LinguaShape and use choose the classifier
Beyond cái, con and chiếc, many nouns have a classifier of their own, chosen by the shape of the thing or by what you do with it. Pages bound together take quyển; a thin flat sheet takes tờ; a drink in a glass takes ly; a flat framed thing takes bức.
| Classifier | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| quyển | things with bound pages | quyển sách |
| tờ | thin flat sheets | tờ giấy |
| ly | a glass of a drink | ly nước |
| cốc | a cup or a glass in the north | cốc cà phê |
| bức | pictures and letters | bức tranh |
Number + classifier + noun
The order never changes: the number comes first, then the classifier, then the noun. hai quyển sách – two books. Saying hai sách is like saying two paper in English: the number has nothing to count until the classifier is there.
| Number | Classifier | Noun | Whole phrase |
|---|---|---|---|
| ba | quyển | sách | ba quyển sách |
| hai | tờ | giấy | hai tờ giấy |
| một | ly | nước | một ly nước |
Tôi mua ba quyển sách.I am buying three books.
ly or cốc?
This pair is regional. In the north cốc is the everyday word for a glass or a cup; in the south people say ly. Both are understood everywhere. The same split gives you cuốn in the south where the north says quyển.
Words in this lesson
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| quyển | classifier for books | Tôi mua ba quyển sách. I am buying three books. |
| tờ | classifier for sheets | Cho tôi hai tờ giấy. Give me two sheets of paper. |
| ly | glass | Tôi uống một ly nước. I am drinking a glass of water. |
| cốc | cup | Ở miền Bắc người ta nói cốc. In the north people say cốc. |
| bức | classifier for pictures | Trên tường có một bức tranh. There is a picture on the wall. |
| sách | book | Tôi đọc sách mỗi ngày. I read a book every day. |
| giấy | paper | Tôi cần một tờ giấy. I need a sheet of paper. |
| nước | water | Tôi muốn một ly nước lạnh. I would like a glass of cold water. |
| tranh | picture | Bức tranh rất đẹp. The picture is very beautiful. |
| cà phê | coffee | Cho tôi một cốc cà phê. Give me a cup of coffee. |
Exercises
This lesson has 10 exercises in the app:
- multiple choice: 3
- match the pairs: 1
- fill the gap: 2
- build the sentence: 1
- translate the sentence: 2
- listen and type: 1
Try the first one
Which classifier goes with a book?
The answer, the other exercises, the audio and your progress are in the app – free at A0 and A1.