A plural you often only see
Like English, French usually forms the plural by adding -s to the noun. Unlike English, that -s is silent.
livre and livres sound the same, so the plural is signalled by the article: le/la becomes les, un/une becomes des. Only before a vowel is the s pronounced, as z: les amis [lezami].
Les livres sont sur la table.
The books are on the table.
J’ai deux chats.
I have two cats.
Endings -s, -x, -z: no change
If a noun already ends in -s, -x or -z, it stays the same in the plural: le bus → les bus. Only the article marks the plural.
Les bus sont en retard.
The buses are late.
Les prix sont bas.
The prices are low.
-eau, -eu and a few words in -ou: plural with -x
Nouns in -eau and -eu take -x instead of -s. This -x is silent too. Of the nouns in -ou, only a few take -x, such as bijou, genou, chou. The others add -s (trou → trous).
Elle prépare deux gâteaux.
She is making two cakes.
Il a les cheveux bruns.
He has brown hair.
Elle porte des bijoux.
She is wearing jewellery.
-al becomes -aux
Most nouns in -al swap that ending for -aux. Here you hear the change: cheval [ʃəval] → chevaux [ʃəvo]. Exceptions that just add -s include bal → bals and festival → festivals.
Je lis les journaux le matin.
I read the newspapers in the morning.
Les chevaux courent vite.
The horses run fast.
J’aime les animaux.
I like animals.
A common irregular plural: œil → yeux
The word for eye changes completely in the plural: un œil → des yeux. You just have to remember it.
Elle a les yeux bleus.
She has blue eyes.
