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
View More Examples:
vietnameseenglish
Những cây bút chì
→ Những cây bút chì màu đen		Pencils
→ The pencils are black
Những tờ báo
→ Những tờ báo đang bay		Newspapers
→ The newspapers are flying
Những cuốn sách
→ Những cuốn sách của ba tôi rất hay		Books
→ The books of my dad are good
Những bức tranh
→ Những bức tranh thật đẹp!		Paintigs
→ The paintings are beautiful
Những chiếc lá
→ Những chiếc lá đang rơi		Leaves
→ The leaves are falling
Các chai nước
→ Các chai nước ở trong tủ lạnh		Bottles of water
→ The bottles of water are in the fridge
Các ly rượu
→ Các ly rượu của mẹ đã hết		Glasses of wine
→ The glasses of wine of my mom are all finished
Các lon bia
→ Các lon bia đã được ướp lạnh		Cans of beer
→ The cans of beer are frozen

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
View More Examples:
vietnameseenglish
Những chàng trai
→ Những chàng trai đang hát		Boys
→ The boys are singing
Những diễn viên
→ Những diễn viên đang diễn		Actors
→ The actors are acting
Các bác sĩ
→ Các bác sĩ đang cười		Doctors
→ The doctors are laughing
Các ba mẹ
→ Các ba mẹ đang ngủ		Parents
→ The parents are sleeping

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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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