English Plural Forms of Nationalities
The plural forms of nationalities can be quite tricky to master, especially for non-native English speakers. In this article, we’ll take a look at the plural forms of nationalities from various countries.
Plural Forms of Nationalities Ending in “S”
Some nationalities that end with the letter “s” become plural simply by adding an apostrophe and an “s”. For instance, the plural form of “American” is “Americans”. However, some nationalities require the addition of an “es” to become plural. For instance, the plural of “Belizean” is “Belizeans”.
Here are some examples of nationalities ending in “s”:
- British – British
- Chinese – Chinese
- Nigerian – Nigerians
- Portuguese – Portuguese
- Turkish – Turks
Plural Forms of Nationalities Ending in “Y”
For nationalities that end in “y” preceded by a consonant, change the “y” to “i” and add “es” to make them plural. So, the plural form of “Hungarian” is “Hungarians”. However, if the “y” is preceded by a vowel, simply add an “s”. For instance, the plural form of “Paraguayan” is “Paraguayans”.
Here are some examples of nationalities ending in “y”:
- Australian – Australians
- Canadian – Canadians
- Kenyan – Kenyans
- Norwegian – Norwegians
- Swedish – Swedes
Irregular Plural Forms of Nationalities
Some nationalities don’t follow any of the set rules for pluralization in English, so they must be memorized. For instance, the plural of “Japanese” is also “Japanese”, the plural of “Swiss” is also “Swiss”. Then, there are also some nationalities that have both regular and irregular plural forms, like “Mexican” and “Mexicans”.
Here are some examples of irregular plural forms of nationalities:
- Belgian – Belgians
- Dutch – Dutch
- Greek – Greeks
- Polish – Poles
- Russian – Russians
By keeping these rules in mind, you’ll be able to use the correct plural form of nationalities when you need to. With practice, you’ll soon be a master of English language conventions.