Nouns: Plural Forms — Russian Grammar

Russian forms the plural by changing the ending of the noun. The nominative plural - the form used for a plural subject - has a small number of endings, chosen mostly by the gender and the last letter of the noun.

Masculine and Feminine: -ы and -и

Masculine nouns ending in a consonant add -ы. Feminine nouns replace -а with -ы. Nouns ending in -й, -я or -ь take -и instead.

(avtóbus) - (avtóbusy)
(súmka) - (súmki)
(nedélyanedélja) - (nedéli)
(dver'dverʹ) - (dvéri)

Авто́бусы прибыва́ют на остано́вку.
Avtóbusy pribyváyut na ostanóvku.Avtóbusy pribyvájut na ostanóvku.
The buses arrive at the stop.
Пти́цы пою́т в саду́.
Ptítsy poyút v sadú.Ptícy pojút v sadú.
Birds are singing in the garden.

The Spelling Rule

After the letters к, г, х, ж, ш, ч and щ, Russian spelling never allows ы; и is written instead. This is why the plural of (kníga) is (knígi) and of (nozhnož) is (nozhínoží).

Мы чита́ем кни́ги.
My chitáyem knígi.My čitájem knígi.
We read books.

Neuter: -а and -я

Neuter nouns change -о to -а and -е to -я. The stress often moves.

(oknó) - (ókna)
(slóvo) - (slová)
(móre) - (moryámorjá)

Stressed -а on Masculine Nouns

A group of common masculine nouns take a stressed -а instead of -ы.

(dom) - (domá)
(górod) - (gorodá)
(glaz) - (glazá)
(ádres) - (adresá)

Irregular Plurals

Some very common nouns have a plural that has to be learned separately.

(drug) - (druz'yádruzʹjá)
(brat) - (brát'yabrátʹja)
(stul) - (stúl'yastúlʹja)
(rebyónokrebjónok) - (déti)
(chelovékčelovék) - (lyúdiljúdi)

Они́ друзья́.
Oní druz'yá.Oní druzʹjá.
They are friends.
На́ши де́ти и их де́ти — все студе́нты.
Náshi déti i ikh déti — vse studénty.Náši déti i ix déti — vse studénty.
Our children and their children are all students.

The Fleeting Vowel

In many nouns an о or е in the last syllable drops out when an ending is added.

(podárok) - (podárki)
(otétsotéc) - (ottsýotcý)

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Russian course

88 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 21. A few of them, with the words “Nouns: Plural Forms” is about in bold:

Я покупаю один банан и шесть яиц.
Ya pokupáyu odín banán i shest' yaíts.Ja pokupáju odín banán i šestʹ jaíc.
I am buying one banana and six eggs.
Lesson 43
Я купила десяток яиц и для тебя шоколадку тоже.
Ya kupíla desyátok yaíts i dlya tebyá shokoládku tózhe.Ja kupíla desjátok jaíc i dlja tebjá šokoládku tóže.
I bought a dozen eggs and a candy bar for you too.
Lesson 47
Я тебя не видела девять лет!
Ya tebyá ne vídela dévyat' let!Ja tebjá ne vídela dévjatʹ let!
I haven't seen you for nine years!
Lesson 175

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