plural
/pluˈʁaːl/
The German word for the adjective "plural" (meaning more than one) can be expressed in several forms. If unsure, use plural. Wiktionary also lists Plural- and pluralisch.
Meaning: more than one (adj)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| plural | /pluˈʁaːl/ |
| Plural- | |
| pluralisch | /pluˈʁaːlɪʃ/ |
| Mehrzahl- |
In German, the concept of "plural" can be expressed as an adjective or a noun. As an adjective meaning "more than one", you can use pluralisch. When referring to the linguistic concept of the plural number or a word in its plural form, the nouns Plural, Pluralform or Mehrzahl are used. The linguistic opposite of Plural is Singular.
Which one should you use?
Plural is the standard linguistic term used when discussing grammar. In general conversation, Mehrzahl is a common, slightly more colloquial way to refer to the plural number.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/pluˈʁaːl/
Did you know?
- Some German nouns are 'pluralia tantum', meaning they only exist in the Plural and have no singular form at all.
- The word Mehrzahl literally translates to 'more-ness' or 'more-number', combining 'mehr' (more) and 'Zahl' (number).
- German learners often find the Plural more difficult than the 'Singular' because there is no single rule to predict how a word becomes plural.
Examples in context
- Der Plural von Ochse ist Ochsen.The plural of ox is oxen.This sentence shows how to use plural to identify the plural form of a noun.Tatoeba #1657852 by al_ex_an_der, translation #1657834 by Spamster
- Wie bildet man den Plural der Nomen?How do you make nouns plural?This sentence is useful for asking how to form the plural of nouns.Tatoeba #2165464 by Vortarulo, translation #4073378 by AlanF_US
- Der Plural von „Pferd“ lautet „Pferde“.The plural of "horse" is "horses."This sentence demonstrates the use of plural when stating the plural form of a specific word.Tatoeba #7775922 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #7774447 by CK
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Julia are studying German grammar together.
- LukasIst das Wort im Singular oder Plural?Is the word in the singular or plural?
- JuliaIch glaube, es steht im Plural.I think it is in the plural.
- LukasDann müssen wir das Verb anpassen.Then we have to adjust the verb.
- JuliaJa, das stimmt genau.Yes, that is exactly right.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “plural” translations and entries plural, pluralisch, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
