Happy Sunday, Japanophiles. Herewith the 61st issue of the Hai Japan Newsletter — your Weekly Dose of Japan!

Today, we’re simply going through some grammar:

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Thanks in advance, now back to the lesson…

 Plural Suffixes – How to Say “We” and “They” in Japanese

In this lesson, we learn how to make things plural in Japanese using plural suffixes. Unlike English, Japanese nouns don’t usually change between singular and plural, but there are special suffixes that hint at groups, especially when talking about people.

📚 Table of Contents

• The Basics

• Common Plural Suffixes for People
  ▸ 〜方 (がた)
  ▸ 〜達 (たち)
  ▸ 〜等 (ら)
  ▸ 〜供 (ども)

• Beyond People: 諸〜 (しょ)

• Other “List-Like” Pluralizers (など / とか / やら)

• Recap Table

🌱 The Basics

In Japanese, most nouns don’t change to show plurals. One cat = 猫 (neko). Many cats? Still 猫.

But when you want to emphasize a group, especially people, you can attach a plural suffix.

For example:

📌 私 (わたし, watashi) ➜ "I"
📌 私達 (わたしたち, watashi-tachi) ➜ "We"

These suffixes are flexible, but they each carry different levels of formality and emotional tone. Let’s break them down!

👤 Common Plural Suffixes for People

1️⃣ 〜方 (がた, gata)

Polite and respectful — used for others, not yourself.

📌 先生方 (せんせいがた, sensei-gata)
➡ "Teachers (respectfully)"

📌 お母さん方 (おかあさんがた, okaasan-gata)
➡ "Mothers (respectfully)"

You can’t use this for yourself. It’s only used to speak politely about others.

Also used in addresses:
📌 〜様方 (さまがた, sama-gata) = "care of"

2️⃣ 〜達 (たち, tachi)

Neutral and common — works with names, pronouns, and even animals or objects (when personified).

📌 私達 (わたしたち, watashi-tachi) ➜ "We"
📌 ジェニー達 (じぇにーたち, Jenii-tachi) ➜ "Jenny and friends"
📌 ぬいぐるみ達 (ぬいぐるみたち, nuigurumi-tachi) ➜ "These plushies"

Super flexible, super friendly. You’ll use this a lot.

3️⃣ 〜等 (ら, ra)

More casual — often used in speech, media, or by male speakers.

📌 彼ら (かれら, kare-ra) ➜ "They" (as in “he and others”)
📌 うちら (uchira) ➜ "Us" (casual/friendly)
📌 これら (korera) ➜ "These"

📝 Used in the news:
📌 田中容疑者ら (たなかようぎしゃら, Tanaka yougisha-ra)
➡ "Suspect Tanaka and associates"

🗾 Note: 〜ら is more common in Kansai dialect, while 〜たち is used more in Kanto.

4️⃣ 〜供 (ども, domo)

Often shows disrespect, but can also show humility depending on context.

📌 クズども (くずども, kuzu-domo)
➡ "Those pieces of trash" (insulting)

📌 私ども (わたくしども, watakushi-domo)
➡ "We (humble/formal speech)"

Used in business or customer service to express modesty when referring to your own team.

🌏 Beyond People: 諸〜 (しょ, sho)

This is a prefix, not a suffix. It means "various" or "many kinds of" and is used in formal writing or speech.

📌 諸国 (しょこく, shokoku) ➜ "Various countries"
📌 諸島 (しょとう, shotou) ➜ "A group of islands"
📌 諸説ある (しょせつ ある, shosetsu aru) ➜ "There are various theories"

You’ll see this often in news headlines or academic material.

🔄 Plural vs. “Listing” Words: など・とか・やら

These aren’t suffixes, but they hint at plural ideas by listing examples.

Compare:
📌 弁護士たちが来ました。
Bengoshi-tachi ga kimashita.
➡ "The lawyers came." (Emphasizes who came)

📌 弁護士などが来ました。
Bengoshi nado ga kimashita.
➡ "People like lawyers came." (Leaves room for others)

📝 Recap Table

🎉 Wrapping Up

Now you can express “we,” “they,” “those,” and “various groups” naturally in Japanese — and choose the right tone depending on context.

Let me know if you enjoyed this simple grammar run-through :)

Have a great Sunday!