Singular and Plural Nouns

What you’ll learn

Choose singular nouns for one thing and plural nouns for more than one.

ប្រើនាមឯកវចនៈសម្រាប់វត្ថុមួយ និងនាមពហុវចនៈសម្រាប់វត្ថុច្រើនជាងមួយ។

Meaning and use

A singular countable noun names one person or thing. A plural countable noun names more than one. Most nouns add -s. Many nouns ending in -s, -sh, -ch, or -x add -es. If a noun ends in a consonant + y, change y to -ies. Some common plurals are irregular and need to be learned separately. These rules describe countable nouns; uncountable nouns are covered next.

នាមឯកវចនៈសម្គាល់មនុស្ស ឬវត្ថុមួយ។ នាមពហុវចនៈសម្គាល់ច្រើនជាងមួយ។ នាមភាគច្រើនបន្ថែម -s ប៉ុន្តែនាមខ្លះត្រូវបន្ថែម -es ឬប្តូរទម្រង់។ ត្រូវចងចាំទម្រង់ពិសេសដូចជា child → children។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Most nouns: add -s	book → books; bag → bags
Many -s, -sh, -ch, -x endings: add -es	bus → buses; box → boxes
Consonant + y: change -y to -ies	city → cities
Vowel + y: add -s	boy → boys
Common irregular plurals	child → children; person → people; man → men; woman → women

Examples

1. I have one book.

   ខ្ញុំមានសៀវភៅមួយក្បាល។

2. She has three books.

   នាងមានសៀវភៅបីក្បាល។

3. Two children are here.

   កុមារពីរនាក់នៅទីនេះ។

4. There are many cities in this country.

   មានទីក្រុងជាច្រើននៅក្នុងប្រទេសនេះ។

Everyday conversation

Dara: How many books do you have?

Maly: I have three books.

Dara: And how many pens?

Maly: Two pens.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
I have three book.	I have three books.	After three, use the plural books.
Two childs are here.	Two children are here.	The plural of child is children, not childs.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Complete: one box, two ___.
2. Complete: one city, three ___.
3. Complete: one child, two ___.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. boxes

   Box ends in -x, so add -es.

2. cities

   Change consonant + y to -ies.

3. children

   Children is an irregular plural.

Quick recap

• Use singular for one and plural for more than one.
• Learn the -s, -es, and consonant + y patterns.
• Keep a short list of common irregular plurals.