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Nouns & AdjectivesbeginnerCEFR A1

Number: singular y plural (-s, -es, -z→-ces)

📋Overview🏗️Structure💡Examples⚠️Common Mistakes🧠Quiz📚Useful Resources

What You'll Learn

  • A1 Essential: Learn the 3 basic Spanish formation rules
  • Recognise when to add -s (words ending in vowels)
  • Understand when to add -es (words ending in consonants)
  • Master the special -z to -ces change (lápiz → lápices)
  • Apply plural rules to everyday A1 vocabulary
  • Practise with common nouns from daily life

Overview / Usage

Spanish Plural Rules Made Simple

Learn the clear patterns that make Spanish predictable and easy!

The Basic Rules

Ends in vowel: add -s
casa → casas
Ends in consonant: add -es
hotel → hoteles

Quick Memory Tip

Vowel = Simple: Just add -s
Consonant = Extra: Add -es for extra sound

Structure & Formation

📏 The Three Essential Plural Rules

Spanish plural formation follows three simple patterns that cover 95% of all words!

📝

Rule 1: Vowel + s

libro → libros
(book → books)
mesa → mesas
(table → tables)

Ends in -a, -e, -i, -o, -u? Just add -s!

🔧

Rule 2: Consonant + es

animal → animales
(animal → animals)
papel → papeles
(paper → papers)

Ends in a consonant? Add -es!

✏️

Rule 3: -z → -ces

lápiz → lápices
(pencil → pencils)
pez → peces
(fish → fish/fishes)

-z changes to -c before adding -es!

▶🎓 Advanced Plural Rules (A2+)(Optional - Click to expand)

For A2+ learners: Here are additional plural rules for more advanced vocabulary.

👑

Rule 4: -y → -ies

ley → leyes
rey → reyes

-y after consonant changes to -i, add -es!

📍

Rule 5: Accent Changes

nación → naciones
inglés → ingleses

-ión, -án, -és, -ín lose accent!

🔒

Rule 6: Invariable

el/los lunes
la/las crisis

-s or -x after unstressed vowel = no change!

Words That Lose Accents in Plural

  • alemán → alemanes (German)
  • francés → franceses (French)
  • jardín → jardines (garden)
  • melón → melones (melon)
  • común → comunes (common)

Words That Gain Accents in Plural

  • examen → exámenes (exam)
  • joven → jóvenes (young person)
  • origen → orígenes (origin)

To maintain stress on the same syllable!

💡 Making It Easy

Remember: Spanish wants every syllable to sound natural!

Why These Rules Make Sense

Vowel + s: Easy to pronounce
Consonant + es: Adds vowel for smooth sound

Spanish loves flowing, musical sounds - the rules help achieve this!

Want to study offline? Download this complete lesson as a PDF!

Examples

🏠 Everyday A1 Examples

Basic Vowel → +s

casa → casas
(house → houses)
niño → niños
(boy → boys)
perro → perros
(dog → dogs)

Consonant → +es

ciudad → ciudades
(city → cities)
mujer → mujeres
(woman → women)
flor → flores
(flower → flowers)

-z → -ces

lápiz → lápices
(pencil → pencils)
pez → peces
(fish → fish/fishes)
nariz → narices
(nose → noses)

Days of the Week

el lunes → los lunes
(Monday → Mondays)
Days ending in -s don't change!
el domingo → los domingos
(Sunday → Sundays)

✨ Quick Pattern Practice

Vowel endings
Add -s
Consonant endings
Add -es
-z endings
Change to -ces

Gotchas / Common Mistakes

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Forgetting consonant rule

❌ Wrong: animals

✅ Right: animales(animals)

Consonant endings need -es, not just -s!

❌ Wrong -z plural

❌ Wrong: lápizs

✅ Right: lápices(pencils)

-z changes to -c before adding -es!

❌ Adding wrong ending

❌ Wrong: casaes

✅ Right: casas(houses)

Vowel endings only need -s!

❌ Double plural

❌ Wrong: niñoses

✅ Right: niños(children)

Words ending in vowels just add -s!

Quick Test / Mini Quiz

📝 Interactive Plural Formation Quiz

Test your understanding of Spanish plural rules!

1

🏠 Home sweet home! What's the plural of 'casa' (house)?

2

📚 Book time! What's the plural of 'libro' (book)?

3

🐕 Puppy love! What's the plural of 'perro' (dog)?

4

🌆 City life! What's the plural of 'ciudad' (city)?

5

✏️ School supplies! What's the plural of 'lápiz' (pencil)?

6

🐟 Gone fishing! What's the plural of 'pez' (fish)?

7

📅 Weekly planning! What's the plural of 'lunes' (Monday)?

8

🌺 Garden beauty! What's the plural of 'flor' (flower)?

Useful Resources