Countable and Uncountable Nouns

What you’ll learn

Decide whether to count a noun directly or use a quantity or container phrase.

សម្គាល់នាមដែលអាចរាប់ដោយផ្ទាល់ និងនាមដែលត្រូវប្រើពាក្យបញ្ជាក់បរិមាណ។

Meaning and use

Countable nouns have singular and plural forms: a chair, two chairs. Uncountable nouns are not normally counted directly in their usual meaning: water, rice, information. They usually take a singular verb. To count an amount, use a unit or container: two bottles of water, three pieces of information. Some nouns can be countable or uncountable with different meanings; this lesson uses their common basic meanings.

នាមរាប់បានមានទម្រង់ឯកវចនៈ និងពហុវចនៈ ដូចជា a chair និង two chairs។ នាមរាប់មិនបាន ដូចជា water និង information ជាទូទៅមិនប្រើលេខរាប់ដោយផ្ទាល់ទេ។ យើងអាចប្រើឯកតា ឬធុង ដូចជា two bottles of water ដើម្បីបញ្ជាក់ចំនួន។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Countable: one or more separate items	a chair; two chairs
Uncountable: an amount	some water; some rice
Use a unit to count an amount	a bottle of water; two pieces of advice
Common uncountable nouns	information, advice, homework, furniture

Examples

1. We need two chairs.

   យើងត្រូវការកៅអីពីរ។

2. I drink some water.

   ខ្ញុំផឹកទឹកខ្លះ។

3. She gives me some advice.

   នាងបានផ្តល់ដំបូន្មានខ្លះដល់ខ្ញុំ។

4. There are three bottles of water.

   មានទឹកបីដប។

Everyday conversation

Maly: Do we need water?

Dara: Yes. We need two bottles of water.

Maly: Do we need chairs too?

Dara: Yes, two chairs.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
I need an information.	I need some information.	Information is normally uncountable; do not use a or an directly before it.
My homeworks are difficult.	My homework is difficult.	Homework is normally uncountable and takes a singular verb.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Choose: two chairs / two furnitures.
2. Complete: a bottle of ___. (water / waters)
3. Correct: She gives me an advice.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. two chairs

   Chair is countable. Use two pieces of furniture for furniture.

2. water

   Use the uncountable form after a bottle of.

3. She gives me some advice.

   Advice is normally uncountable. A piece of advice is another correct form.

Quick recap

• Learn whether a noun is countable in the meaning you need.
• Do not use a or an directly with an uncountable noun.
• Use units such as a bottle of or a piece of when you need to count.