Animate plurals (-ân)

The Animate Plural Suffix (ان)

While ها is the universal plural suffix in Farsi, there is a special plural marker used primarily for people and animate beings: ان.

To make a noun for a person plural, simply attach ان to the end of the word.

Words Ending in ه (گان)

If a noun describing a person ends in a silent ه, this letter is replaced by گ before adding the suffix, creating the ending گان.

Words Ending in Vowels (یان)

If a word ends in a long vowel (like ا or و), a ی acts as a bridge, creating the ending یان.

Plural Subjects, Plural Verbs

Unlike inanimate plural subjects, which often take singular verbs, animate plural subjects must always take a plural verb.