Meaning & use
folktales
Last updated
“folktales” is a form of “folktale”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nouncountable
Traditional stories that people have passed down orally within a culture, often featuring ordinary people, animals, or magical events.
Grammar: Countable noun; the singular is 'folktale'. Use it for individual stories, and the plural for a collection or genre.
Patterns
- a folktale about something
- tell a folktale
- collect folktales
Many folktales explain why certain animals look the way they do.
She grew up hearing folktales from her grandmother.
The book is a collection of folktales from around the world.
Word forms
| singular | folktale |
|---|
Common combinations
- traditional folktales
- The festival celebrates traditional folktales through dance and music.
- a collection of folktales
- The library has a large collection of folktales from Asia.
- retell a folktale
- In class, we had to retell a folktale in our own words.
Synonyms and how they differ
- legend
- A legend often has some basis in history or a famous person, while a folktale is purely traditional and usually not tied to real events.
- myth
- A myth typically explains how the world began or involves gods and heroes; a folktale is more everyday and often teaches a lesson.
- fairy tale
- A fairy tale often includes magic and royalty, while a folktale can be about ordinary people or animals.
Word family
Commonly confused: folktales or fairy tale? folktales or tall tale?
folktales vs fairy tale
Fairy tales often feature magic and a 'happily ever after' ending, while folktales are broader and may not include magic.
folktales vs tall tale
A tall tale is a humorous story with exaggerated details, whereas a folktale is a traditional story passed down through generations.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'folktales' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Folktales' is a plural noun, so it fits in 'She told a folktale about a clever rabbit.' In option A, 'folktales' are usually traditional, not written by a known author recently. Option C uses 'folktales' as a verb, which is wrong. Option D has a plural noun with a singular verb 'is'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “folktales”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.