Did you know that some Russian nouns never appear in the singular? Words like часы́ (watch, clock), очки́ (glasses), но́жницы (scissors), брю́ки (trousers), духи́ (perfume) and ша́хматы (chess) are always plural. These nouns, known as pluralia tantum, always take plural agreement.
Here’s how they appear in context:
- нару́чные часы́ (wristwatch) — adjective in the plural
- солнцезащи́тные очки́ (sunglasses) — adjective in the plural
- дво́е но́жниц лежа́т на столе́ (two pairs of scissors are lying on the table) — collective numeral + verb in the 3rd person plural
- твои́ брю́ки пости́раны (your trousers are washed) — possessive pronoun in the plural + past passive participle in the 3rd person plural
- дороги́е духи́ (expensive perfume) — adjective in the plural
- стари́нные ша́хматы (antique chess set) — adjective in the plural
To be continued… More posts on unusual Russian nouns and grammar tips are coming soon.
💬 Can you think of other Russian nouns that are used only in the plural form? Share them in the comments!
Want the full story on how Russian nouns express number? Have a look at my main post.
Activity
For each word in brackets, write its correct form to agree with the nouns. Pay attention to case, number, person, and tense. If there are multiple answers, separate them with commas. Click ‘Проверить решение’ to submit your answer, ‘Показать ответ’ to see the correct form, and ‘Перейти к следующему’ to continue.
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