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A plural marker used before nouns to indicate multiple items or beings, often omitted in English but required in Vietnamese.
Những người bạn của tôi đều rất tốt.
My friends are all very kind.
Tôi thích những bộ phim này.
I like these movies.
Unlike English, Vietnamese requires a plural marker for nouns when referring to multiple items. 'Những' is the most common plural determiner.
Vietnamese often omits plural markers in English translations. Focus on context rather than literal pluralization. Example: 'Tôi có sách' (I have books) does not require 'những'.
Use 'những' before plural nouns when: 1. The noun is specific and countable (e.g., 'những quyển sách' = the books). 2. The noun is general but plural in context (e.g., 'Tôi thích những loại trái cây' = I like fruits). Do not use 'những' for: - Uncountable nouns (e.g., 'nước' = water). - Proper nouns (e.g., 'Hà Nội' = Hanoi). - Abstract concepts without pluralization (e.g., 'sự thật' = truth/the truth).
From Old Vietnamese 'những', related to 'như' (like) and 'những' as a demonstrative in Proto-Vietic. The plural marker function likely evolved from a demonstrative or collective sense.
1. 'Những' is used for countable nouns and general plurals. For uncountable nouns (e.g., liquids, abstract concepts), no plural marker is used. Example: 'Nước' (water) does not take 'những'. 2. In spoken Vietnamese, 'mấy' (how many) or context often replaces 'những' in casual speech. 3. Do not use 'những' with proper nouns (e.g., 'những Hà Nội' is incorrect; use 'các thành phố' if referring to multiple cities).