Page:Simplified grammar of the Hungarian language.djvu/20

8 of a vowel, the vowel of the last syllable is generally dropped in the plural. This contraction mostly takes place when the consonants m-r, k-r, and k-l, or reversed r-m, r-k, and l-k meet—e.g.,

The following monosyllabic nouns ending with a vowel take v or j in the plural, some of them shorten at the same time their vowel:—

Note.—Nouns are used in the singular only, if preceded by a numeral or any other word expressing quantity; as két ember, two men; sok fa, many trees.

Collective nouns are used in the plural when several lots or quantities of the same genus are referred to. But in all other cases they are used in the singular only. In Hungarian all generic nouns are collective nouns; as, for instance, the names