2.2. Plural of Nouns
2.2.1. Forming Plural Nouns
To make a noun plural, add -s to the end of the noun. Note that if there is an article before the plural noun, the article must also be plural.
| Lo catto | The cat |
| Los cattos | The cats |
2.2.2. Groups of Mixed Gender
Generally, the noun is masculine in groups of mixed gender. Even if the majority of the group is female, the noun is still masculine.
5 Male cats = Los cattos
5 Female cats = Las cattas
2 Male cats + 3 Female cats = Los cattos
5 Boys = Los púeros
5 Girls = Las púeras
2 Boys + 3 Girls = Los púeros
When speaking about people of mixed ages or gender, use the word “personas” or “gènte” (meaning “people”).
5 Men = Los hòmenes
5 Women = Las fémenas
3 Men + 2 Women = Las personas / La gènte
Use "personas" when discussing a specific quantity of people. The word "gènte" is a singular noun that refers to people only in a general sense.
| Quattro personas | Four people |
2.2.3. Exceptions
Family Names
When using last names to refer to multiple members of a family, the preceding article is plural and the family name remains singular.
| Los Miller | The Millers |
| Los Russo | The Russo |
Foreign Words
In general, foreign nouns do not have a plural form.
| Los software | The software (more than one) |
Compound Nouns Consisting of Two Nouns
In compound nouns consisting of two nouns, only the noun at the beginning is pluralized. The reason for this is that the second noun is, in reality, part of an adjectival phrase that creates a new noun (a "noun phrase").
| Los annos de vita | The years of life |