Pattern
Romanian nouns form their plural with three main endings: -e, -uri, or -i. The choice depends on the noun's gender and shape: masculine often takes -i, feminine often takes -e, neuter often takes -uri.
Explanation
There's no single plural rule in Romanian — the ending depends on gender. Masculine nouns most often add -i: un băiat → doi băieți, un câine → doi câini. Feminine nouns most often add -e or change -ă to -e: o fată → două fete, o carte → două cărți (here -e becomes -i in the plural — an exception). Neuter nouns typically take -uri: un scaun → două scaune (wait, that's -e), un tren → două trenuri. Neuter is unpredictable; you'll learn each one.
The plural ending often causes vowel changes inside the stem. Carte (book) becomes cărți — the a becomes ă. Masă (table) becomes mese — the a shifts. Băiat (boy) becomes băieți. These alternations are regular once you've seen them a few times, but they trip up learners.
For now, learn each noun with both its singular and plural form. Don't try to predict; memorize. After 200 nouns, you'll start to feel the patterns and predict the plural for new words you encounter.
Examples
| Romanian | English |
|---|---|
| un băiat → doi băieți | a boy → two boys |
| o fată → două fete | a girl → two girls |
| o carte → două cărți | a book → two books |
| un tren → două trenuri | a train → two trains |
| un scaun → două scaune | a chair → two chairs |
Common mistakes
- Assuming one plural ending fits all: -i, -e, and -uri are all common — check each noun.
- Forgetting vowel changes in the stem: Carte → cărți, not cartei.
- Using -s for plural: Romanian never uses -s for plural (that's English/French/Spanish).