For most Dutch nouns, you make the plural (more than one) by adding _-en_ to the singular (one): _een boek_, _twee boeken_. Sometimes the spelling changes a little, as in _boom_ and _bomen_, _kat_ and _katten_, _huis_ and _huizen_. The stress (the strong beat) stays where it was.
The pattern
Add _-en_ to the singular. Change the spelling only where needed, usually to keep the vowel sounding the same.
- A double _aa_, _ee_, _oo_ or _uu_ before one final consonant loses a letter: _de boom_, _bomen_. Before two consonants it stays: _het feest_, _feesten_.
- After a short vowel in a stressed last syllable, a single final consonant letter is normally doubled: _de kat_, _katten_.
- A final _s_ or _f_ often becomes _z_ or _v_: _het huis_, _huizen_; _de brief_, _brieven_.
- Every plural takes _de_: _het huis_, _de huizen_.
- Many nouns ending in unstressed _-el_, _-er_ or _-je_ take [_-s_ instead](#/lesson/plural-s).
Examples
| De fietsen staan bij het station. | The bikes are at the station. |
|---|---|
| In onze straat staan veel bomen. | There are a lot of trees in our street. |
| Emma heeft drie katten. | Emma has three cats. |
| De huizen in Utrecht zijn duur. | The houses in Utrecht are expensive. |
| Priya schrijft twee brieven aan de gemeente. | Priya writes two letters to the municipality. |
| De tomaten zijn vandaag goedkoop. | The tomatoes are cheap today. |
Why it works this way
The ending _-en_ adds a syllable, and Dutch spelling follows one deal: a vowel that ends its syllable usually sounds long, even written once. So _bo-men_ needs only one _o_, while _kat_ needs a second _t_ to close the syllable and keep the _a_ short: _kat-ten_. More in [open and closed syllables](#/lesson/open-closed-syllables).
Dutch words almost never end in a written _z_ or _v_, so the _z_ of _huizen_ and the _v_ of _brieven_ appear as _s_ and _f_ in the singular.
The new syllable is weak, so the stress stays put: _pro-BLEEM_, _pro-BLE-men_. A few words in _-or_ shift it: _de MO-tor_, _mo-TO-ren_. Some common nouns also change their vowel, such as _dag_, _dagen_ and _schip_, _schepen_: learn those one by one.
Remember: the plural is the singular plus a soft extra syllable, spelled so the vowel usually keeps its sound.
Watch out
- Not: _twee boomen_ Say: _twee bomen_ (one _o_ is enough in _bo-men_)
- Not: _twee busen_ Say: _twee bussen_ (the double _s_ keeps the _u_ short)
- Not: _de huisen_ Say: _de huizen_ (the _s_ becomes _z_ after _ui_)
- Not: _vier boeks_ Say: _vier boeken_ (the plural of _boek_ is _boeken_)
Quick check
- Fill in the plural: _Daan kent alle ... in Leiden._ (_de straat_)
- Fill in the plural: _Op maandag heb ik twee ..._ (_de les_)
- Choose: _De ... in deze supermarkt zijn laag._ (_prijsen_ or _prijzen_)
- Fix the sentence: _Fatima gaat dit weekend naar twee festen._
Answers
- _straten_ (one _a_ is enough in _stra-ten_)
- _lessen_ (the double _s_ keeps the _e_ short)
- _prijzen_ (the _s_ becomes _z_ after _ij_)
- _Fatima gaat dit weekend naar twee feesten._ (two consonants follow, so _ee_ stays)
Use it today
Write your next shopping list with numbers: _twee broden_, _zes tomaten_, _drie citroenen_. Say each plural aloud, with the stress where the singular has it.