Changing a singular word into a plural word in Afrikaans follows a few predictable patterns.

You only need to learn two main endings and some basic spelling rules.

The two most common plural endings in Afrikaans are -e and -s.

I’ll show you exactly when to use each ending below.

Adding -e to make plurals

Many short Afrikaans words simply get an -e at the end.

This is the most common way to make a word plural.

Words that already end in two consonants usually just take an -e with no other spelling changes.

You’ll see this pattern very frequently with animal names and everyday objects.

Here’s an example of this plural form used in a sentence.

Adding -s to make plurals

Words with more than one syllable often take an -s to become plural.

Words ending in an unaccented -e, -r, or -l usually get an -s.

Family members and titles also commonly take an -s at the end.

This rule makes learning family vocabulary much easier.

Spelling rules for short and long vowels

Afrikaans has strict rules to keep vowels sounding exactly the same when a word grows longer.

Because adding an -e adds a syllable to the word, the spelling of the base word sometimes has to shift.

If a word has a short vowel and ends in a single consonant, you must double the consonant before adding -e.

If a word has a twin vowel (like aa, ee, oo, uu) ending in a single consonant, you must drop one vowel and add -e.

Words ending in an -f have a special rule where the -f changes into a -w or -ww.

Words ending in an apostrophe s

Words ending in a single, emphasized vowel like a, i, o, or u take an -‘s.

The apostrophe prevents the vowel sound from changing when the word is read out loud.

You’ll often see this rule applied to modern loanwords or technology terms.

Irregular Afrikaans plurals

A small group of words completely change their spelling when they become plural.

These words don’t follow the standard rules.

You simply have to memorize these words as you encounter them.

The word for child (kind) is one of the most important irregular plurals to remember.