Introduction: Breaking the Rules

While the -en and -s plural rules covered in the previous chapter work for most nouns, Dutch, like many languages, has exceptions. Some very common nouns form their plurals in irregular ways, often involving vowel changes or different endings entirely. There's no simple rule for these; they must be learned and memorized individually.

Common Irregular Plurals

Here are some of the most frequent irregular plural nouns you should learn at the A1 level:

• het kind (child) -> de kinderen (children)
• Note the -eren ending.
• Het kind speelt. (The child plays.) -> De kinderen spelen. (The children play.)

• het ei (egg) -> de eieren (eggs)
• Also uses -eren.
• Ik kook een ei. (I cook an egg.) -> Ik kook twee eieren. (I cook two eggs.)

• de stad (city / town) -> de steden (cities / towns)
• Note the vowel change a -> e and the -en ending.
• Amsterdam is een grote stad. (Amsterdam is a big city.) -> Nederland heeft veel oude steden. (The Netherlands has many old cities.)

• het schip (ship) -> de schepen (ships)
• Note the vowel change i -> e.
• Het schip vaart op zee. (The ship sails on the sea.) -> De schepen liggen in de haven. (The ships lie in the harbor.)

• het lid (member) -> de leden (members)
• Note the vowel change i -> e.
• Hij is lid van de club. (He is a member of the club.) -> De leden betalen contributie. (The members pay dues.)

• het glas (glass) -> de glazen (glasses)
• Note the consonant change s -> z and the vowel remains short.
• Het glas is leeg. (The glass is empty.) -> De glazen staan op tafel. (The glasses are on the table.)

• de dag (day) -> de dagen (days)
• Note the vowel remains short.
• Maandag is de eerste dag. (Monday is the first day.) -> Ik werk vijf dagen per week. (I work five days per week.)

• de weg (road / way) -> de wegen (roads / ways)
• Note the vowel remains short.
• Deze weg is lang. (This road is long.) -> Alle wegen leiden naar Rome. (All roads lead to Rome.)

• het blad (leaf / magazine) -> de bladeren / de bladen (leaves / magazines)
• This has two plural forms depending on meaning! bladeren for tree leaves, bladen for magazines/papers. Also note the vowel change a->a and -eren ending for leaves.

A Note on Regular-Looking Irregulars

Some plurals might look like they follow the regular rules but are sometimes considered irregular because of slight vowel changes or historical reasons. For A1, focusing on the list above is most important.

• de koe (cow) -> de koeien (cows) - adds -ien

Why Irregular?

These irregularities often stem from historical sound changes in the language. While frustrating for learners, they are part of the language's natural evolution.

Memorization is Key

There's no shortcut for irregular plurals you simply have to memorize them. Focus on the most common ones listed above, as they appear very frequently in everyday Dutch. Use flashcards or vocabulary lists that highlight these irregular forms.