The Non-Virile Plural
In the plural, Polish divides the world into two groups: groups that include at least one male human (virile), and everything else (non-virile). The non-virile group includes animals, objects, plants, and groups of women.
When describing non-virile nouns, adjectives and pronouns take the ending -e. For example: te (these), moje (my), inne (other), nowe (new), and kolorowe (colourful).
For example, the masculine noun but (shoe) forms its plural with -y:
| These are my shoes. | To są moje buty. |
| These new shoes are very comfortable. | Te nowe buty są bardzo wygodne. |
Adding -y and -i
Most masculine and feminine nouns form the plural with -y. If a feminine noun ends in -a (like ryba), replace the -a with -y (ryby).
Because Polish spelling rules forbid ky and gy, stems ending in k or g take -i instead.
- ptak ➔ ptaki (birds)
- zabawka ➔ zabawki (toys)
| These are colourful birds. | To są kolorowe ptaki. |
| My cats like these small toys. | Moje koty lubią te małe zabawki. |
Soft Consonants and Exceptions
If a masculine noun ends in a "soft" or "historical soft" consonant (such as cz, sz, rz, or l), it typically takes -e in the plural.
- klucz ➔ klucze (keys)
| Are these your keys? | Czy to są twoje klucze? |
Feminine nouns that end in a consonant instead of the usual -a (like rzecz, meaning "thing") typically form their plural with -y or -i.
- rzecz ➔ rzeczy (things)
| These are my things. | To są moje rzeczy. |
Neuter Nouns
To make a neuter noun plural, replace its final vowel (like -o, -e, or -ę) with -a.
- zdjęcie ➔ zdjęcia (photos)
| I like old photos. | Podobają mi się stare zdjęcia. |
| Where are your photos? | Gdzie są twoje zdjęcia? |
