Plural-Only Nouns — Czech Grammar

A group of Czech nouns has no singular. They are plural in form and plural in grammar, and they stay that way even when they name a single object. Czech grammars call them pomnožná, and the only way to handle them is to learn which nouns belong to the group.

Ty dveře jsou zavřené.
That door is closed.
Moje noviny jsou tady.
My newspaper is here.

The Commonest Ones

These are the ones you meet first, and each names a single everyday thing with a plural word.

- a door
- a newspaper
- trousers
- glasses
- money
- a birthday
- a watch

Nemůžu najít své brýle.
I can't find my glasses.
Nemám moc peněz.
I don't have much money.

Everything Agrees in the Plural

The adjective, the demonstrative, the possessive and the verb all take plural forms, however singular the thing is in the world. A single door takes a plural verb, and the past participle takes a plural ending too.

Ty kalhoty jsou příliš dlouhé.
Those trousers are too long.
Moje staré hodinky mi sloužily deset let.
My old watch served me ten years.

Some Are Not What They Look

The gender of these nouns is not always what the ending suggests, and it matters because the adjective has to match. and are feminine; is masculine; is neuter.

Mám jedna ústa, ale dvě uši.
I have one mouth but two ears.

Counting Them

Because there is no singular, you cannot say one of these nouns with the ordinary word for one. Czech uses a special counting form, , and higher numbers work the same way.

Koupil jsem jedny kalhoty.
I bought a pair of trousers.

Their Cases

They decline through all the cases like any other plural. Only the singular is missing.

Jsem před dveřmi.
I'm in front of the door.
Zapomeň na ty brýle.
Forget about those glasses.

Why the Group Exists

Most name things made of two matching halves - a door with two leaves, trousers with two legs. The plural was once literal and has outlived the reason.

Potřebuji nové džíny.
I need new jeans.

Birthdays

is the everyday example, and its plural surprises learners every time. One person's one birthday is still grammatically several.

K narozeninám dostala kolo.
She got a bike for her birthday.

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