Pluralization
Handling different word forms based on quantity, which varies significantly across languages.
Definition
Pluralization in i18n refers to displaying the correct grammatical form of words based on numerical quantity. Different languages have vastly different plural rules: English has 2 forms (singular/plural), French treats 0 as singular, Russian has 3 forms, Arabic has 6 forms, and some Asian languages have no plurals. The Unicode CLDR (Common Locale Data Repository) defines plural rules for all languages.
Examples
- →English: 0 items, 1 item, 2 items (2 forms: one, other)
- →Russian: 1 товар, 2 товара, 5 товаров (3 forms: one, few, many)
- →Arabic: Different forms for 0, 1, 2, 3-10, 11-99, 100+ (6 forms)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know the plural rules for a language?
The Unicode CLDR defines plural rules for all languages. Categories are: zero, one, two, few, many, other. Use ICU format and the i18n library handles rules automatically based on locale.
What if my library doesn't support plurals?
Basic workaround: use two separate keys (item_singular, item_plural) and select in code. Better: switch to a library supporting ICU format like FormatJS or i18next with ICU plugin.