Quasi-numerical nouns are, as the name suggests, nouns that indicate quantities, similar to numbers, but are actually nouns and have their own usages. Think of it as the word “couple” in English, which technically means “two”, but can also indicate different numbers other than “two”.
Overview
| Quasi-numerical noun | Equivalent number | English equivalent | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| đôi | hai (2) | couple | two or three |
| cặp | pair | two | |
| dăm | năm (5) | about five | |
| chục | mười (10) | decade | about ten |
| mươi | |||
| tá | mười hai (12) | dozen | twelve |
Acting as numbers
Quasi-numerical nouns can act as numbers to express approximate quantities. Note that cặp and tá don’t have this usage.
Structure
quasi-numerical noun + (measure word OR noun OR BOTH)
Examples
- đôi lờia few words
- đôi cáitwo or three (items)
- dăm ngàyabout five days
- dăm cái áoabout five shirts
- mươi lầnabout ten times
Together with numbers
Quasi-numerical nouns can replace measure words after numbers to express a fixed-size collection of items. In other words, the items come in groups, not individually, and the quantity is exact, not approximate. Note that dăm and mươi don’t have this usage.
Structure
number + quasi-numerical noun + noun
Examples
- năm đôi đũafive pairs of chopsticks
- ba cặp bánh chưngthree pairs of bánh chưng
- một chục trứnga ten eggs
- hai tá bút chìtwo dozen pencils
- một cặp vợ chồnga (husband and wife) couple
Usage note
No measure words
When đôi, cặp and tá are used together with numbers (the second usage), don’t include a measure word.
- năm đôi chiếc đũa ❌
- năm đôi đũa ✔five pairs of chopsticks
- ba cặp chiếc bánh chưng ❌
- ba cặp bánh chưng ✔three pairs of bánh chưng
- hai tá cái bút chì ❌
- hai tá bút chì ✔two dozen pencils
In contrast, when chục is used this way, a measure word can be included, but there is a subtle difference: the phrase with the measure word doesn’t carry the implication of “collection”; it is merely about quantities.
- hai chục quả trứng ✔twenty eggs
- hai chục trứng ✔“two ten” eggs
The ambiguity of chục
Conventionally, chục means (exactly) “ten” when indicating a fixed-size collection. However, in the Southwestern regions (Mekong River Delta) of the country, chục can indicate various different numbers: 11, 12, 14, 16 or even 18; the exact number depends on the region. This ambiguity is particularly evident when it comes to trading within the traditional floating market, especially fruits. For example, một chục dừa can mean 12 or 14 (or a different number) coconuts.
A way to clearly specify the number is to use chục trơn (lit. “plain” chục), which means “exactly ten”. In contrast, chục có đầu (lit. “headed” chục) means “more than ten”.