# cái meaning in Vietnamese: for objects (A1)

> cái means “for objects” in Vietnamese. Examples with audio, in Northern and Southern wording.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/cai-object/ · Updated 2026-10-31

**cái**: for objects

Level: A1 (our estimate)

Typed without accents: cai

## 1. for objects (classifier)

The general classifier for things, between a number or *này* and the noun: *một cái bàn*, a table; *cái áo này*, this shirt. When you don't know a thing's own classifier, *cái* is the best guess.

- Em muốn mua cái áo này. — I'd like to buy this shirt.
- Saigon: Cái bàn này bao nhiêu tiền vậy chị? | Hà Nội: Cái bàn này bao nhiêu tiền thế chị? — How much is this table?

Grammar: [Which classifier: cái for things, con for animals, người for people, and the common others](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/clf-cai-chiec/)

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