What Are Countable Nouns? (with Examples)
A countable noun is a noun with both a singular and a plural form. (Most nouns are countable nouns for they name anything that can be counted.)Countable nouns are the opposite of non-countable nouns.
Examples of Countable Nouns
Here are some examples of countable nouns:| Singular Form | Plural Form |
|---|---|
| bear | bears |
| coin | coins |
| country | countries |
| grape | grapes |
| man | men |
| onion | onions |
| stadium | stadia |
| table | tables |
Here are some non-countable nouns: hydrogen, meat, furniture, dancing.
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How to Spot Countable and Non-Countable Nouns
Countable nouns attract the question how many.For example:
- How many cars?
- How many animals?
For example:
- How much time?
- How much wood?
Quantifiers with Countable and Non-Countable Nouns
Quantifiers tell us about number or amount.The following terms are quantifiers: a little, a lot of, several, and a few.
Some quantifiers can only be used with countable nouns, some can only be used with non-countable nouns, and some can be used with both. Here is a list of some common quantifiers:
| Quantifiers for countable nouns | Quantifiers for non-countable nouns | Quantifiers for both |
|---|---|---|
|
A few [cakes] A number of [cakes] Several [cakes] |
A bit of [baking] An amount of [baking] A little [baking] |
A lot of [baking / cakes] Any [baking / cakes] Lots of [baking / cakes] No [baking / cakes] Some [baking / cakes] |
Read more about quantity, amount, and number.
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