Plurals: -s, -es and unos, unas
One casa, two casas. Learn the two basic rules, the spelling traps, and how to say “some”.
Theory
Look at the last letter of the word. That tells you whether to add -s or -es.
The two basic rules
| Rule | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| vowel → +s | la casa | las casas |
| el café | los cafés | |
| consonant → +es | la flor | las flores |
| la ciudad | las ciudades |
Spelling changes
| Rule | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| -z → -ces | el lápiz | los lápices |
| la luz | las luces | |
| accent goes | la canción | las canciones |
| el autobús | los autobuses | |
| accent comes | el joven | los jóvenes |
| no change | el lunes | los lunes |
The article goes plural too
el → los
la → las
el libro → los libros = the book → the books
un / una → unos / unas = “some”
unos amigos (some friends)
unas sillas (some chairs)
Mixed groups → masculine
los padres = the parents (mum + dad)
los hermanos = brothers and sisters
Watch the accent
The stress stays on the same syllable, so the accent can vanish or appear:
canción → canciones = song → songs
joven → jóvenes = young person → young people
Unstressed -s: no change
el lunes → los lunes = Monday → Mondays
la crisis → las crisis = the crisis → the crises
But a stressed or one-syllable word adds -es:
el mes → los meses = the month → the months
Two or more → plural noun
dos gatos, tres casas, muchas flores = two cats, three houses, lots of flowers
Numbers themselves don’t change.