Stem-changing and meaning-changing plurals
Some plurals add material, change the stem, or split meanings.
- These are organised lexical patterns, not spelling accidents. The plural stem reappears in later plural cases: друзья́ - друзе́й - друзья́м - друзья́ми - друзья́х.
| Singular | Plural | Change |
|---|---|---|
| друг | друзья́ | г → з + ья |
| брат | бра́тья | adds ья |
| сын | сыновья́ | adds овья |
| де́рево | дере́вья | stem alternation + ья |
| лист | ли́стья / листы́ | leaves / sheets |
Mini-check
1. Give the plural: друг; де́рево; лист 'leaf'. 2. Which plural means sheets of paper?
Apply this next
- Retrieve the rule without looking, then continue to the next lesson.