Number of Russian Nouns

Russian nouns change form between singular (единственное число) and plural (множественное число). While many follow predictable patterns, some have irregular plurals or are always singular/plural.

1. Regular Plural Formation

Plurals are typically formed by replacing the singular ending with a plural one.

A. First Declension (-а/-я nouns)

Singular	Plural	Rule
книга (book)	книги	-а → -ы / -и (after г, к, х, ж, ч, ш, щ: -и)
лампа (lamp)	лампы
неделя (week)	недели	-я → -и

B. Second Declension (masculine/neuter)

Singular	Plural	Rule
стол (table)	столы	consonant → -ы / -и (after г, к, х, ж, ч, ш, щ: -и)
музей (museum)	музеи	-й → -и
письмо (letter)	письма	-о → -а
море (sea)	моря	-е → -я

Exceptions:

• глаз (eye) → глаза (not глазы)
• дерево (tree) → деревья

C. Third Declension (-ь feminine nouns)

Singular	Plural	Rule
ночь (night)	ночи	-ь → -и
дверь (door)	двери

Exceptions:

• мать (mother) → матери

2. Irregular Plurals

Some nouns have unpredictable plural forms or stress shifts:

Singular	Plural	Notes
человек (person)	люди (people)	Totally irregular
ребёнок (child)	дети (children)
стул (chair)	стулья (not стулы)
лист (leaf)	листья

3. Nouns Used Only in Singular or Plural

A. Singular-Only Nouns (no plural form)

• Abstract concepts: любовь (love), счастье (happiness)
• Materials: молоко (milk), золото (gold)
• Collective nouns: молодёжь (youth)

B. Plural-Only Nouns (no singular form)

• Paired objects: ножницы (scissors), брюки (pants)
• Games: шахматы (chess), шашки (checkers)
• Some geographical names: Альпы (Alps), Афины (Athens)

4. Special Cases

A. Plurals with Different Meanings

Singular	Plural	Meaning Change
цвет (color)	цветы (flowers)	Not "colors"!
лист (sheet, leaf)	листья (leaves)	vs. листы (sheets of paper)

B. Genitive Plural (Hardest for Learners!)

Many nouns drop vowels or change entirely in Genitive plural:

• книга → книг (not книгов)
• яблоко → яблок (not яблоков)
• день → дней (not деней)

4. Stress Shifts
The stress pattern can (and often does) change between singular and plural forms. This is a major challenge and requires memorization.

• окно́ (sing.) vs. о́кна (pl.)
• сестра́ (sing.) vs. сёстры (pl.)

5. Key Takeaways for Foreigners

• When you learn a new noun, try to learn its nominative plural form at the same time, especially if it's irregular or has a stress shift.
• Pay close attention to stress patterns.
• Be aware of singularia tantum and pluralia tantum nouns, as they behave differently.
• Practice forming plurals and using them in sentences to solidify your understanding.

Russian noun number is manageable with practice, but awareness of these specific categories and common irregularities will save you a lot of confusion!
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