Number in Latin means whether a word refers to one thing (singular) or more than one (plural).
Can recognize Singular and plural in a short Latin prompt
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
The rose is red; the roses are red.
The boy runs, the boys run.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Number in Latin means whether a word refers to one thing (singular) or more than one (plural). Both nouns and verbs carry number, and they must match, so reading it correctly tells you how many people or things are involved and who is doing the action.
English marks the plural mostly by adding "-s" (cat, cats). Latin instead changes the whole ending, and the ending it uses depends on the noun's declension and case, so there is no single plural marker to memorize.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. 1st | puella | puellae |
| Nom. 2nd | servus | servī |
| Nom. 3rd | rēx | rēgēs |
| Verb (3rd person) | amat (loves) | amant (love) |
Subject and verb agree in number:
The commonest English-speaker slip is reading the plural as a possessive: puellae can be "girls" (nominative plural) but also "of the girl" (genitive singular). The verb ending resolves it: puellae cantant must be "the girls sing," because cantant is plural. Always check that subject and verb agree in number, and let the verb settle any ambiguous noun ending.
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesThe rose is red; the roses are red.
There is no separate plural marker. One ending carries number and case together, unlike the English -s that only does number.
The boy runs, the boys run.
The verb changes too: -it against -unt. English marks agreement only in the third person singular.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises