |
| (de) worm
/ wormen
| - worm / worms ‑>> |
|
(de) klomp
2
/ klompen
| - wooden clog / clogs |
|
(de) long
/ longen
| - lung / lungs ‑>> |
| (de) worst
/ worsten
| - sausage / sausages ‑>> |
| (het) hoofd
/ hoofden
2
| - head (human and horse); department head / heads ‑>> |
| (het) woord
/ woorden
| - word / words ‑>> |
| (het) antwoord
2
/ antwoorden
| - answer / answers ‑>> |
|
(de) tulp
/ tulpen
| - tulip / tulips >> |
|
(de) vrucht
/ vruchten
2 | - a fruit, fruit / fruits >> |
| (de) fiets
2
3
/ fietsen
2
| - bicycle / bicycles >> |
| (de) dienst
/ diensten
| - service / services |
| Examples of the Problem Words | |
| Problems arise with the adding of the -EN syllable for the plural when words end in one consonant AND have either a single or a double vowel in the final syllable of the word. The previously final consonant will move from the root word to the -EN plural syllable, leaving a previously closed syllable open. Now a double, 'long' vowel must be written as a single vowel, but a single, 'short' vowel needs a new closing consonant. | |
|
(de) maan
2
/ manen (ma-nen)
|
- moon / moons ‑>> |
|
(de) man
2
/ mannen (man-nen)
2 |
- a man, a male; husband / men, males; husbands |
|
(de) Deen
/ Denen (De-nen)
2
| - Dane, a person from Denmark / Danes |
|
(de) den
/ dennen (den-nen)
2 |
- fir tree / fir trees ‑>> |
|
(de) boom
2
/ bomen (bo-men)
|
- tree / trees ‑>> |
|
(de) bom
2
/ bommen (bom-men)
2 |
- bomb / bombs ‑>> |
|
(de) vloot
2
/ vloten (vlo-ten)
2
|
- a fleet (ships) / fleets ‑>> |
|
(het) vlot
2
3
/ vlotten (vlot-ten)
2
3 |
- raft / rafts (think of: 'to float') |
| 3. -EN Plurals for Long (Double) Vowels before a Single Consonant | |
| A single consonant at the end of a word will move to the -EN plural ending, leaving a previously 'closed' syllable 'open' - and then the double vowel will be written as a single vowel, because single vowels at the end of a syllable are 'long' (except E at the end of a word.) | |
| (de) naam
2
/ namen
2
| - name / names ‑>> |
| (het) raam
2
/ ramen
raam / ramen
2
| - window / windows ‑>> |
| (de) Amerikaan
2
/ Amerikanen
2
| - American / Americans ‑>> |
| (de) daad
/ daden
2
| - act ('deed') / actions ‑>> |
| (de) tomaat
/ tomaten
| - tomato/tomatoes ‑>> |
| (het) apparaat
/ apparaten
| - device, (small) machine / devices ‑>> |
| (de) taak
2
/ taken
| - task / tasks |
|
(de) blaar
2
/ blaren
2
| - blister / blisters ‑>> |
| (de) leraar
2
/ leraren
| - male teacher at secondary school / teachers ‑>> |
| (het) gevaar
/ gevaren
| - danger / dangers ‑>> |
| (de) schaar
/ scharen
|
- one pair of scissors / multiple pairs of scissors
‑>>
English 'scissors' does not have a singular, but Dutch does |
|
(de) aap
/ apen
| - monkey / monkeys ‑>> 2 |
|
(het) schaap
/ schapen
2 | - sheep/sheep ‑>> 2 |
| (de) kraan
2
/ kranen
| - faucet; crane / faucets; cranes ‑>> |
| (de) staat
/ staten
2
| - state (country, nation // conditions) / states ‑>> |
|
(de) zwaan
/ zwanen
| - swan / swans ‑>> |
| (het) kanaal
/ kanalen
| - channel / channels |
| (het) verhaal
2
/ verhalen
| - story, narrative / stories |
| (de) vraag
2
/ vragen
| - question / questions ‑>> |
| (het) ideaal
2
/ idealen
| - ideal - note that E of the root word is pronounced as EE (Dutch IE) |
| (het) jaar
/ jaren
| - year / years
‑>>
2
See also the note at the bottom of the page |
| (het) probleem
2
/ problemen
| - problem / problems ‑>> |
|
(het) been
2
3
/ benen
2
been / benen | - leg (human and horse) / legs ‑>> |
|
(de) teen
/ tenen
| - toe / toes ‑>> |
|
(de) baksteen
/ bakstenen
2
| - brick / bricks ‑>> |
|
(de) dobbelsteen
2
/ dobbelstenen
| - die/dice ‑>> |
| (de) keet
2
/ keten
2
3
| - shed at building site / sheds |
| (de) preek
/ preken
| - sermon / sermons (de) donderpreek
fiery sermon
|
| (het) juweel
2
/ juwelen
| - jewel / jewels, jewelry ‑>> |
| (de) crimineel
2
/ criminelen
2
| - criminal, felon, gangster / criminals ‑>> |
| (het) oog
/ ogen
| - eye / eyes ‑>> |
|
(de) elleboog
/ ellebogen
2 | - elbow / elbows ‑>> |
|
(de) gladiool / gladiolen
| - gladiolus / gladioli (a flowering plant) |
| (het) oor
/ oren
| - ear / ears ‑>> |
| (de) droom
2
/ dromen
| - dream / dreams ‑>> |
| (het) brood
2
/ broden
2
| - loaf/loaves of bread ‑>> 2 |
|
(het) spoor
2
/ sporen
2 | - trace/ traces |
| (de) noot
/ noten
| - nut; note (music) / nuts; notes ‑>> / ‑>> |
|
(de) poot
2
/ poten
| - leg (of animals, tables & chairs) / legs |
| (het) uur
/ uren
2
| - hour (also see note at bottom of the page) ‑>> 2 |
| (de) schuur
2
/ schuren
2
| - large shed, like on a farm /sheds
‑>>
a small shed in a yard is: (het) schuurtje
|
| (de) minuut
/ minuten
2
| - minute (1/60th of an hour) / minutes ‑>> 2 |
| 4. -EN Plural for Short (Single) Vowels before a Single Consonant | |
| A single consonant at the end of a word will move to the -EN plural, leaving a previously 'closed' syllable 'open' - to keep the vowel 'short' that first syllable needs to be 'closed' by a doubling of the final consonant of the original word. | |
| (de) vlag
/ vlaggen
2
| - flag / flags ‑>> |
| (de) plak
/ plakken
| - slice (cake, cheese - not bread) / slices |
|
(de) slak
/ slakken
slak / slakken | - snail, slug ‑>> |
| (het) getal
/ getallen
2
| - number / numbers ‑>> |
| (de) kam
2
/ kammen
2
| - comb / combs ‑>> |
|
(de) zwam
2
/
zwammen
| - mushroom, toadstool / mushrooms ‑>> |
| (de) pan
2
/ pannen
| - pan, cooking pot / pans ‑>> |
| (de) kar
/ karren
| - cart / carts |
| (de) klas
/ klassen
2
3
klas / klassen |
- class, grade / classes, grades ‑>> |
|
(de) rat
2
3
/ ratten
2
3
rat / ratten | - rat / rats |
| (de) pen
/ pennen
(de) pen / pennen
| - pen (for writing) / pens ‑>> |
|
(de) pet
2
/ petten
| - cap (headgear) / caps ‑>> |
| (de) bes
/ bessen
2
| - berry/berries ‑>> |
| (het) mes
2
/ messen
2
| - knife/knives ‑>> |
| (de) les
/ lessen
2
| - lesson / lessons ‑>> 2 |
|
(de) fles
/ flessen
2 | - bottle / bottles |
|
(de) wet
/ wetten
| - law / laws ‑>> |
| (de) schil
/ schillen
2
| - peel, skin, layer / peels, skins, layers ‑>> |
|
(de) bil
/ billen
2
bil / billen | - buttock / buttocks |
| (de) bril
/ brillen
| - one pair of glasses / multiple pairs of glasses
‑>>
English 'glasses/spectacles' does not have a singular, but Dutch does |
| (de) lip
/ lippen
| - lip / lips ‑>> |
|
(de) vis
/ vissen
vis / vissen | - fish/fish, fishes ‑>> |
|
(de) narcis / narcissen
| - daffodil / daffodils (a flowering plant) |
| (het) eiwit
/ eiwitten
| - protein; egg-white / proteins; egg whites ‑>> |
|
(de) os
/ ossen
2 | - ox/oxen |
|
(het) bos
/ bossen
bos / bossen | - forest / forests ‑>> |
|
(de) vos
vos / vossen
2 |
- fox - fox / foxes |
|
(het) bot
/ botten
| - bone / bones ‑>> |
| (de) grot
/ grotten
|
- cave / caves |
| (de) knop
2
/ knoppen
| - bud; button, switch / buds; buttons ‑>> / ‑>> |
| (de) spion
2 / spionnen
2 |
- spy/spies
‑>>
(I and O are pronounced separately ‑>>) |
| (het) stuk
2
/ stukken
| - 1. piece, part 2. document, paper / pieces, parts; documents |
| (de) bus
/ bussen
2
3
| - 1. bus (transportation) 2. metal jar, container / buses; jars ‑>> |
| (de) kus
/ kussen
2
| - kiss / kisses
‑>>
(het) kussen
2
is 'pillow, cushion'
‑>>
|
| (de) brug
/ bruggen
| - bridge / bridges ‑>> |
| (de) krul
/ krullen
| - curl / curls ‑>> |
| -EN plurals for words ending in -EE or IE | |
|
When words ending in -EE or IE have an -EN plural, there will be
a dieresis, 'Umlaut'-like double dots on the E of the -EN
to indicate a syllable break, the E is pronounced separately from the
preceding vowel.
The Dutch word for these double dots is
(het) trema
‑>>
and its function is completely different from the German
Umlaut which changes the sound of the vowel it's on.
| |
|
(de) orchidee / orchideeën
| - orchid / orchids |
| (het) idee
/ ideeën
2
| - idea / ideas ‑>> |
|
(de) calorie
/
calorieën
2 | - calorie / calories ‑>> |
|
(de) kopie
/ kopieën
| - copy, xerox, not an original / copies |
|
(de) knie
/ knieën
2 |
- knee / knees
‑>>
- do notice that K is pronounced |
| - when the stress of the word ending in -IE is not on the IE, the trema is put on the E of the IE. | |
|
(de) olie
2
/ oliën
| - oil / oils |
| A Few Words with Two Plurals |
|---|
| A very small number of words has both an -S and an -EN plural. The -EN plural is usually a little old-fashioned. This list is not exhaustive. |
|
(de) aardappel
|
/ aardappelen
|
- aardappels
| - potato/potatoes ‑>> |
| - do note that the L in aardappelen is not doubled, because here the E of EL is 'voiceless, unstressed' | |||
| (de) doorn (doren)
|
/ doornen
|
- dorens
| - thorn/thorns ‑>> |
| (de) la
/or/ (de) lade
2
| / laden
|
- lades
| - drawer/drawers ‑>> |
| (de) vitamine
|
/ vitaminen
|
- vitamines
| - vitamin/vitamins ‑>> |
| (het) teken
| / tekenen
2
| - tekens
| - sign, signal / signs, signals ‑>> |
| (de) keten
2
3
| / ketenen
2
| - ketens
2
| - chain, shackle / chains, shackles |
| (het) middel
2
|
/ (middels
2
'waists') |
middelen
'means' | |
| |
hersenen
'the brain' (the body part) ‑>> |
- hersens
'brains' (brainpower, intelligence) | |
| the singular
'hersen' is only found in compound words like
(de) hersenschudding
2
['brain-shaking'] 'concussion'
(de) hersenbloeding
2
['brain-haemorrhage'] 'stroke'
| |||
In Dutch, B and D at the end of words are pronounced as P and T. Pronouncing a B or D in that position doesn't come naturally to a Dutchman, it requires a little extra effort to set the mouth that way. But B and D in the middle of a word are easier and pronounced like English B and D.
|
|
Dutchmen speaking English will often pronounce those final B's and D's
like in Dutch, for instance making no difference between 'card' and
'cart,' and say the names
Bob
as 'bop' and
Ed
as 'et.' (Sorry, friends.)
Similar to B and D,
Dutch words never end in V or Z. The Dutch mouth is not used to
these sounds, they don't come easy to a Dutchman. In Dutch, V and Z
need to be followed by a vowel - as the last letter of a word or
when followed by a consonant, V changes to to F and Z changes to S.
Linguists undoubtedly have a word for the sounds of that kind, but there
is no need for us to know.
Unlike B/P and D/T, the F/V and S/Z shift is shown in the Dutch spelling of
the word. English shows the F/V shift in words like
loaf/loaves and life/lives; I hear a sharpening from S
to Z in words like house/houses and wise/wiser, though it
doesn't show it in spelling (maybe not all
English-speakers say it like this, and I may be wrong.)
English actually has a considerable number of words with an F/V shift,
like:
wife/wives, knife/knives, leaf/leaves, half/halves, dwarf/dwarves, elf/elves,
shelf/shelves, wharf/wharves, hoof/hooves, scarf/scarves, wolf/wolves.
The list of Dutch words is not exhaustive.
| (de) raaf
/ raven
2
raaf / raven |
- raven (a bird) / ravens |
| (de) zalf
zalf / zalven |
- cream, ointment - cream, ointment / creams |
| (de) zeef
/ zeven
zeef / zeven |
- strainer, sieve
‑>>
'zeven'
is also 'number 7' |
| (de) dief
2
/ dieven
2
3
dief / dieven
2 |
- thief/thieves ‑>> |
| (de) brief
2
/ brieven
| - letter (mail) / letters ‑>> |
| (de) golf
2
/ golven
2
golf / golven |
- wave /waves ‑>> |
| (het) lijf
/ lijven
2
lijf / lijven |
- the living human body (a bit common) / bodies ‑>> |
| (de) hoef
/ hoeven
hoef / hoeven
2
| - hoof (horse foot) / hooves ‑>> |
|
(de) schroef
/ schroeven
| - screw / screws
‑>>
(notice that CH in SCHR is not pronounced) |
| (de) boef
2
/ boeven
2
| - criminal (often jocular) / criminals ‑>> |
| (de) duif
2
3
/ duiven
duif / duiven |
- dove, pigeon (a bird) / doves, pigeons ‑>> |
| (de) kaas
2
/ kazen
| - cheese / cheeses ‑>> 2 |
| (de) baas
/ bazen
2
(de) baas / bazen |
- boss, master / bosses, masters |
| (de) haas
haas / hazen |
- hare (a rabbit-like animal) - hare / hares |
| (de) vaas
2
3
/ vazen
vaas / vazen |
- vase / vases |
| (de/het) aas
/ azen
| - ace (cards) / aces ‑>> |
| (de) laars
/ laarzen
| - boot / boots ‑>> |
| BUT: (EXCEPTION!) (de) kaars
/ kaarsen
2
| - candle / candles ‑>> |
| (het) glas
2
/ glazen
glas / glazen |
- (drinking) glass / glasses
‑>>
note plural vowel lengthening |
| (de) gans
/ ganzen
gans / ganzen
2 |
- goose/geese |
| (de) hals
2
/ halzen
2
hals / halzen |
- neck, throat / necks, throats ‑>> |
| - BUT: (EXCEPTION!) (de) wals
/ walsen
wals / walsen |
- waltz; steamroller / waltzes; steamrollers |
| (het) vers
2
vers / verzen |
- poem, verse (also: 'fresh'
‑>>)
- poem, verse / poems, verses |
| (de) grens
/ grenzen
| - border / borders ‑>> |
| (de) lens
2
/ lenzen
| - lens / lenses |
| (de) wees
2
/ wezen
2
wees / wezen |
- orphan / orphans
‑>>
'wees' and 'wezen' are also slang forms of zijn 'to be' ‑>> and (het) wezen is 'the essence' and 'a being.' buitenaardse wezens
2
"aliens, ET's" |
| (de) Chinees
2
/ Chinezen
2
| - a Chinese person / people |
| (de) kies
2
/ kiezen
| - molar, tooth/teeth ‑>> |
| (de) Fries
/ Friezen
Fries / Friezen |
- a Frisian / Frisians ‑>> |
|
(de) spons
/ sponzen
|
- sponge / sponges ‑>> |
| (de) doos
/ dozen
2
doos / dozen |
- box / boxes ‑>> |
| (de) roos
2
/ rozen
2
roos / rozen
2 |
- rose / roses ‑>> |
| (de) reis
2
/ reizen
2 reis / reizen
| - trip, journey, tour / trips, journeys, tours ‑>> |
| (de) neus
/ neuzen
2
| - nose / noses ‑>> |
| (de) reus
/ reuzen
| - giant / giants ‑>> |
| (de) biels
2
3
biels / bielzen
| - railroad tie - railroad tie / railroad ties |
| (de) poes
/ poezen
2
| - cat / cats ‑>> |
| (het) huis
/ 2
huizen
huis / huizen |
- house / houses ‑>> |
| (de) muis
/ muizen
2
muis / muizen
2
|
- mouse/mice |
| (de) luis
/ luizen
2
luis / luizen |
- louse/lice |
| (de) buis
/ buizen
buis / buizen |
- pipe, tube |
| - BUT: (EXCEPTION!) (het) kruis
/ kruisen
2
kruis / kruisen |
- cross / crosses ‑>> |
| Related Adjectives | |
|---|---|
| Dutch has a similar F/V and S/Z shift in adjectives: | |
| braaf / brave
|
- well-behaved, obedient |
| gaaf / gave
2
|
- unblemished, undamaged; slang: good, 'cool' '(de) gave'
2
is a gift, a talent |
| lief / lieve
|
- dear, sweet ‑>> |
| doof / dove
|
- deaf |
| grof / grove
| - coarse; rude - "groffe"
is also said, but not written "een groffe belediging"
2
a rude insult
|
| - BUT: dof / doffe
2
| - dull, things not shiny or sounds not clear doffe ellende
'hopeless misery'
|
| dwaas / dwaze
|
- foolish, silly |
| vies / vieze
2 |
- dirty ‑>> |
| - BUT: Fries / Friese
|
- Frisian ‑>> |
| - BUT: Chinees
2
/ Chinese
2
| - Chinese |
| boos / boze
|
- angry |
| wijs / wijze
2
| - wise, sensible, prudent |
| grijs / grijze
|
- grey |
| - BUT: vers / verse
2 |
- fresh, new ‑>> |
| - BUT: vals / valse
|
- false, untrue |
| brons / bronzen
2 |
- bronze |
| serieus / serieuze
|
- serious ‑>> |
| Plurals in -EREN | |
|---|---|
|
English has child/children - Dutch has
kind/kinderen
- Similarities like this show the shared ancestry of the
languages. Dutch has about a dozen words with an -EREN plural,
mostly old words, probably already in use when the Germanic tribes
roamed the forests of North-Western Europe.
|
| (het) kind
2
/ kinderen
2
3
kind / kinderen |
- child/children ‑>> |
| (het) ei
2
/ eieren
ei / eieren |
- egg / eggs ‑>> |
| (het) blad
/ bladeren
blad / bladeren
2
|
- leaf/leaves
‑>>
note plural vowel length change poetic plural: blâren |
| (het) rad / raderen
|
- wheel, cogwheel / cogwheels note vowel length change but the common word for 'wheel' is (het) wiel
2 /
wielen
|
| (het) kalf / kalveren
2
3 |
- calf / calves - note F/V shift
the diminutive is also often used: (het) kalfje
2
/ kalfjes
2
|
| (het) lam / lammeren
|
- lamb / lambs the diminutive is more common: (het) lammetje
/ lammetjes
2
|
| (het) volk / volkeren
|
- a people, a nation / peoples, nations alternate plural: volken
2
|
| (het) lied / liederen
2 |
- song / songs - the diminutive is more common:
(het) liedje
2
/ liedjes
|
| (de?/het) hoen / hoenderen
|
- fowl / fowl (obsolete - but note D-insertion)
more commonly: (de) kip
/ kippen
'chicken' |
| (het) rund / runderen
2
3
|
- bovine, cow, cattle animal / bovines
more commonly people say: (de) koe / koeien
2 'cow'
or: (de) stier
2 'bull'
(het) rundvlees
beef
(het) rundergehakt
ground beef
|
| (het) been / beenderen | - bone / bones (also note D-insertion)
is really old-fashioned. You can say: (het) soepbeen
2
'soup bone,'
and (het) beenmerg
2
3
'bone marrow'
but the common word for 'bone' is (het) bot / botten
|
| (het) bot
/ botten
bot / botten |
- bone / bones |
| Vowel Changes | |
|---|---|
| English actually has a larger number of plurals with a vowel change than Dutch: woman/women, man/men, mouse/mice, louse/lice, goose/geese, foot/feet, tooth/teeth |
| (de) stad
/ steden
2
stad / steden |
- city, town / cities, towns ‑>> |
| (de) smid
2
3
/ smeden
2
smid / smeden
(de) smederij |
- smith, blacksmith / smiths 'smithy,' a smith's workshop |
| (het) schip
/ schepen
schip / schepen
(het) scheepje |
- ship / ships - (very) small ship |
| (het) lid
2
/ leden
lid / leden |
- member / members |
| Vowel Lengthening | |
|---|---|
| Dutch has quite a few plurals with a vowel lengthening in the plural. This list may not be complete. A foreigner could argue 'vowel lengthening' is not very different from 'vowel change,' but to Dutchmen it is. | |
| (het) bad
2 / baden
(het) bad / baden |
- bath / baths |
| (het) pad
2
/ paden
2
pad / paden
(het) paadje |
- path /paths - small path ‑>> |
| - BUT: (de) pad
2
/ padden
2
pad / padden |
- toad (a froglike creature) / toads |
| (het) dal
2
/ dalen
dal / dalen |
- ['dale'] - valley / valleys |
| (het) dak
2
/ daken
dak / daken |
- roof / roofs |
| (de) dag
2
/ dagen
2
dag / dagen |
- day /days ‑>> 2 |
| (het) dagje
2
/ daagjes
2
3
dagje / daagjes
2
|
- ('little') day / days |
| (de) slag
2
3
4
/ slagen
2
3
4
slag / slagen
2 |
- battle; blow / battles ; blows ‑>> |
| - BUT:
(de) vlag
/ vlaggen
2
| - flag / flags |
| "De Nederlandse vlag is rood-wit-blauw"
2
3
|
'The Dutch flag is red-white-blue' |
|
(het) verdrag
2
/ verdragen
2
| - treaty/treaties |
|
(het) bedrag
/ bedragen
2
| - sum, amount of money / sums ‑>> |
| (het) graf
/ graven
graf / graven
2 |
- grave / graves ‑>> |
| BUT ALSO: (de) graaf
/ graven
|
- count (a nobleman) / counts ‑>> |
| (het) gat
/ gaten
2
3
gat / gaten
(het) gaatje |
- hole / holes - small hole |
| (het) vat
/ vaten
2
3
vat / vaten
2
(het) vaatje
2 |
- barrel / barrels small barrel |
| (het) glas
2
/ glazen
glas / glazen
(het) glaasje |
- (drinking) glass / glasses
‑>> - small glass |
| (het) gebed
2
3
/ gebeden
2
gebed / gebeden
(het) schietgebedje
2 |
- prayer / prayers
‑>>
- quick, hasty prayer |
| (het) gebrek
2
/ gebreken
2
gebrek aan |
- handicap, disability - 'lack of' |
| (het) spel
/ spelen
| - game, play ‑>> |
| (het) bevel
/ bevelen
2 |
- order, command |
| (het) gen
/ genen
gen / genen |
- gene / genes ‑>> |
| (het) schot
2
/ schoten
schot / schoten |
- shot / shots ‑>> |
| (de) god
/ goden
2
3
god / goden |
- god / gods ‑>> |
| (het) gebod
2
/ geboden
2
3
| - commandment / commandments ‑>> |
| De Tien Geboden
2 |
The 10 Commandments |
| Het Tiende Gebod
2 |
The 10th Commandment |
| "Gij zult niet stelen."
|
Thou shalit not steal |
| (het) lot
2
3
/ loten
2
lot / loten
(het) lootje |
- lottery ticket / tickets
- See Also
- 'small' lottery ticket |
| (het) slot
/ sloten
2
| - lock; castle ‑>> |
| BUT ALSO: (de) sloot
/ sloten
2
| - ditch / ditches ‑>> |
| (het) hof
/ hoven
hof / hoven |
- court; courtyard / courts; courtyards |
| (het) hol
2
/ holen
2
3
|
- lair / lairs - burrowing animals or criminal gang home(s) |
| (het) ion
/ ionen
ion / ionen
2 |
- ion / ions ‑>> - see also |
| (de) hertog / hertogen
2 |
- duke / dukes ‑>> |
| (de) doctor
2
/ doctoren
2
3
doctor / doctoren |
- person with a PhD; loosely: an MD |
| (de) dokter
/ dokters
2
3
(doktoren
2
3 ) |
- doctor = medical doctor, physician, MD / doctors ‑>> |
|
(de) professor
/ professoren
|
- professor / professors ‑>> |
| (de) ventilator / ventilatoren
|
- fan, ventilator / fans |
| (de) transformator / transformatoren
|
- transformer, electric power adaptor / transformers |
| BUT: (de) tor
/ torren
2
tor / torren |
- beetle / beetles ‑>> |
Mannen die lui worden
2
3
in almost all compound words ending in -man the regular plural
-mannen sounds funny to Dutchmen.
A rare exception is:
| (de) vuilnisman
2
/ vuilnismannen
2
3
vuilnisman / vuilnismannen |
- garbageman, dustman, sanitation engineer |
|
Usually, we say -lui
or -lieden
instead of -mannen
2
3
'Lui'
by itself means 'people, folks'
(now slightly unfavorable)- je ouwelui
2
('your olds folks') 'your parents' (slang)
- rare lui
2
weird people, queer customers
but lui
(luie
)
also means 'lazy' | |
| (de) luiaard
2
3 |
1. sloth 2. lazy person |
| luie stoel
|
[lazy] easy chair |
| Luilekkerland
|
[lazy-pleasant land] - 'Land of Cockaigne' ‑>> |
| Lekker lui liggen lezen
|
Enjoying a lazy read (probably lying down) |
| Liever lui dan moe
2 |
[Lazy rather than tired] - preferring not making an effort |
| | |
| (de) zeeman
2
/ zeelui
2
zeeman / zeelui
2equally good plural: zeelieden
2
|
- [sea-man] sailor / sailors - sailor / sailors - sailors ‑>> |
| (de) stuurman
2
3
stuurman / stuurlui |
- ['steering man'] ship officer
ship officer / ship officers |
| stuurlui
2
3
|
[steering men] ship officers |
| stuurlieden
2
|
[steering men] ship officers |
| De beste stuurlui staan aan wal
|
(saying) 'the most competent ship officers are always on shore' - it's easy to criticize from a distance. |
| (de) timmerman
2
timmerman / timmerlui* |
- carpenter - carpenter / carpenters ‑>> 2 |
| (de) tuinman
2
tuinman / tuinlieden* |
- gardener - gardener / gardeners ‑>> |
| * Although there is no good alternative, timmerlui and tuinlieden feel old-fashioned | |
| vakman
2 /
vakmensen
2
|
- professional / professionals ‑>> |
| As you see, it's a bit complicated. For some words, the -lui or -lieden endings also don't sound good, so there is a kind-of regular -EN ending for those words. | |
| (de) edelman
2
/ edelen
edelman / edelen |
- nobleman/nobles ‑>> |
| (de) Engelsman
2
/ Engelsen
2
| - Englishman/men >> |
| (de) Fransman
/ Fransen
| - Frenchman/men |
| -heid to -heden | |
|---|---|
| The -heid/-heden words are often only found either in plural or singular. Is there only one truth? | |
| (de) waarheid
waarheid / waarheden |
- truth - truth / truths ‑>> 2 |
| twee halve waarheden
|
- two half-truths |
| onwaarheden
|
- [untruths] lies |
| (de) hoeveelheid
hoeveelheden
2
|
- amount - amounts, quantities ‑>> |
| (de) moeilijkheid
2
moeilijkheden
2
|
- ['difficultness'] difficulty
- difficulties, problems, trouble ‑>> |
| omstandigheden
2 |
- circumstances ‑>> |
| de mensheid
2 |
- mankind, humanity |
| (de) schoonheid
2
| - beauty |
| (de) meerderheid
2
|
- majority ‑>> 2 |
| (de) minderheid
2
3
minderheden
2
|
- minority - minorities |
| (de) snelheid
2
/ snelheden
2
3
| - speed / speeds ‑>> |
| (de) hoge snelheid
2
3
|
- high speed |
| lage snelheden
2
3
|
- low speeds |
| (de) mogelijkheid
2
3
plural: mogelijkheden
2
3
|
- possibility |
| (de) onvolkomenheid
2
3
plural: onvolkomenheden
2
3
|
- imperfection; incompleteness |
| (het) museum
/ musea
2
3
4
5
museum / musea
museums |
- museum / museums - museum / museums - museums |
| (de) politicus
politicus / politici
2 |
- politician
‑>>
- politician / politicians - notice the change in the C-pronunciation |
| (de) criticus
2
criticus / critici
2
|
- critic, reviewer
‑>>
- critic / critics - notice the change in pronunciation of the second C >> |
| (de) musicus
/ musici
2
musicus / musici
|
- (serious) musician / musicians
- musician / musicians ‑>> 2 |
| muzikanten
2 |
- (less serious) musicians |
| (de) technicus
2
3
/ technici
2
3
technicus / technici
|
- engineer, technician / engineers, technicians |
| (de) geluidstechnicus
2 |
- sound engineer |
| (de) academicus
2
/ academici
2
| - a person / people with a university degree |
|
Dutch kussen
2
means 'kisses,' 'to kiss' and also 'pillow' - Dutch-style
plurals like technicussen are incorrect and sound really
silly to Dutchmen. Words ending in -CUS that indicate a person's function or job
have -I plurals like their Latin originals.
Other words that end in -US usually have an -USSEN plural: | |
| (de) kubus
/ kubussen
|
- cube / cubes |
| (de) cursus
/ cursussen
2 |
- course, a series of lessons / courses ‑>> |
|
A very small number of longer words ending in an syllable with
short E
followed by a single consonant
(stress on that final syllable)
have an -EN ending. This is obvious to Dutchmen, but foreign
students may not recognize the ending as such and assume it's a
voiceless E. Note that (unlike with words ending in
'voiceless, unstressed E'
followed by a single consonant) the final consonant needs to be doubled in the plural to keep the E short.
| |
| (de) tabel
2
/ tabellen
2
| - table, schematic list / tables |
| compare with: (de) kabel
/ kabels
2
3
| - cable / cables |
| compare with: (de) tafel
2
3
4
/ tafels
2
| - table (to sit at) / tables |
| (het) toestel
/ toestellen
| - device, (small) machine / devices, machines ‑>> |
| (de) rebel
2
/ rebellen
2
| - rebel / rebels ‑>> |
|
(het) loket
/ loketten
| - counter window / counter windows |
|
(de) raket
/ raketten
2
| - rocket / rockets |
|
(de) kroket
2
3
/ kroketten
2
3
kroket / kroketten
2
| - a deep-fried meat paste snack / more of those ‑>> |
| (de) lerares
/ leraressen
| - female teacher at secondary school / teachers ‑>> |
| (de) zangeres
2
/ zangeressen
2
| - lady singer / lady singers ‑>> |
| - BUT, exception to exception, probably because the word is a fairly recent French import: | |
| (het) hotel
/ hotels
| - hotel / hotels ‑>> |
| Unexpected irregularities: | |
|
(het) gevoel
/ gevoelens
2
| - feeling / feelings ‑>> |
| ... the singular was originally probably: 'het gevoelen' but that word is now very old-fashioned | |
| (het) excuus
/ excuses
2
| - apology; excuse / apologies; excuses
UU/U see above - this is a word from French |
| Spelling rules say the syllable division in words like kraaien is kraai-en. Breaking off as kra-ien would look silly and IE would not be pronounced correctly. | |
| (de) kraai
2
/ kraaien
2
| - crow / crows ‑>> |
| (de) haai
/ haaien
2
| - shark / sharks |
| The words koe (cow) and vlo (flea) have an I inserted before the -EN plural. Some people assume the I is already in the singular and say: koei, vlooi | |
| (de) koe
/ koeien
koe / koeien
2 |
- cow / cows ‑>> |
| (de) vlo
2
/ vlooien
2
3
vlo / vlooien |
- flea / fleas |
|
Dinosaurus
2
('dinosaur') is better not used in the plural:
dinosaurussen
sounds funny because 'Russen'
2 means
'Russians' - singular: (de) Rus
| |
| (de) dinosaurus
2
/ sauriërs
2
3
dinosaurus / sauriërs |
- dinosaur / dinosaurs, saurians |
Some words ending in double E have a dieresis‑EN
ending, " -ën "
- the Dutch word for the double dots on top of a vowel is
(het) trema
- it indicates a syllable break just before the vowel.
(de) zee
/ zeeën
2
sea / seas
de zeven zeeën
2
'the seven seas'
(het idee
/ ideeën
2
idea / ideas
(de) wee
/
weeën
contraction (birth) / contractions
naweeën
2
3
'contractions after a birth' - but usually
figuratively: 'later effects of an event, aftermath'
Test your understanding of the Dutch Plurals in the Flashcards Exercise
2
1 liter, 2 liter
2
1 kilo, 2 kilo
2
500 gram
2
('quarter, 15 minutes')
- (het) uur
('hour')
and (het) jaar
('year') are often used as both singular and plural;
the regular plurals are
uren
2
and jaren
- kwartier
as '15 minutes' does not have a plural.
'Quarter' as '25 cents' is (het) kwartje
('[3 quarters] 45 minutes') -
vier uur
('4 hours') -
vijf jaar
2
('5 years')
('day')
are always used in the plural when the number is more than 1.
2
/ weken
2
('week') -
maand
/ maanden
2
('month')
/ minuten
2
('minute') -
seconde
2
/ seconden
2
- secondes
2
('second, 1/60th of a minute')
('6 days') -
twee weken
2
('2 weeks')
2
('3 months') -
vijf minuten
2
('5 minutes')
2
('3 seconds') - according to my dictionary,
drie secondes
is also good, but I don't like it.
('Spring') -
twintig lentes jong
2
('twenty springtimes young' - said by slimeballs about young women)
('30 kilometers an hour')
2
('2 years of my life')
('10 years ago')
2
('4 hours a day')
2
3
('10 minutes each hour')y
('2 guilders each, 2 guilders for each item')
2
('3 kilometers long') -
drie lange kilometers
2
('3 long kilometers')
2
('three years ago') -
drie jaar lang
2
('for three years') -
drie lange jaren
('three long years')
2
('three days ago') -
drie dagen lang
('for three days') -
drie lange dagen
('three long days')
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