The Plural (Il-Plural)

Put simply : when we say Maltese Singular we mean ONE
and when we say Maltese Plural we mean MANY.

Is-Singular huwa meta nirreferu għal ħaġa waħda biss.
(The Singular is when we refer to one thing only)

Il-Plural huwa meta nirreferu ħafna affarijiet.
(The Plural is when we refer to many things)

We form Plurals in two ways.

 1.   by adding suffixes to the end of the singular:
                  student          -       studenti    (student - students)
                  għalliem        -        għalliema   (teacher - teachers)

- when the word ends with a vowel and the suffix to be attached has a vowel too, the last vowel of the word is dropped.
                   ittra            -           ittri    (letter – letters)
                   kelma         -           kelmiet  (word – words)

Il-Plural Sħiħ:
(adding suffixes to the end of the word in singular)

* adding   -ien:
              
             wied                 -            widien    (valley)

              wirdiena         -            wirdien    (cockroach)

* adding   -iet:

              tajra                -             żewġ tajriet (bird – two birds)
           ħamimiet           -             żewġ  ħamimiet (pigeon – two pigeons)
                     (indicating two items or things in pairs) 

* adding –ijiet:

               ziju                  -              zijiet  (uncle – uncles)

            lapes                 -              lapsijiet (pencil – pencils)
            ġlekk                 -             ġlekkijiet (blazer – blazers)

            siġġu                  -             siġġijiet  (chairs – chairs)

* adding   -at:

           xemgħa               -             xemgħat (candle – candles)
           laqgħa                  -             laqgħat  (meeting – meetings)

           tiffieha                 -             tuffieħat  (apple – apples)

*adding     -in:

            qaddis                -              qaddisin   (saint – saints)
             ħalliel                -               ħallelin    (thief – thiefs)
             baħri                 -                baħrin      (sailor – sailors)

* adding    –an:

            qiegħ                   -               qiegħan   (floor – floors)

* adding   -s:

              wejter               -                wejters  (waiter – waiters)

              plejer                -                 plejers   (player – players)

             gowler               -                 gowlers

* when “a” changes to “i”:
 

               karta                -                karti        (paper- papers)

               tajra                 -                 tajri        (kite – kites)

               karozza            -                 karozzi   (car – cars)

               kaxxa               -                 kaxxi       (box – boxes)

                     

2.     The other way to form a plural is to break up in the internal structure of the singular form.

Il-Plural Miksur (broken plural):
(the word changes completely)

Singular                      ->                               Plural

knisja                           -                                 knejjes               (church)
sodda                           -                                  sodod                   (bed)
raġel                             -                                  rġiel                      (man)

Mara                             -                                 nisa                    (woman)

bitħa                             -                                btieħi              (playground)

kċina                             -                                kċejjen                 (kitchen)

żarbun                          -                                 żraben                   (shoes)

baħar                             -                                 ibħra                      (sea)

ċint                                -                                   ċnut                     (fence)

ġurdien                         -                                 ġrieden                 (mouse)

mejda                            -                                mwejed                  (table)

frotta                              -                                   frott                     (fruit)

fekruna                         -                                 fkieren                 (turtle)

qattus                            -                                  qtates                     (cat)

tifel                                 -                                  subien                   (boy)

tifla                                -                                   bniet                      (girl)