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Spanish · Grammar · A1

Spanish plurals: -s, -es, and the few that change

What does the word end in? · pick one
Add -s. This covers most Spanish nouns.

Short answer: Spanish plurals are regular. Words ending in a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) add -s: casa → casas. Words ending in a consonant (any other letter) add -es: ciudad → ciudades. A final -z becomes -ces: lápiz → lápices. Some words gain or lose a written accent so the stress stays on the same syllable (joven → jóvenes, canción → canciones). The article changes too: el → los, la → las, and adjectives follow: las casas blancas.

Why some accents come and go

Canción → canciones, joven → jóvenes

can ción → can cio nes jo ven → jó ve nes accent droppedaccent added
The stressed syllable (red) never moves. Adding -es changes the syllable count, so the written accent appears or disappears to keep the stress where it was.
Words that don’t change, and words that are always plural

El lunes, los lunes; las gafas

No changeWords of two or more syllables ending in unstressed -s or -x stay the same; only the article shows the plural.
el lunesthe Monday→→los lunesthe Mondays
el LOO-nes, lohs LOO-nes · “Monday, Mondays”Why: Also la crisis → las crisis, el tórax → los tórax.
Always pluralSome objects made of two parts, or ideas seen as many, are always plural.
¿Dóndewhereestánaremis gafas?my glasses
DON-deh es-TAN mees GAH-fahs · “Where are my glasses?”Why: Also las tijeras (scissors), los pantalones (trousers), las vacaciones (holiday).
Plural changes meaningA few words mean something new in the plural.
Mismypadresparentsvivenliveaquí.here
mees PAH-dres BEE-ben ah-KEE · “My parents live here.”Why: el padre = father, but los padres = parents. Likewise los hermanos = brothers and sisters.
Everything around the noun goes plural too

Los niños pequeños

SingularPluralEnglish
el gato negrolos gatos negrosthe black cats
la mesa grandelas mesas grandesthe big tables
un coche rápidounos coches rápidossome fast cars
esta flor azulestas flores azulesthese blue flowers
mi amigo españolmis amigos españolesmy Spanish friends
Los niñosthe childrenestánarecontentos.happy
lohs NEE-nyohs es-TAN kon-TEN-tohs · “The children are happy.”Why: A mixed group of boys and girls takes the masculine plural: los niños, contentos.
Compound nouns

El paraguas, los paraguas

Nouns made from verb + plural noun (para + aguas) already end in -s, so they don’t change. Only the article shows the plural.

Masculine plural for mixed groups

Los reyes, los padres

Parents
mismypadresfathers
mees PAH-dres · “my parents”Why: padre + madre = padres.
King and queen
losthereyeskings
lohs RREH-yes · “the king and queen”Why: los Reyes Magos = the Three Kings.
Siblings
mismyhermanosbrothers
mees ehr-MAH-nohs · “my brothers and sisters”Why: Use hermanas only for all girls.
Uncles and aunts
mismytíosuncles
mees TEE-ohs · “my aunt and uncle”Why: Also los abuelos = grandparents.
Keep going

Related guides

los / lasGender and articles →el, la, los, las in full.canciónStress and accents →Why canción has an accent.dos casasNumbers →Counting with plurals.la casaCore vocabulary →Nouns to practise on.