Language/French/Grammar/Mass-versus-count-nouns
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What are count nouns?[edit | edit source]
Definition[edit | edit source]
A count noun can be used with the indefinite article (e.g.: "un livre, des livres") and usually have both singular and plural forms.
Typical count nouns[edit | edit source]
French | Translation |
---|---|
une bouteille | a bottle |
un chien | a dog |
des bouteilles | bottles |
une personne | a person |
des chiens | dogs |
des personnes | people |
What's a Mass Noun?[edit | edit source]
Definition[edit | edit source]
A Mass Noun refer to something that cannot be counted (e.g. a substance: "de l'air" or quality: "de la sagesse") and typically has only a singular form (although some mass nouns only have a plural form):
Typical mass nouns[edit | edit source]
French | Translation |
---|---|
de l'air | air |
de l'eau | water |
du beurre | butter |
des gens | people |
du gâteau | cake |
du sable | sand |
Mass nouns in French usually go with the article "du", "de l'", "de la" or "des" - in cases where the English has "some" or no article:
- Je voudrais du pain
I would like some bread
- II y a du beurre dans le tiroir
There's butter in the drawer
“Les personnes” and “Les gens”[edit | edit source]
“Les personnes” and “Les gens”, both of which mean "people", differ in their uses because personne is a count noun and gens a mass noun. Only personne can be preceded by a number (e.g. cinq), or the quantifiers plusieurs 'several', quelques 'a few', un certain nombre de 'a certain number of:
"personnes" and "gens", which both mean "people", are used differently because "personne" is an count noun while people is a a mass noun. Only "personne" can be preceded by a number (for example "cinq"), or the quantifiers "quelques" (some), "un certain nombre de" (a number of), "plusieurs" (several):
- Les 6 personnes (NOT
gens) qui sont venus nous voir
The 6 people who came to see us
- Plusieurs personnes (NOT
gens) ont étaient sur la plage
Several people were on the beach
Likewise, "gens" is preferred in contexts where “people” are treated as a mass:
- Les gens (NOT
personnes) n'aiment pas rester dans le froid trop longtemps
People don't like to stay in the cold for too long
Note: gens can be preceded by beaucoup de 'many', peu de 'few', tous les 'all the' and la plupart des 'most'. "gens" can be preceded by "beaucoup" (many), "peu de" (few), "la plupart des" (most) and "tous les" (all the).
Mass nouns used countably[edit | edit source]
Some mass nouns can be used countably to refer to specific examples of the substance in question:
French | Translation |
---|---|
les vins de France | the wines of Trance |
les Eaux et Forêts | the Trench Torestry Commission |
les fromages de Normandie | the cheeses of Normandy |
un pain | a loaf of bread |
un petit pain | a bun |
Some count nouns can also be used as mass nouns:
French | Translation |
---|---|
Prenez du poulet | Have some chicken |
Il met du citron dans tout | He puts lemon in everything |
Types of Nouns (all lessons)[edit source]
Other Chapters[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Ordinal numbers as fractions
- Omission of the article in noun constructions linked by de
- Impersonal vs Personal
- Measurements and comparisons in French — Numeral nouns and approximations
- Imperative mood
- Use of stressed pronouns for emphasis
- Reflexive use of me, te, se, nous, vous
- How to tell the time
- Agreement of the past participle when using “avoir” with a preceding direct object
- How to use Have
- Adverbs ending in —ément derived from adjectives ending in —e
- Subject verb agreement
- Gender
- Nouns that are only masculine or only feminine But may refer to both men and women
- Position of object pronouns with faire, laisser, envoyer or verbs of perception + infinitive