Template:U:hu:plural

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  • (plural suffix) Variants:
    -k is added to words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á-. Final -e changes to -é-.
    (woman) + ‎-k → ‎k (women)
    fa (tree) + ‎-k → ‎k (trees)
    csésze (cup) + ‎-k → ‎csészék (cups)
    -ak is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant:
    ház (house) + ‎-ak → ‎házak (houses)
    -ok is added to most back-vowel words ending in a consonant:
    pad (bench) + ‎-ok → ‎padok (benches)
    -ek is added to unrounded (and some rounded) front-vowel words ending in a consonant:
    kert (garden) + ‎-ek → ‎kertek (gardens)
    könyv (book) + ‎-ek → ‎könyvek (books)
    -ök is added to most rounded front-vowel words ending in a consonant:
    kör (circle) + ‎-ök → ‎körök (circles)
  • Note that the plural form is not used after definite and indefinite numerals in Hungarian: három könyv (three books), néhány óra múlva (in a few hours’ time). There are very few (traditional, archaic) exceptions, including háromkirályok (the Three Magi), mindenszentek (All Saints), and certain archaic phrases with összes (all) and minden (every) (see their Usage notes).
  • The regular plural suffix for back-vowel adjectives is -ak, for example okosak (smart/clever ones). On the other hand, ethnonyms take -ok (e.g. olaszok (Italians), see the back-vowel terms in their category), as well as some other adjectives, including privative (“…-less”) ones (formed with -talan, -atlan, or -tlan). Rounded front-vowel adjectives normally take -ek, for example zöldek (green ones), except for demonyms (see rounded front-vowel terms in their category).
  • If a word can be both a noun and an adjective, the form of its ending gives information about its function, e.g. játékosok (players, noun) and játékosak (playful, adjective as part of a plural predicate). The same distinction also exists with words with rounded front vowels, e.g. ismerős: ismerősök (acquaintances, noun) and ismerősek (familiar, adjective as part of a plural predicate).

Usage

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Use this template under the ====Usage notes==== section of the Hungarian plural suffix. Using a template will allow usage notes updates in one place and it will synchronize the usage notes in all members of the suffix cluster.