Definition of mass noun

mass nounnoun

danh từ khối lượng

/ˈmæs naʊn//ˈmæs naʊn/

The term "mass noun" is used in linguistics to describe nouns that do not have plural forms and are not typically measured using exact quantities, but instead are measured in larger, indivisible masses. The term "mass noun" was coined in the mid-20th century by linguists, as a way to distinguish this type of noun from "count nouns," which are nouns that have singular and plural forms and can be counted. The reason for using the term "mass noun" is rooted in the linguistic concept of syntax, which examines the structure and relationships between words in sentences. In a mass noun like "flour," for example, it's not possible to say "four flours" because "flour" doesn't have a plural form. Instead, we must say "four kilograms of flour" or "four pounds of flour" to indicate the exact quantity of the substance. Overall, the term "mass noun" helps linguists and language learners better understand how different types of nouns are used in English, as well as in other languages that have similar grammatical structures.

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an uncountable noun (= a noun that cannot be made plural or used with a or an, for example water, bread and information)

danh từ không đếm được (= danh từ không thể tạo thành số nhiều hoặc sử dụng với a hoặc an, ví dụ như water, bread và information)

a noun that is usually uncountable but can be made plural or used with a or an when you are talking about different types of something. For example, bread is used as a mass noun in the shop sells several different breads.

danh từ thường không đếm được nhưng có thể được tạo thành số nhiều hoặc dùng với a hoặc an khi bạn đang nói về các loại khác nhau của một cái gì đó. Ví dụ, bread được dùng như một danh từ số nhiều trong shop sell several different breads.

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