Japanese grammar
What does ～たち／～ら (plural) mean? Japanese grammar N4
～たち／～ら (plural) means ~ and others, plural marker.
| Level (estimated, JLPT framework) | N4 |
|---|---|
| Structure | N たち N ら |
| Romaji | ~ tachi / ~ ra |
| Meaning | ~ and others, plural marker |
Forming it
| Honorific | N + がた (先生がた・あなたがた) |
|---|---|
| Casual/rough | N + ら (僕ら・彼ら・君ら) |
| Polite/neutral | N + たち (私たち・子どもたち・学生たち) |
How to use it
Attached after a noun referring to people to create a plural.
- Japanese does NOT require marking plurals — 「本があります」could mean one or several books. たち/ら are only used to emphasize plurality, and are used almost exclusively with nouns referring to PEOPLE (or closely related animals).
- Three levels of politeness: がた (most respectful — 先生がた, あなたがた) > たち (neutral — 私たち, 学生たち) > ら (casual/rough — 僕ら, 彼ら, 君ら). Using ら with someone above you is rude.
- Vietnamese learners often attach たち to OBJECTS out of habit, since Vietnamese marks plural objects the same way regardless of whether they are people or things (e.g., "those books"). But 「本たち」sounds very strange — it's only used when personifying objects in literary writing. For plural objects, leave the noun as is or use たくさん・いろいろな.
- A more refined group with 彼: 彼ら (they, male or mixed group), 彼女たち (they, all female). Note that 彼女 takes たち, not ら.
Examples
私たちは毎週日本語を勉強しています。
We study Japanese every week.
公園で子どもたちが遊んでいます。
Children are playing in the park.
田中さんたちはもう帰りました。
Mr. Tanaka and the others have already gone home.
Keep in mind
- 田中さんたち = "Tanaka and the people with him" — NOT "many people named Tanaka".
- ら in newspaper writing is actually neutral, not casual (「田中氏ら三人」) — different from conversation.
Common mistakes
-
Wrong机の上に本たちがあります。
There are many books on the desk.
Correct机の上に本がたくさんあります。
たち only attaches to nouns referring to PEOPLE/animals; for plural objects, leave the noun as is or use たくさん. Vietnamese learners often translate mechanically from their native language's object-plural phrasing (e.g., "those books").
-
Wrong先生らはお元気ですか。
Are the teachers well?
Correct先生がたはお元気ですか。
ら is a casual form — with someone above you, use がた (honorific), or at least たち.
Exam tips
- Remember the politeness scale: がた > たち > ら. Reading passages often use ら in neutral written text.