# Counting things in Vietnamese (A1)

> To count things, put the number first, then a classifier, then the noun: hai con chó (two dogs), ba cái ghế (three chairs), một cuốn sách (a book).

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/num-clf-noun/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**counting with a classifier**

Pattern: `[number] + [classifier] + [noun]`

Level: A1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

To count things, put the number first, then a classifier, then the noun: *hai con chó* (two dogs), *ba cái ghế* (three chairs), *một cuốn sách* (a book). The classifier is a short counting word that most nouns need after a number; *hai chó* sounds broken. *Một* (one) often does the work of "a": *Em muốn mua một cái áo.*

The noun itself never changes for the plural, and no plural word is added: the number already says how many, so *ba con chó*.

Some nouns are counted directly, with no classifier. Many are units in themselves: *người* (person), *ngày* (day), *năm* (year), *tuổi* (year of age), *lần* (time). So *ba người*, *hai ngày*. Words for jobs, and for places such as schools and hospitals, also go without: *hai bác sĩ*, *một bệnh viện*.

Which classifier a noun takes, *cái* for things, *con* for animals and so on, has its own page. *Mấy* (how many) takes the same classifier as a number: *mấy con mèo*. For things you measure rather than count, like water or rice, use a container: *hai chai nước*.

## A common mistake

✗ Tôi có hai mèo.

✓ Tôi có hai con mèo.

After a number, most nouns need a classifier. Animals take *con*: *hai con mèo*.

## Examples

- Nhà em có hai con chó. — We have two dogs at home.
- Em mới mua một cuốn sách. — I've just bought a book.
- Saigon: Cho chị hai trái dừa. | Hà Nội: Cho chị hai quả dừa. — Two coconuts, please.
- Lớp em có mười hai người. — There are twelve people in my class.
- Gần nhà em có hai bệnh viện. — There are two hospitals near my place.

## Compare

- [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
- [Which classifier: cái for things, con for animals, người for people, and the common others](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/clf-cai-chiec/): picking the classifier
- [Many, few: nhiều / ít + noun](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nhieu-it/): many / few
- [Counting by container: một chai nước, một tô phở](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/measure-container/): a bottle of, a bowl of
- [Jobs: là / làm + job, làm gì?](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/la-lam-job/): be / work as

Previous in Things, counting and numbers: [Counting by container: một chai nước, một tô phở](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/measure-container/)
Next in Things, counting and numbers: [Couples and pairs of people: hai vợ chồng, hai anh em](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/hai-vo-chong/)

---

Add to Vietnamese Buddy: https://app.vietnamesebuddy.com/waitlist?source=grammar%3Au_num_clf_noun
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.