Noms Pluriels Irréguliers : Les Briseurs de Règles (Hommes, Pieds, Enfants)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Most English nouns add '-s' to become plural, but 'Rule Breakers' change their spelling entirely without adding an 's'.
- Vowel changes: 'man' becomes 'men' and 'foot' becomes 'feet'.
- Special endings: 'child' becomes 'children' and 'ox' becomes 'oxen'.
- No change: some words like 'sheep' and 'fish' stay exactly the same.
Overview
s à la fin pour dire qu'il y en a plusieurs.one cat (un chat) devient two cats (deux chats). C'est très similaire à notre système français où l'on écrit un s pour marquer le pluriel, sauf qu'en anglais, on a la chance de l'entendre à l'oral !s. Si tu dis childs ou persons, on te comprendra, mais cela sonnera un peu « débutant ». En apprenant ces quelques exceptions dès maintenant, tu vas immédiatement gagner en assurance et ton anglais sonnera beaucoup plus naturel, que ce soit pour discuter au café, au bureau ou lors de tes prochains voyages.s à la fin des mots.s est devenue la norme pour presque tous les mots anglais. Mais certains mots étaient tellement utilisés tous les jours par les gens du peuple qu'ils ont résisté à l'influence française. Ces mots sont restés tels qu'ils étaient il y a plus de mille ans !- En français : Un homme (singulier) -> Des hommes (pluriel, on ajoute un
smuet). - En anglais :
One man(singulier) ->Two men(pluriel, on change la voyelle).
s, mais ils ne sont pas totalement anarchiques pour autant. On peut les classer en quatre grandes familles. Regarde bien ces tableaux, ils vont devenir tes meilleurs amis pour tes révisions.man | men | a devient e | Three men are here. | Trois hommes sont ici. |woman | women | a devient e | The women are talking. | Les femmes discutent. |foot | feet | oo devient ee | My feet are cold. | Mes pieds sont froids. |tooth | teeth | oo devient ee | Brush your teeth! | Brosse tes dents ! |goose | geese | oo devient ee | Look at the geese. | Regarde les oies. |mouse | mice | transformation | There are mice in the garden. | Il y a des souris dans le jardin. |women. On ne prononce pas le 'o' comme dans woman. On dit plutôt /wiminn/ au pluriel. C'est un piège classique pour nous les francophones !-enchild | children | The children are playing. | Les enfants jouent. |ox | oxen | The oxen are strong. | Les bœufs sont forts. |children est sans doute le plus important de cette liste. Rappelle-toi : on ne dit jamais childs !sheep | sheep | Ten sheep are in the field. | Dix moutons sont dans le champ. |fish | fish | I see many fish. | Je vois beaucoup de poissons. |deer | deer | The deer are beautiful. | Les cerfs sont magnifiques. |person)person | people | Many people like Instagram. | Beaucoup de gens aiment Instagram. |persons. Si tu vois plus d'un individu, utilise people. C'est le mot naturel pour dire « les gens » ou « des personnes ».2, 3, many (beaucoup) ou some (quelques), tu dois basculer sur la forme irrégulière.- Au café ou au restaurant :
There are many people in this café. (Il y a beaucoup de gens dans ce café).- Chez le médecin ou au sport :
My feet hurt. (Mes pieds me font mal). Si tu ne parles que d'un seul pied, tu diras : My foot hurts. Remarque bien comment le verbe change aussi !- En famille :
I have three children. (J'ai trois enfants). C'est beaucoup plus élégant que de dire three kids (qui est plus familier).- À la campagne ou en voyage :
Look at those white sheep! (Regarde ces moutons blancs !). Même s'il y en a cinquante, le mot sheep ne prendra jamais de s.to be (être) :- Singulier :
The child IS happy.(L'enfant est heureux). - Pluriel :
The children ARE happy.(Les enfants sont heureux).
children n'a pas de s, mais il est 100% pluriel dans la tête des Anglais, donc le verbe devient are. C'est une erreur très courante au début, alors garde bien cela en tête !s partout (La généralisation)s, alors on a envie d'écrire mans, childs ou foots.man/men, child/children. Ne les sépare jamais dans ton esprit.peoplePeople is nice.People est le pluriel de person. C'est donc TOUJOURS pluriel.People ARE nice. (Les gens sont gentils).men ou feet, mais on continue de les prononcer comme man ou foot.feet et teeth, souris bien en prononçant le 'ee'. C'est un son long. Pour men, c'est un 'e' court, comme dans « merci ».person / personspersons écrit sur des panneaux dans les ascenseurs (Capacity: 4 persons). C'est un langage très administratif et juridique. Dans la vraie vie, au bureau ou entre amis, n'utilise jamais persons. Utilise people.Book | Books | I have two books. |Man | Men | I see two men. |Dog | Dogs | The dogs are barking. |Sheep | Sheep | The sheep are eating. |Friend | Friends | My friends are French. |Person | People | My people (the people) are French. |s ou non, le verbe et les mots autour (comme two ou the) se comportent de la même manière. La seule difficulté est de mémoriser la forme du mot lui-même.le devient les). En anglais, l'article the reste the ! C'est une énorme simplification.The cat->The catsThe child->The children
fishes ?fish au pluriel. I caught three fish (J'ai attrapé trois poissons).fishes uniquement quand on est un scientifique qui parle de différentes *espèces* de poissons. Pour ton niveau A1, retiens que fish est invariable. C'est plus simple !police n'est pas dans la liste ?police est un cas à part. Il n'a pas de singulier (on dit a police officer pour une personne). Mais il est toujours pluriel !The police ARE coming. Ce n'est pas vraiment un pluriel irrégulier au sens strict, c'est ce qu'on appelle un nom collectif. Mais retiens qu'il fonctionne comme people.My teeth are white ou sur tes chaussures avec My feet are tired. En associant le mot irrégulier à un objet réel de ton quotidien, ton cerveau l'enregistrera beaucoup plus vite qu'en lisant une liste dans un livre.cactus -> cacti ou phenomenon -> phenomena), mais ils sont très savants. Pour parler anglais couramment au quotidien, la liste que nous avons vue aujourd'hui couvre 95 % de tes besoins. Si tu maîtrises men, women, children, people, feet, teeth et fish, tu es déjà au top !Common Irregular Plural Patterns
| Singular | Plural | Pattern Type | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Man
|
Men
|
Vowel Change (a -> e)
|
The men are working.
|
|
Woman
|
Women
|
Vowel Change (o -> e sound)
|
Three women entered.
|
|
Child
|
Children
|
Suffix (-ren)
|
The children play.
|
|
Foot
|
Feet
|
Vowel Change (oo -> ee)
|
My feet are cold.
|
|
Tooth
|
Teeth
|
Vowel Change (oo -> ee)
|
White teeth are nice.
|
|
Mouse
|
Mice
|
Vowel Change (ou -> i)
|
The mice like cheese.
|
|
Sheep
|
Sheep
|
No Change
|
Ten sheep are eating.
|
|
Fish
|
Fish
|
No Change
|
I see many fish.
|
|
Person
|
People
|
Suppletion (New Word)
|
People are kind.
|
|
Goose
|
Geese
|
Vowel Change (oo -> ee)
|
The geese fly away.
|
Meanings
Irregular plural nouns are nouns that do not follow the standard rule of adding '-s' or '-es' to the end of the word to indicate more than one.
Vowel Mutation
Changing the internal vowel sound of the word to indicate plurality.
“My left foot hurts, but my feet are usually fine.”
“That man is tall, but those men are even taller.”
The '-en' Ending
Adding a suffix other than 's', specifically '-en' or '-ren'.
“I have one child and she has three children.”
“The farmer uses an ox to plow, but he has four oxen in total.”
Zero Plural
Nouns that have the exact same form for both singular and plural.
“I saw one sheep on the hill.”
“There are fifty sheep in the field.”
Reference Table
| Singulier | Pluriel | Exemple |
|---|---|---|
|
man
|
men
|
Two men are here.
|
|
woman
|
women
|
Three women are talking.
|
|
child
|
children
|
My children love to play.
|
|
foot
|
feet
|
My feet are tired.
|
|
tooth
|
teeth
|
I brush my teeth daily.
|
|
mouse
|
mice
|
There are many mice in the field.
|
|
goose
|
geese
|
Look at those geese swimming!
|
|
person
|
people
|
Many people are waiting.
|
|
ox
|
oxen
|
The farmer has two oxen.
|
Spectre de formalité
The children are currently attending their lessons. (Education / Family)
The children are playing outside. (Education / Family)
The kids are having fun. (Education / Family)
The rugrats are wilding. (Education / Family)
Noms pluriels irréguliers : les noms rebelles
Changement de voyelle
- man men
- foot feet
- mouse mice
Ajouter '-en'
- child children
- ox oxen
Pas de changement
- sheep sheep
- fish fish
Cas spécial
- person people
Pluriels réguliers vs irréguliers
Former les noms au pluriel en anglais
Le nom est-il dans la liste des 'Pluriels irréguliers' (par exemple, 'man', 'child', 'foot') ?
Le nom se termine-t-il par -s, -x, -ch, -sh, -z ?
Le nom se termine-t-il par une consonne + -y ?
Pluriels irréguliers courants par catégorie
Personnes
- • man → men
- • woman → women
- • child → children
- • person → people
Parties du corps
- • foot → feet
- • tooth → teeth
Animaux
- • mouse → mice
- • goose → geese
- • ox → oxen
- • sheep → sheep
- • fish → fish
Exemples par niveau
I see three men.
I see three men.
The children are happy.
The children are happy.
I have two feet.
I have two feet.
Look at the white sheep.
Look at the white sheep.
How many people are in the room?
How many people are in the room?
Brush your teeth every morning.
Brush your teeth every morning.
There are many mice in the old house.
There are many mice in the old house.
We saw five deer in the forest.
We saw five deer in the forest.
The women in the office are very professional.
The women in the office are very professional.
Geese fly south for the winter.
Geese fly south for the winter.
The farmer bought several oxen for the heavy work.
The farmer bought several oxen for the heavy work.
I caught three large fish yesterday.
I caught three large fish yesterday.
The children's playground was recently renovated.
The children's playground was recently renovated.
Many people believe that technology is a double-edged sword.
Many people believe that technology is a double-edged sword.
The mice were used in a controlled laboratory experiment.
The mice were used in a controlled laboratory experiment.
A series of unfortunate events led to the company's downfall.
A series of unfortunate events led to the company's downfall.
The criteria for the scholarship are quite stringent.
The criteria for the scholarship are quite stringent.
The phenomena observed during the eclipse were breathtaking.
The phenomena observed during the eclipse were breathtaking.
The alumni of the university gathered for the gala.
The alumni of the university gathered for the gala.
The data suggest that the market is stabilizing.
The data suggest that the market is stabilizing.
The brethren of the lodge met in secret to discuss the charter.
The brethren of the lodge met in secret to discuss the charter.
The various fishes of the Amazon basin show incredible diversity.
The various fishes of the Amazon basin show incredible diversity.
The stimuli provided during the trial were insufficient to elicit a response.
The stimuli provided during the trial were insufficient to elicit a response.
The cacti in the botanical garden are over a century old.
The cacti in the botanical garden are over a century old.
Facile à confondre
Learners try to add 's' to everything because 95% of English nouns work that way.
Learners think 'people' is a different word entirely rather than the plural of 'person'.
Learners see 'fishes' in books and get confused.
Erreurs courantes
Two mans
Two men
Three childs
Three children
My tooths are white.
My teeth are white.
I see many sheeps.
I see many sheep.
The people is here.
The people are here.
The childrens are playing.
The children are playing.
Ten fishes
Ten fish
Two mouses
Two mice
The data is...
The data are...
Structures de phrases
There are many ___ in the ___.
My ___ are very ___.
I saw a group of ___ walking ___.
The ___ in this area are known for ___.
Real World Usage
I need to get my teeth cleaned.
These shoes are too small for my feet.
The children had so much fun today! 🎈
I managed a team of twenty people.
Many women are leading new tech companies.
I'll have the grilled fish, please.
Écoute et Répète
children ou feet aidera ton cerveau à les mémoriser naturellement. Essaye de les répéter à voix haute ! Pay close attention to how native speakers use these words.
N'ajoute pas de '-s' !
childs, mans, foots ou peoples sont incorrects. Ces mots ont cassé la règle du '-s' il y a longtemps, alors n'essaie pas de la remettre ! Words like childs are incorrect.
Les fiches sont tes amies
man) et le pluriel de l'autre (men). Entraîne-toi tous les jours jusqu'à ce que tu n'aies même plus à y penser ! Tu peux même dessiner des petites images. Create flashcards with the singular on one side (man) and the plural on the other (men).
'People' contre 'Persons'
persons soit techniquement correct en anglais très formel ou juridique, presque tout le monde utilise people dans la conversation quotidienne. Reste avec people pour paraître naturel et amical ! Stick with people to sound natural and friendly!
Smart Tips
Check if it's 'foot' or 'tooth'. These are the most common body parts that don't use 's'.
Always use 'are', never 'is'.
Remember that 'sheep', 'fish', and 'deer' are the 'No-Change Trio'.
If it's not on the 'Top 10' list (man, woman, child, foot, tooth, mouse, sheep, fish, person, goose), it's probably regular.
Prononciation
Woman vs. Women
The first 'o' in 'woman' sounds like 'u' in 'put'. In 'women', the 'o' sounds like 'i' in 'sit'.
The 'th' in Teeth
The 'th' is unvoiced, like in 'think'.
Plural Emphasis
I said two MEN, not one.
Stress the irregular plural to clarify quantity.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Remember: 'One child, many children; one foot, two feet. No 's' is needed for the people you meet!'
Association visuelle
Imagine a giant 'S' being chased away by a group of men and children. The 'S' is crying because it's not allowed to join their group.
Rhyme
Double 'O' becomes double 'E', for teeth and feet and geese you see!
Story
A man and a woman took their child to a farm. They saw a sheep eating a fish. Suddenly, a mouse ran over their feet! (All these nouns are irregular).
Word Web
Défi
Look around the room or out a window. Find at least three things that use irregular plurals (e.g., people, feet, teeth) and say a sentence for each.
Notes culturelles
Using 'persons' instead of 'people' makes you sound like a police officer or a lawyer. 'People' is much friendlier.
In some UK dialects, you might hear 'me feet' instead of 'my feet', but the plural 'feet' remains the same.
Scientists use 'fishes' to talk about different species, but a fisherman would always say 'I caught ten fish'.
Most irregular plurals come from Old English, which had a much more complex system of noun endings and vowel changes.
Amorces de conversation
How many children do you want to have in the future?
Do you think people are generally kind?
Have you ever seen any wild deer or sheep?
What do you do to keep your teeth healthy?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
My two ____ are playing in the garden.
Find and fix the mistake:
There are many mans in the room.
Choose the correct sentence:
Score: /3
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesI have two [child].
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
My tooths are white.
Mouse
are / sheep / field / the / in / ten
The plural of 'fish' is always 'fishes'.
A: Look at those ___! B: Yes, they are flying south for winter.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
11 exercisesI saw two white ____ swimming in the pond.
My tooths hurt after eating candy.
Which sentence is correct?
Translate into English: 'Ella tiene dos niños.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the singular with its plural:
The farmer bought two new ____ for his field.
I need to wash my both foot.
There are many ____ at the concert.
Translate into English: 'Vi a tres hombres y dos mujeres.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Score: /11
FAQ (8)
English is a mix of languages. 'Man' is an old Germanic word that uses an ancient plural system. 'Pan' is newer and follows the modern 's' rule.
Yes, but only if you are talking about different species of fish (e.g., 'The fishes of the Pacific Ocean'). For eating or counting, use `fish`.
It is plural. You must use `are` or `were`. 'The people are happy.'
The standard plural is `people`. You can use `persons` in very formal or legal writing, but it sounds strange in conversation.
Both `mice` and `mouses` are accepted for technology, but `mice` is more common.
Focus on the sound. 'Woman' (singular) sounds like 'man' at the end. 'Women' (plural) sounds like 'WIM-min'.
The only other common one is `oxen`. Words like `brethren` exist but are very old-fashioned.
In Old English, some nouns didn't have a plural ending. Sheep is one of the few that stayed that way for over 1,000 years!
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Plurales regulares (-s, -es)
Spanish has almost no internal vowel-changing plurals.
Pluriels irréguliers (-ail -> -aux)
French irregulars often change the end of the word, not the middle vowel.
Umlaut Plurals
German still uses this rule for thousands of words, while English only kept a few.
No plural marking
English requires a change (regular or irregular), Japanese does not.
Broken Plurals (جمع التكسير)
Arabic broken plurals are much more common and complex than English ones.
Measure words / No plural
English changes the noun; Chinese changes the surrounding words.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Vidéos associées
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