The number of a noun tells how many people, places, things, or ideas it represents.
The number of a noun can be
You can usually tell whether a noun is singular or plural by looking at its ending. However, some endings for singular and plural are the same. For example, in both the first and second declension, the ending for genitive singular form is the same as the ending for the nominative plural form. So, sometimes you will have to use context to figure out whether a noun is singular or plural.
Remember, if the noun is the subject of a verb, it agrees with that verb's ending. A singular noun agrees with a singular verb, and a plural noun agrees with a plural verb.
For information on the person and number of verbs, and more information on how verbs agree with their subjects, see the page Person + Number.
The number of a noun can be
- singular - one person/place/thing/idea
- plural - more than one person/place/thing/idea
You can usually tell whether a noun is singular or plural by looking at its ending. However, some endings for singular and plural are the same. For example, in both the first and second declension, the ending for genitive singular form is the same as the ending for the nominative plural form. So, sometimes you will have to use context to figure out whether a noun is singular or plural.
Remember, if the noun is the subject of a verb, it agrees with that verb's ending. A singular noun agrees with a singular verb, and a plural noun agrees with a plural verb.
- Singular: Agricola ambulat. --> The farmer walks.
- Plural: Agricolae ambulant. --> The farmers walk.
For information on the person and number of verbs, and more information on how verbs agree with their subjects, see the page Person + Number.
