In English, some nouns are countable, meaning you can count them as separate items: one book, two books. Other nouns are uncountable, meaning they are seen as a mass, substance, or idea and are not normally counted: water, rice, information. Countability affects which determiners you can use, whether a noun can be plural, and how you ask about quantity.

Countable nouns refer to individual people, animals, things, or units that can be separated and counted. They have a singular and a plural form, and they can be used with numbers. With singular countable nouns, you normally need an article or another determiner: a car, the car, my car.

Uncountable nouns refer to substances, materials, categories, activities, or abstract ideas viewed as a whole rather than separate units. They usually do not have a plural form and are not used directly with numbers. They often appear without an article when speaking generally: Sugar is sweet; Information is useful.

Countability determines which quantifiers and determiners are grammatical. Use a, an, and many with countable nouns, and use much with uncountable nouns. Some determiners work for both, but the meaning may shift depending on whether you mean separate items or a general amount.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use a or an with singular countable nouns	🧩 对单数可数名词使用 a 或 an	I saw a dog.	🧩 我看到了一只狗。
Use many with countable plural nouns	🧩 对可数复数名词使用 many	Many students are absent.	🧩 许多学生缺勤。
Use much with uncountable nouns	🧩 对不可数名词使用 much	We do not have much time.	🧩 我们没有太多时间。
Use some and any with both types	🧩 对两者都使用 some 和 any	We need some chairs and some water.	🧩 我们需要一些椅子和一些水。
Use a lot of with both types in neutral style	🧩 在中性风格下对两者都使用 a lot of	She has a lot of friends and a lot of patience.	🧩 她有很多朋友，也有很多耐心。

Countable nouns regularly pluralize to show more than one item, while uncountable nouns normally stay in a singular form even when the amount is large. Verbs usually agree with the grammatical form: plural verbs with plural countables, and singular verbs with uncountables. When an uncountable noun is treated as a type or variety, it can sometimes be plural.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Countable plurals take plural verbs	🧩 可数复数使用复数动词	These apples are fresh.	🧩 这些苹果很新鲜。
Uncountables usually take singular verbs	🧩 不可数名词通常使用单数动词	This furniture is expensive.	🧩 这件家具很贵。
Uncountables can be plural when meaning types or varieties	🧩 不可数名词在表示类型或品种时可为复数	The store sells many teas.	🧩 这家商店有很多茶。

To count uncountable nouns, English uses containers, measures, and portions called measure words. You say a piece of, a bottle of, a cup of, or a kilo of plus the uncountable noun. This allows numbers and plural forms to attach to the measure word, not the uncountable noun itself.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use a piece of for single portions of an uncountable item	🧩 对单个部分的不可数物品使用 a piece of	I need a piece of advice.	🧩 我需要一条建议。
Use a container word to count liquids and items sold in containers	🧩 使用容器词来计数液体和以容器出售的物品	Two bottles of water, please.	🧩 请来两瓶水。
Use measurement units for weight and quantity	🧩 使用重量和数量的计量单位	Three kilos of rice.	🧩 三公斤米。
Use a slice of for flat food portions	🧩 对扁平食物部分使用 a slice of	She ate two slices of bread.	🧩 他们吃了两片面包。
Use an item of for formal counting of abstract or grouped nouns	🧩 对抽象或分组名词正式计数时使用 an item of	An item of information was missing.	🧩 缺少一条信息。

Many everyday nouns are typically uncountable in English even if they are countable in other languages. These often include information, advice, furniture, equipment, homework, luggage, and traffic. Learning these as uncountable helps you choose correct determiners and avoid incorrect plurals.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
information	🧩 information	facts or knowledge	🧩 facts or knowledge	This information is helpful.	🧩 这些信息很有帮助。
advice	🧩 advice	guidance or suggestions	🧩 指导或建议	I need some advice.	🧩 我需要一些建议。
furniture	🧩 furniture	household items like tables and chairs	🧩 家具，如桌子和椅子	The furniture is new.	🧩 这套家具是新的。
equipment	🧩 equipment	tools or machines used for a purpose	🧩 用于某一目的的工具或机器	The equipment is expensive.	🧩 设备很贵。
homework	🧩 homework	school tasks to do at home	🧩 在家完成的学校任务	I have a lot of homework.	🧩 我有很多家庭作业。
luggage	🧩 luggage	bags and suitcases for travel	🧩 旅行用的包和行李箱	Our luggage is heavy.	🧩 我们的行李很重。
traffic	🧩 traffic	vehicles on roads as a mass	🧩 道路上的车辆作为一个整体	Traffic is terrible today.	🧩 今天的交通状况很糟糕。

Some nouns can be countable or uncountable depending on meaning. When uncountable, they usually refer to a substance, general activity, or abstract idea; when countable, they refer to a unit, a type, or an instance. The grammar around the noun changes with the meaning you choose.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
coffee	🧩 coffee	uncountable: the drink in general	🧩 不可数：普遍的饮品	I do not drink coffee.	🧩 我不喝咖啡。
a coffee	🧩 a coffee	countable: one serving	🧩 可数：一份	Can I get a coffee?	🧩 我可以来一杯咖啡吗？
chicken	🧩 chicken	uncountable: the meat	🧩 不可数：肉类	We ate chicken for dinner.	🧩 我们晚餐吃鸡肉。
a chicken	🧩 a chicken	countable: the animal	🧩 可数：动物	A chicken is in the yard.	🧩 后院里有一只鸡。
paper	🧩 paper	uncountable: material for writing and printing	🧩 不可数：用于写作和印刷的材料	I need more paper.	🧩 我需要更多的纸。
a paper	🧩 a paper	countable: a document or newspaper	🧩 可数：文献或报纸	She wrote a paper.	🧩 她写了一篇论文。
experience	🧩 experience	uncountable: life knowledge over time	🧩 不可数：随着时间的生活经验	He has a lot of experience.	🧩 他有很多经验。
an experience	🧩 an experience	countable: one event that happened to you	🧩 可数：你身上发生的一次事件	That was an amazing experience.	🧩 那是一次了不起的经历。

English uses different question forms to ask about quantities depending on countability. Use how many for countable plural nouns and how much for uncountable nouns. In answers, you can use numbers with countables and measures or general quantity words with uncountables.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use how many with countable plural nouns	🧩 对可数复数名词使用 how many	How many tickets do we need?	🧩 我们需要多少张票？
Use how much with uncountable nouns	🧩 对不可数名词使用 how much	How much sugar is in this?	🧩 这个糖有多少？
Answer countables with numbers	🧩 用数字回答可数名词	We need three tickets.	🧩 我们需要三张票。
Answer uncountables with measures or quantity expressions	🧩 用度量词或数量表达来回答不可数名词	We need a little sugar or two spoons of sugar.	🧩 我们需要一点糖，或者两勺糖。

Articles and reference interact with countability. Singular countable nouns usually cannot stand alone when you speak generally, so you use a or the or another determiner. Uncountable nouns often appear with zero article for general meaning, but take the when you mean a specific, known amount or context.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Singular countables usually need a determiner	🧩 单数可数名词通常需要限定词	I bought a jacket.	🧩 我买了一件夹克。
Zero article with uncountables for general statements	🧩 不可数名词在一般陈述中零冠词	Milk is good for you.	🧩 牛奶对你有好处。
Use the with uncountables for a specific situation	🧩 在特定情境中对不可数名词使用 the	The milk in the fridge is sour.	🧩 冰箱里的牛奶酸了。
Use the with countables for specific reference	🧩 对可数名词使用 the 以作特定指示	The jacket I bought is too big.	🧩 我买的那件夹克太大了。