French grammar
Plurals: les, des, silent -s
Talk about more than one thing at home.
From the scene Les assiettes (The plates)
In short
Plurals usually add a silent -s; the becomes les, a becomes des. You hear the plural in les / des.
Your turn
Which one goes with the chair → the chairs?
Options: des‿assiettes ("dayz") · la chaise → les chaises · le verre → les verres (same sound)
Show answer
the chair → the chairs → la chaise → les chaises
How it works
Most nouns add -s in the plural (assiette → assiettes), and "the" becomes les for every plural, masculine or feminine.
Your turn
Pick the word that fits the line.
Oui, il y a quatre (blank).
Clue: same sound — think of the spelling
Options: verre · verres
Show answer
Oui, il y a quatre verres.
Yes, there are four glasses.
Good to know
Also, French can't drop the article: il y a des assiettes, never il y a assiettes.
Your turn
Pick the word that fits the line.
Et (blank) chaises ? Et les tables ?
Clue: chaises is plural
Options: les · la
Show answer
Et les chaises ? Et les tables ?
And the chairs? And the tables?
the glass → the glasses le verre → les verres (same sound)
the chair → the chairs la chaise → les chaises
Your turn
What goes with la chaise → les chaises?
Options: the chair → the chairs · the glass → the glasses · some plates (liaison)
Show answer
la chaise → les chaises → the chair → the chairs
some plates (liaison) des‿assiettes ("dayz")
there are plates il y a des assiettes
Your turn
What goes with il y a des assiettes?
Options: the chair → the chairs · there are plates · the glass → the glasses
Show answer
il y a des assiettes → there are plates
Watch out
That -s is silent, so verre and verres sound the same — you hear the plural in les ("lay") and des ("day"), and in the liaison: les‿assiettes sounds "layz-assiette".
Your turn
Pick the word that fits the line.
Une table ? Chez moi, il y a trois (blank).
Clue: same sound — think of the spelling
Options: table · tables
Show answer
Une table ? Chez moi, il y a trois tables.
One table? In my flat there are three tables.
Common mistake
Not le here. Verres is plural.
Et les verres, il y en a ?
And the glasses? Are there glasses?
Practise it in the story
Meet this rule inside a short animated scene. Answer as it plays, then say the lines yourself.
Practise free in the appSee all forms
| the glass → the glasses | le verre → les verres (same sound) |
|---|---|
| the chair → the chairs | la chaise → les chaises |
| some plates (liaison) | des‿assiettes ("dayz") |
| there are plates | il y a des assiettes |
More lines from the story
- ElenaEt les verres, il y en a ?And the glasses? Are there glasses?
- NuriaOui, il y a quatre verres.Yes, there are four glasses.
- ElenaEt les chaises ? Et les tables ?And the chairs? And the tables?
- ElenaUne table ? Chez moi, il y a trois tables.One table? In my flat there are three tables.
- NuriaIl y a deux chaises... et une table.There are two chairs... and one table.
- ElenaPour moi ! Il y a du café ?For me! Is there coffee?