Understanding French plural?

Question

So, I'm using Rosetta Stone French 1 and I've noticed that the singular and plural forms of words are pronounced the same way. Other than like drink (boit) - plural (boivent). Could someone help me out on how to actually understand this? Spanish is my second language so it just seems weird when you don't pronounce the s in Ils/Elles.

Answer 1

Ending ''s'' in French are NEVER ever pronounced, that's the only thing you need to remember. Likewise, ''s'' forming plural will never be pronounced either.

It is really just how it is; French just came to evolve this way [short answer].

So how you will understand the plural form is through articles (le = les, la = les, il = ils, elle = elles) and their ensuing conjugations.

Answer 2

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=exer...

Forget your language.

Le pluriel des noms et articles (défini et indéfini)

LE livre - LES livres (I think you know the pronunciation for LE and LES. you never pronounce S at the end of the word)

UN livre - DES livres

L'écolier - LES écoliers (masculine) / UN écolier - DES écoliers

L'heure - LES heures (feminine) / UNE heure - DES heures

à + LE  = AU (je parle AU garçon)

à + LES = AUX (elle joue AUX échecs)

de + LE = DU (je parle DU livre)

de + LES = DES ( les cravates DES garçons)

Attention! you have irregular plural too :

le cheval - les chevaux

le journal - les journaux

le bijou - les bijoux

le bail - les baux

You have 2 forms for the plural, but the meaning is different

And other things more complicated.

The verbes : 1th group, 2nd group, 3th group or irregular

to drink = BOIRE ( infinitiv) is irregular

je bois,         nous buvons

tu bois,          vous buvez

il (elle) boit,    ils (elles) boivent (it is a difference  between singular an plural)

You have to learn all that to understand.

Answer 3

Well, you will know if it is plural or not depending on the article that is used before it or words that come after it or simply context. For example, if you have a plural you will use the definite article "Les" which sounds different from both "la" and "le" so you will know it is plural. Also, the "s" at the end of plurals can sometimes combine with the beginning sounds of the following word to make a "z" sound if the following word begins in a vowel, so that will help too. Context also is a clue sometimes. You just have to get used to it but it won't be too hard! :)  

Answer 4

You detect the plural by the article: les livres, not le livre. Des auteurs and not de l'auteur. It's almost always clear from the context and the article.

Answer 5

There is no logical explanation.

''Je mange, tu manges, il mange...ils mangent'' (I eat, you eat) are all pronounced the same. You need context to make the difference and (or) to see the written form. You never pronounce the ''-ent'' endings for conjugation