Plural Spelling in Spanish

Question

Does anyone else have the problem I have with plurals? I often know (or think I do!) how to spell a Spanish word but what I am not sure about is the spelling of the plural form. Does the accent carry on into the plural? Is there an 'e' before the 's'?

I look more often in the dictionary for the spelling of plurals than anything else, where I find, naturally, the singular spelling and none of the examples contain the plural … laughing …

Anyone else have this problem and does anyone else have a solution. Other, that is, than just learning how to spell in Spanish – which is exactly what I am trying to do ..

If you have read so far, thank you and God bless …

Answer 1

Generally, if the word ends in a vowel, you will add an S, just like in English:

libro - libros, mesa - mesas, coche - coches

If the word ends in a consonant, you will add an ES.

habitación - habitaciones, pared - paredes, ordenador - ordenadores

Notice the accent goes away from habitación to habitaciones, this is because the stress already falls over the "cion" in the plural form.

Sometimes you have to add an accent to maintain the stress:

joven - jóvenes

Here are some videos on accents:

http://www.spanishdict.com/learn/show/97

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywzGFZehsQ0

Very neat. - diagonx, Jul 18, 2013

Splendid explanation, coming from a mouse. - annierats, Jul 18, 2013

:) - Tosh, Jul 18, 2013

Well explained. :) - ian-hill, Sep 8, 2013

Answer 2

The short answer to your question is "yes, you use/remove an accent to retain the original stress in the singular."

joven jóvenes (add accent to maintain stress) calcetín calcetines (accent no longer needed to maintain stress)

Remember too that most Spanish words have their accent on the penultimate (second to last) syllable. That rule always helps me decide if I need an accent or not in the plural form.

Thank you. This is exactly what I was looking for … - Pat-McDonald, Sep 9, 2013

Answer 3

Here, Plural Forms of Nouns (Regular and Exceptions)

Answer 4

Muchos gracias ..

Su explicación es muy claro ...

Seré hacer un 'link' enlace a esta pagina ...

Gracias Tosh, otra vez ...

No hay de qué! - Tosh, Jul 19, 2013

Answer 5

This was an excellent answer and it has made me think …

It is the example joven where you use an accent to maintain the stress on the 'o' (jóvenes) in the plural form that has made me wonder: is this usual? When making a word plural changes the stress is it normal to use an accent to retain the original stress?

Naturally, when I am searching for an example my mind has gone blank! Is my question clear?

Will this occur in words ending in an 'n'?