Who all, what all: những ai, những gì

plural who / what

Pattern: những ai · những gì · những cái nào

B2 · estimate

Typed without accents: nhung ai, nhung gi

Put những before a question word and it asks for a whole list: Những ai đi? (Who all is going?) Em mua những gì? (What all did you buy?) The person asking expects several answers, not one. Những is the plural word from những người này; here it does the same job for ai (who) and gì (what). Often có comes first: Tối nay có những ai? (Who's coming tonight?)

The same pairs also work without a question, meaning "whoever, whatever, everything that": Những ai muốn đi thì đăng ký (whoever wants to go, sign up). Tôi nhớ hết những gì cô dạy (I remember everything you taught us). This use is common in writing too: in notices, Những ai có nhu cầu … (those who wish to …), and in the news, những gì đã xảy ra (what happened).

For things you can count, những cái nào, or những + noun + nào, asks "which ones": Chị lấy những cái nào? (Which ones are you taking?)

You don't need những for every question about several people. Ai đi? is fine when you don't know if it's one person or more. Add những when you expect a list and want all of it.

One trap: mấy ai is not "who all" but "hardly anyone": Mấy ai biết chuyện này (hardly anyone knows about this).

Examples

Highlighted words are what Saigon and Hà Nội say differently.

  • Tối nay có những ai đi ăn?

    Who all is coming to dinner tonight?

  • Saigon

    Đi chợ em mua những gì vậy?

    Hà Nội

    Đi chợ em mua những gì thế?

    What did you get at the market? (expecting a list)

  • Những ai muốn đi Vũng Tàu thì nhắn tôi trước thứ sáu.

    Anyone who wants to go to Vũng Tàu, message me before Friday.

  • Tôi vẫn nhớ hết những gì cô dạy hồi đó.

    I still remember everything you taught us back then. (to a woman teacher)

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