Tagalog Noun Plurals

Noun plurals are formed by placing mga (“manga”) before the noun. Examples:

kapatid	sibling
mga kapatid	siblings

Below are other ways to indicate the plural number:

1. Using numbers or other words expressing quantity. See also: Expressing quantity or distribution (p. 236), Na/-ng (p. 28)

isang kapatid	one sibling
dalawang kapatid	two siblings
tatlong kapatid	three siblings
maraming kapatid	many siblings

2. Using plural adjectives. See also: Plural adjectives (p. 230), Na/-ng (p. 28)

masipag na kapatid	diligent sibling
masisipag na kapatid	diligent siblings
napakasipag na kapatid	very diligent sibling
napakasisipag na kapatid	very diligent siblings

3. Using affixes expressing or describing two or more persons or things. See also: noun affixes mag- (p. 72) and mag- +rep1 ¹ (p. 74), and adjective affixes magka- (p. 217) and magkaka- (p. 218)

kapatid	sibling
magkapatid	two persons who are siblings
magkakapatid	three or more persons who are siblings

Optionally, the plural number can be indicated by combining mga with a number, any other word expressing quantity, or a plural adjective.

maraming kapatid	many siblings
*maraming mga* kapatid**	many siblings
masisipag na kapatid	diligent siblings
mga masisipag na kapatid	diligent siblings

Note:

1. If the News (p. 30) of the sentence is a number, mga cannot be used in the POD (p. 30). Example:

Lima ang anak niya.*

He/she has five children.

Lit. His/her children are five.

* Mga cannot be placed before anak.

2. Mga means about or around when used before a number or a time expression. Examples:

mga limang kilo	about 5 kilos
mga 1 o’clock	at around 1 o’clock

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