Plural Marker 'những'

01

Indefinite Plurality

những is used to refer to multiple objects or people, but it specifically indicates a subset rather than the totality of a group. It is often translated as some, several, or simply the plural form of the noun in English. It implies that you are talking about specific items, but not "all" items in existence or in a specific context.

• Tôi nhìn thấy những ngôi sao.

  I see stars.

• Bà ấy kể những câu chuyện thú vị.

  She tells interesting stories.

02

Structure with Classifiers

In Vietnamese, many nouns require a classifier (a word that categorizes the noun, like "sheet" of paper or "head" of cattle). When using những with these nouns, the plural marker comes before the classifier.

The formula is: những + [classifier] + [noun].

• Những con mèo đang ngủ.

  The dogs are sleeping.

• Tôi muốn mua những cái áo này.

  I want to buy these shirts.

03

Contrast with 'Các'

It is important to distinguish những from another common plural marker, các.

• các is definite and inclusive. It refers to all members of a specific group (e.g., "all the students in the class").
• những is indefinite or selective. It refers to a number of members, but not necessarily the whole group.

• Các học sinh phải làm bài tập.

  (All) the students must do homework.

• Những học sinh giỏi sẽ được thưởng.

  (The) good students will be rewarded.

04

Emphasizing Quantity

There is a special usage where những is placed directly before a number or a quantity. In this context, it does not just mark plurality; it emphasizes that the amount is surprisingly large. It translates to "as many as" or "a whole".

• Anh ấy ăn những năm cái bánh.

  He ate as many as five cakes.

• Cô ấy đợi những hai tiếng.

  She waited a whole two hours.

05

When to Omit

Plural markers are not mandatory in every sentence. If the context already implies plurality, or if the exact number is not important, những can be omitted to make the sentence sound more natural. However, if you want to emphasize that there are multiple distinct items, những should be used.

• Họ là người tốt.

  They are good people. (No marker needed)

• Họ là những người tốt.

  They are (specific) good people.