達(たち)

たち

suffix

plural marker (people)

1. plural marker for people

Suffix indicating plural, used with people.

The children are playing.

I had a meal with the teachers.

We are studying Japanese.

The students are listening to the teacher in the classroom.

They were taking a walk with the dog in the park.

達(たち) marks a group of people: 子供(こども)たち "the children," 私(わたし)たち "we." It is usually written in hiragana.

Attaches directly to nouns and pronouns: 学生(がくせい)たち, 彼女(かのじょ)たち
Can mean "X and the others": 田中(たなか)さんたち (Tanaka and the others)
Common with pets and animals in casual speech (犬(いぬ)たち, 猫(ねこ)たち) and with things in personified or poetic language; not used for ordinary objects
友達(ともだち) is felt as singular today, so 友達(ともだち)たち is heard in speech, though some consider it redundant

たち: neutral, everyday
方(がた): honorific (先生(せんせい)方(がた), あなた方(がた))
ら: neutral in 彼(かれ)ら and in writing (これら); casual or rough with other nouns (俺(おれ)ら, 奴(やつ)ら)

Japanese nouns need no plural marker. Use たち only when the group matters: 学生(がくせい)が来(き)た can already mean "students came."

basic

Added 2026.1.8 21:59 · Revised 2026.9.30 22:08

01500/01551_tachi