Afrikaans Noun Pluralization

Afrikaans Pluralization Rules

• Selfstandige naamwoorde (nouns) are things you can touch, see, hear, smell or taste.
• You can put 'n or die in front of selfstandige naamwoorde.
• Selfstandige naamwoorde can be put into a plural form.
• Not all words can be pluralized; only selfstandige naamwoorde.
• Afrikaans, like English, has rules for pluralizing words.

Basic Pluralization Rules

• Gemengde (Mixed): If a word ends in -r, -k, -p, -s, -t, -n, -d, you generally add an -e to make it plural.
  • Example: Donkie becomes Donkies (add an -e because it ends in -ie which is a soft sound).
• Tweeling (Twins): When a word has a double vowel, one vowel "dies" and is replaced with an -e at the end when pluralized
  • Example: Boom becomes Bome.
• If there's one vowel then we give the next letter a twin (double it) and we add -e.

Exception Rules

• Words ending in -ig usually add a -te.
• Words ending in -og are replaced by an -ee with dots (ë).
• Words ending in -ag drop the -g and add an -e.
• Words ending in -ing just add -s.
• Words ending in -f change the -f to a -w in the plural form.
  • The rule still applies: If there's a short vowel, you give the vowel a twin (double).
• Words ending in -s:
  • If the word is pronounced as a short vowel, add a -se.
  • If the word ends in a long vowel, then add a -nisse.
• All family members generally add -ers.
• Words ending in -heid change to -hede.
• Words ending in -uig, the -g falls away and we add an -e.
• When referring to letters of the alphabet, always add a dotted -s or dotted -e for pluralization.

Out of the Norm

• Even though rules exist, there are exceptions, and these exceptions must be memorized.
• Class is with an a and you would think that you must double because it's single child we need to give him a twin s e um it's because of the pronunciation that the rule doesn't apply because you don't say khalas you say okay so you pronunciate the a as if there was two a's but it's written as one a and because you pronunciate it like that it's as if the twin dies and the e goes on but it's not written like that so rules apply to spoken language not written language.
• Rules apply to spoken language, not written language.