The "Non-Masculine" Plural
In Polish, plural nouns are divided into two main groups. This lesson focuses on the non-masculine personal (niemęskoosobowe) group, which includes groups of women, children, animals, and all inanimate objects.
When these words are the direct object of a sentence (Accusative case), there is a very helpful shortcut: their forms are exactly the same as their Nominative (dictionary) plural forms. If you know the basic plural, you already know the Accusative!
Plural Adjectives
Adjectives describing non-masculine personal nouns always take the -e ending in the plural. This makes matching adjectives like czarne, nowe, or długie very predictable.
| I wear black glasses. | Noszę czarne okulary. |
Plural Nouns (-y, -i, -e)
Nouns in this group typically form their plurals with the endings -y, -i, or -e. Because the Accusative case is identical to the Nominative here, you simply use these standard plural endings when you see, buy, or have these items.
This rule naturally applies to words that are only ever used in the plural, such as okulary (glasses) and spodnie (trousers).
| We are buying new jackets and black trousers. | Kupujemy nowe kurtki i czarne spodnie. |
| I will be reading long letters and new books. | Będę czytać długie listy i nowe książki. |
People and Animals
Remember, this rule applies to living things as well, as long as the group does not include any adult men. This means words for women (kobiety), children (dzieci), and animals (koty) use these exact same non-masculine endings in the Accusative.
| I see young women, small children, and black cats on the street. | Na ulicy widzę młode kobiety, małe dzieci i czarne koty. |
Food and Objects
You will use this pattern constantly when talking about everyday items, like describing the food you are eating or the groceries you are buying.
| My sisters like strawberries and tomatoes. | Moje siostry lubią truskawki i pomidory. |
| Tomorrow we will be eating tasty fruits and vegetables. | Jutro będziemy jeść smaczne owoce i warzywa. |