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Vietnamese Grammar Bank

VIETNAMESE PLURALS

In Vietnamese, forming plurals is not as straightforward as in other languages since nouns do not change form.

Instead, words like những and các are used to indicate plurality, along with context to understand whether a noun is singular or plural.

GENERAL PLURALS

To make words plurals simply add “những” or “các” next to the counter of a singular noun, then the word will become the plural:

PATTERN

Những / Các + counter + singular noun

NOTE || What is the difference between “những” and “các”?

Những is commonly used for plural nouns when the context does not imply totality.
Các is used when referring to the entire group or all members of a certain category.

Here is a reminder of the most common counters in Vietnamese:

CounterUsed for
CáiGeneral non-living thíngs
ConAnimal
CâyPen/Tree/Pencil
TờPaper/ Newspaper
CuốnBook/ Notebook
BứcLetter/Picture/Photo
ChiếcCar/Phone/Bike
TấmCloth/ Photo 
ViênIce/ Marble/ Meatball
ChaiBottle
LyGlass
LonCan 

For example:

vietnameseenglish
Những cái bàn
Những cái bàn màu đỏ
Tables 
→ The tables are red 
Những con mèo
Những con mèo đang ăn những con cá
Cats 
→ The cats are eating fishes 
Các tấm ảnh
Các tấm ảnh cũ kỹ 
Photos
→ The photos are old 
Các viên đá
→ Các viên đá hình con cá 
Ice cubes
→ The ice cubes are all shaped as fishes

FOR PEOPLE

 When it concerns people, counters are not used to make the words become plural.

Just simply add “những/các” to the singular noun only.

PATTERN

Những / Các + singular noun

For example:

vietnameseenglish
Những cô gái
Những cô gái đang nói chuyện
Girls
→ The girls are talking
Các ca sỹ
Các ca sỹ đang hát
Singers
→ The singers are singing

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FAQs

How do you form plurals in Vietnamese?

Plurals in Vietnamese are often formed by adding những or các before the noun. For example, “những chiếc xe” (some cars) or “các con mèo” (all the cats).

What is the difference between những and các?

Both những and các are used to indicate plurals, but they have slightly different nuances:

Những is commonly used for plural nouns when the context does not imply totality.

Các is used when referring to the entire group or all members of a certain category.

Can nouns be plural without những or các?

Yes, Vietnamese nouns can often be plural based on context alone, without needing những or các.

For instance, “Tôi thích mèo” can mean “I like cats” without explicitly marking the plural.

Are there plural forms for pronouns?

Yes, personal pronouns in Vietnamese can be made plural by adding chúng or các before the pronoun.

For example, “chúng tôi” (we), “các bạn” (you all).

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