Search from various 영어 teachers...
Davide
What's the plural form of octopus? Is it octopi? It doesn't make sense, at all
2017년 3월 31일 오전 9:36
답변 · 9
1
Hi Davide,
There are some English words which end with the letters "us".
Examples are: radius / syllabus / octopus / cactus. These are singular nouns.
When we use the plural forms of these aforementioned words, they become:
Radii (or Radiuses) / Syllabi (or Syllabuses) / Octopus (or Octopi) / Cacti (or Cactuses).
The "us" is replaced with "i". Alternatively, "es" can be added to the singular noun.
As Darryl rightly pointed out, there are many exceptions to the rule in English.
Many singular nouns that end with "us" cannot be transformed to the plural form by using "i".
Example: Bus --> Buses (right) / Busi (Wrong)
Campus --> Campuses (right) / Campi (Wrong)
Hope this helps.
Cheers, Lance
2017년 3월 31일
1
From what I read online, both are fine. In casual speak however, people tend to want "octopus" even when referring to its plural form. (yeah… I know. But saying "Octopuses" is too long and clumsy for some)
There are way too many exceptions in English, so just do what everyone else in love with the language will do: just accept it for what it is, quirks and all.
2017년 3월 31일
아직도 답을 찾지 못하셨나요?
질문을 남겨보세요. 원어민이 도움을 줄 수 있을 거예요!
Davide
언어 구사 능력
영어, 이탈리아어, 스웨덴어
학습 언어
영어, 스웨덴어
좋아할 수도 있는 읽을거리

How to Ask for a Raise or Promotion in English
9 좋아요 · 8 댓글

The Key to Learning a Language Faster
30 좋아요 · 8 댓글

Why "General English" is Failing Your Career (An Engineer’s Perspective)
30 좋아요 · 12 댓글
다른 읽을거리
