Nouns and Plurals
Nouns: no plural marking! Use những/các for explicit plural
Can use nouns correctly without plural markers and apply những/các when needed
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Tôi thích đọc sách.
I like reading books.
Các bạn có khỏe không?
Are you all well?
Những người này là bạn tôi.
These people are my friends.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Danh từ và số nhiều — Nouns and Plurals
Vietnamese nouns never change form. There is no plural ending — sách means both 'book' and 'books'. Context tells you which!
| Marker | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (none) | singular or generic | Tôi thích sách. (I like books/a book.) |
| những | some specific (plural) | Những cuốn sách này hay. (These books are good.) |
| các | all/each (plural) | Các bạn ơi! (Hey everyone!) |
| mấy | a few (small number) | Mấy cái áo (a few shirts) |
những vs các: những = some of the group. các = all/every member. Những sinh viên giỏi (some good students) vs Các sinh viên (all the students).
No articles! Vietnamese has no 'a/an/the'. Context determines definiteness. Tôi mua sách can mean 'I buy a book', 'I buy the book', or 'I buy books'.
Common Error Patterns
Added a plural suffix to a Vietnamese noun
Vietnamese nouns NEVER change form. sách = book(s). Use những/các only when you need to explicitly mark plural.
Tôi thích đọc sách.
I like reading books.
sách = book/books. No plural marker needed for generic statements. Vietnamese doesn't distinguish singular from plural here.
Các bạn có khỏe không?
Are you all well?
các = all/every (plural marker). Các bạn = all of you / you all. Emphasizes the whole group.
Những người này là bạn tôi.
These people are my friends.
những = some specific (plural). Những người này = these (particular) people. Compare: các người = ALL people (everyone).
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises