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Grammar

Terms Glossary
Cases (Przypadki)
Tenses (Czasy)
Verbs (Czasowniki)
Nouns (Rzeczowniki)
Adjectives (Przymiotniki)
Pronouns (Zaimki)
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  1. Home
  2. Grammar
  3. Cases (Przypadki)
  4. Nominative Case (Mianownik)
  5. Nouns Declension
  6. Masculine Plural

Nominative Case (Mianownik) - Masculine Plural Nouns

Masculine plural nouns in Nominative Case take the following endings:
Endings-y/i-e-owie-anie
Some nouns may have irregularities in their stem when adding an ending.
Orthography rule

The -y/i ending usage

Use the -y/i ending for nouns ending with a hard consonant. If the noun is a personal noun then first soften the stem and then use the -y/i ending.
Exceptions
  • There are nouns that use -y/i ending, even though they end with a soft consonant
  • There are nouns that use -e ending + softening, even though they end with a hard consonant
  • Examples
    Masculine Singular Nominative CaseMasculine Plural Nominative CaseEnglish
    kupiec*kupcya merchant
    chłopiec*chłopcya boy
    paw*pawiea peacock
    gołąb*gołębiea pigeon
List of hard and soft consonants
How to determine when to use the -y or -i ending?
How to soften the stem?
Examples
Masculine Singular Nominative CaseMasculine Plural Nominative CaseEnglish
domdomya house
profesorprofesorzy/ profesorowiea professor
pracownikpracownicya worker
ogrodnikogrodnicya gardener
sklepsklepya shop
obrazobrazya painting
płotpłotya fence
budynekbudynkia building
kiełkłya canine
rógrogia horn
stółstołya table
krągkręgia ring

The -e ending usage

Use the -e ending for nouns ending with a soft consonant.
Exceptions
  • There are nouns that use -y/i ending, even though they end with a soft consonant
  • There are nouns that use -e ending + softening, even though they end with a hard consonant
  • Examples
    Masculine Singular Nominative CaseMasculine Plural Nominative CaseEnglish
    kupiec*kupcya merchant
    chłopiec*chłopcya boy
    paw*pawiea peacock
    gołąb*gołębiea pigeon
List of hard and soft consonants
Examples
Masculine Singular Nominative CaseMasculine Plural Nominative CaseEnglish
stróżstróżea watchman
malarzmalarzea painter
szalszalea scarf
meczmeczea match
kijkijea stick
placplacea square
pędzelpędzlea brush
precelpreclea pretzel
kręgielkręglea bowling pin
gwóźdźgwoździea nail
uprzążuprzężea harness

The -owie ending usage

Some nouns describing titles or relations take the -owie ending.
Examples
Masculine Singular Nominative CaseMasculine Plural Nominative CaseEnglish
panpanowiea gentleman
oficeroficerowiean officer
kapitankapitanowiea captain
profesorprofesorowie / profesorzya professor
teśćteściowiea father-in-law
bógbogowiea god
ojciecojcowie*a father
dziadekdziadkowiea grandfather
mążmężowiea husband

The -anie ending usage

Nouns ending with -anin take the -anie ending.
Examples
Masculine Singular Nominative CaseMasculine Plural Nominative CaseEnglish
AmerykaninAmerykaniean American
RosjaninRosjaniea Russian
MarsjaninMarsjaniea Martian
PomorzaninPomorzaniea Pomeranian

Irregular nouns

There are nouns that take irregular plural forms.
Examples
Masculine Singular Nominative CaseMasculine Plural Nominative CaseEnglish
bratbraciaa brother
człowiekludziea human
ksiądzksiężaa priest
książęksiążętaa prince
WłochWłosian Italian
(only plural form)drzwia door
(only plural form)nożyczkiscissors
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Nominative Case (Mianownik) - Feminine Plural Nouns