# Cái: picking the classifier in Vietnamese (A1) > Before most counted or particular nouns, Vietnamese puts a classifier, a short counting word that says what kind of thing it is: hai con mèo (two cats)… Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/clf-cai-chiec/ · Updated 2026-11-09 **picking the classifier** Pattern: `cái / chiếc + [thing] · con + [animal; also roads, rivers, knives] · người / vị + [person] · cuốn / quyển + [book] · trái / quả + [fruit] · tờ / tấm + [flat thing] · căn / ngôi / tòa + [building] · cây + [tree, stick] · bộ + [set, film] · bức + [letter, picture] · đôi / cặp + [pair] · viên + [pill] · món + [dish, gift] · thứ + [kind]` Level: A1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday Typed without accents: cai, chiec, con, nguoi, vi, cuon, quyen, trai, qua, to, tam, can, ngoi, toa, cay, bo, buc, doi, cap, vien, mon, thu, thang Saigon: cái; con; người; cuốn; trái; cây | Hà Nội: cái; con; người; quyển / cuốn; quả; cây Variants: - chiếc (vehicles, one of a pair) - vị (people, respectful) - đứa (children, casual) - thằng / tên (people, looking down on them) - cuốn / quyển (books) - trái / quả (fruit) - tờ / tấm (flat things) - căn / ngôi / tòa (buildings) - cây (trees, sticks, pens) - bộ (sets, suits, films) - bức (letters, pictures, walls) - đôi / cặp (pairs) - viên (pills, small round things) - món (dishes, gifts, sums) - thứ (kinds, languages) Before most counted or particular nouns, Vietnamese puts a classifier, a short counting word that says what kind of thing it is: *hai con mèo* (two cats), *cái bàn này* (this table). Which one a noun takes belongs to the word, so learn it with the word. But the system behind it is simple at the core. Words that are units themselves take none: *hai ngày* (two days), *ba tuần* (three weeks), *một lần* (once). *Cái* is for things: *cái ghế*, *cái áo*, *cái điện thoại*. It's the best guess for an object. *Con* is for animals, *con chó*, *con cá*, and, by habit, for a few things like roads, rivers and knives: *con đường*, *con sông*, *con dao*. *Người* is for people: *ba người bạn*; *vị* is the respectful version, and *đứa* is the everyday word for children: *hai đứa con* (two kids). A few more sort things by shape or kind: *cây* for long, thin things (*cây bút*), *tờ* for sheets of paper, *trái* for fruit and round things (*trái cam*; in Hà Nội *quả*), *cuốn* for books (Hà Nội also *quyển*). *Chiếc* overlaps with *cái*, especially for vehicles and one of a pair: *chiếc xe*, *chiếc đũa*. *Đôi* counts pairs: *một đôi giày*. Trousers and scissors are one thing: *cái quần*, *cái kéo*. *Thằng*, for a boy or a man, is either very casual or looks down on him, so avoid it with adults. When you're unsure, *cái* for a thing is rarely far off. ## A common mistake ✗ Nhà tôi có một cái chó. ✓ Nhà tôi có một con chó. Animals take *con*. *Cái* is for things. ## Examples - Nhà chị có hai con mèo. — We have two cats at home. - Saigon: Cho em mượn cây bút nha. | Hà Nội: Cho em mượn cái bút nhé. — Can I borrow a pen? - Saigon: Em mua ba trái xoài. | Hà Nội: Em mua ba quả xoài. — I bought three mangoes. - Cái áo này bao nhiêu tiền? — How much is this shirt? - Chị mới mua một đôi giày. — I've just bought a pair of shoes. ## Words in this pattern - [bài](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/bai-lesson/#s_bai_for_texts): for texts - [bộ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/bo-set/#s_bo_set): set - [bông](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/bong-flower/#s_bong_for_flowers): for flowers - [bữa](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/bua-meal/#s_bua_for_meals): counting meals - [bức](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/buc-picture/#s_buc_picture): picture - [cái](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/cai-object/#lx_cai): for objects - [căn](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/can-for-houses/#s_can_for_houses): for houses - [cặp](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/cap-for-couples/#s_cap_for_couples): for couples - [câu](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/cau-sentence/#s_cau_for_sayings): for sayings - [cây](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/cay-tree/#s_cay_for_long_objects): for long objects - [chiếc](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/chiec-for-single-objects/#s_chiec_for_single_objects): for single objects - [con](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/con-child/#s_con_animal): for animals - [củ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/cu-for-roots/#s_cu_for_roots): for roots - [cục](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/cuc-for-lumps/#s_cuc_for_lumps): for lumps - [cuốn](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/cuon-for-books/#s_cuon_for_books): for books - [điếu](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/dieu-for-cigarettes/#s_dieu_for_cigarettes): for cigarettes - [đôi](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/doi-pair/#s_doi_pair): pair - [đứa](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/dua-for-children/#s_dua_for_children): for children - [hòn](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/hon-for-stones/#s_hon_for_stones): for stones - [lá](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/la-for-letters/#s_la_for_letters): for letters - [miếng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/mieng-for-pieces/#s_mieng_for_pieces): for pieces - [món](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/mon-dish/#s_mon_dish): dish - [món](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/mon-dish/#s_mon_for_gifts): for gifts - [ngôi](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/ngoi-for-houses/#s_ngoi_for_houses): for houses - [người](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/nguoi-person/#s_nguoi_for_people): for people - [ổ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/o-loaf/#lx_o_loaf): loaf - [phần](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/phan-part/#s_phan_portion): portion - [quả](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/qua-for-fruit/#s_qua_for_fruit): for fruit - [quyển](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/quyen-volume/#s_quyen_books): for books - [suất](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/suat-portion/#lx_suat): portion - [tấm](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/tam-photos/#s_tam_photos): photos - [thằng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/thang-boys/#s_thang_boys): boys - [thứ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/thu-order/#s_thu_kind): kind - [thứ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/thu-order/#s_thu_for_kinds): counting kinds - [tờ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/to-for-sheets/#s_to_for_sheets): for sheets - [trái](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/trai-fruit/#lx_trai): for fruit - [trận](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/tran-for-matches/#s_tran_for_matches): for matches - [viên](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/vien-for-pills/#s_vien_for_pills): for pills - [vụ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/vu-for-incidents/#s_vu_for_incidents): for incidents ## Compare - [Counting things: number + classifier + noun (hai con chó)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/num-clf-noun/): counting with a classifier - [Classifier for one particular thing, bare noun for things in general: con chó này, chó](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/clf-specific-general/): one particular thing vs things in general - [Classifier alone when the noun is clear: cái này, con kia](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/clf-alone/): this one, that one - [Classifier for rain, storms, fevers, anger: cơn](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/clf-con-weather/): bouts - [Classifier for fields (economy, culture): nền](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/clf-nen/): classifier for abstract fields - [Events and sessions: cuộc + word, buổi + word (cuộc họp, buổi học)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cuoc-event-noun/): an event / a session - [Members and staff: word + viên (nhân viên, hội viên)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/vien-member/): member / staff Previous in Things, counting and numbers: [This, that after the noun: … này, … đó, … kia](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/noun-nay-this/) Next in Things, counting and numbers: [Without, when ordering: dish + không + ingredient](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-without-ordering/) --- Add to Vietnamese Buddy: https://app.vietnamesebuddy.com/waitlist?source=grammar%3Au_clf_cai_chiec In the app, the grammar points from your own class material are kept with their status, and any word you meet while reading can go into your lexicon with its audio, ready to study.