Sugar is a mass noun. You can take a bag full of sugar and split it into two, three, or four different bags, and each bag is still full of sugar. Sugar is still sugar when you break it up.
English Articles
What are mass nouns in English?
By: Erin Kuester, Isabel McKay Fri Sep 13 2024
EnglishNouns
Mass nouns are nounsNo definition set for nounsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. for things that are made of the “same stuff” all the way through (snow, rice, water,…) or that refer to abstract concepts (happiness, intelligence, music, …). We sometimes call mass nouns “uncountable nouns” or “non-count nouns,” because mass nouns refer to things that we don’t usually count.
In English, mass nouns do not follow the same grammar rules that other nouns follow:
Mass nouns are usually singularNo definition set for singularLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. (water not waters).
They do not use indefinite articlesNo definition set for indefinite articlesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. (a/an).
They can only be measured using “container” or “unit” words (e.g. a cup of water), not numbers.
In this post, we’ll talk about what mass nouns are, how to use them in a sentence, and how to measure them. At the end of the post, we’ll cover a more advanced topic: nouns that are both count nouns and mass nouns, and how to use them.
Are you ready to gain more knowledge about mass nouns like knowledge? Keep reading to learn more!
Table of Contents
What is a mass noun?
Mass nouns represent abstract concepts or things that keep the same name, even when we break them up into smaller parts. Here is the difference between mass nouns and count nouns:
Mass nouns:
Count nouns:
Mass nouns are different from count nouns like phone. We know that phone is not a mass noun, because if you break a phone into two, three, or four different pieces, the pieces are not phones. A phone is not a phone when you break it up.
Tip
We call count nouns “count nouns” because usually you can count them. Try it now — what nouns do you see around you, and how many are there?
In English, mass nouns come from two big categories: abstract nouns (things you cannot touch) and concrete nouns (things that you can touch).
Here are some examples of mass nouns in English. We’ve made a printable version of this English mass nouns list as well, to help you study!
Examples of mass nouns in English | ||
|---|---|---|
Broad category | Subcategory | Examples |
Abstract Nouns nouns that you cannot touch | weather | wind, sunshine, humidity, thunder, weather, cold, heat, lightning, fog, chill, moisture |
art, music, literature | art, music, literature, grammar, fiction, impressionism, writing | |
nature and science | gravity, evolution, astronomy, geology, chemistry, energy, nature | |
medicine | pneumonia, nausea, diabetes, COVID, therapy, medicine, hypoxia, flu, gout | |
concepts | intelligence, wisdom, knowledge, justice, equality, independence, honesty, bravery, advice, anger, information, anticipation, confusion, fun, luck, grammar, wealth | |
Concrete Nouns nouns for things you can touch | Building or crafting materials | lumber, metal, wood, wool, cotton, clay, fabric, glass, plastic, paste, paper, thread, canvas, nylon, resin |
Foods we serve in portions or measure | bread, cheese, sugar, bacon, flour, salt, chocolate, cereal, jam, butter, seafood, pasta, lettuce, gum, salsa, spaghetti, toast, meat, beef, salad, pork | |
Gasses | hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, smoke, vapor, helium, steam, air | |
Liquids | blood, water, orange juice, milk, tea, oil, slime, soup, gasoline, honey, coffee, sweat, perfume, bleach, shampoo, glue, milk, coffee, wine, honey, beer, cream, sunscreen | |
Natural substance | ice, foliage, mud, snow, rain, hail, sap, bark | |
Powders and grainy substances | powder, cat litter, dust, sand, gravel, dirt | |
General terms for groups of similar items | luggage, furniture, baggage, clothing, money, garbage, jewelry, merchandise, stuff, hardware | |
Are all abstract nouns mass nouns?
Most abstract nouns for concepts (general ideas) are mass nouns, but there are many abstract nouns that are still count nouns. For example:
Nouns for events → birthdays, funerals, parties, gatherings, performances,...
Some nouns for things you think or say → plans, thoughts, ideas, promises, wishes, replies,...
Some nouns for instances of an action → experiences, fights, meetings, storms, explosions,...
Most abstract count nouns refer to things that happen, are thought, or are said at a particular time or in a particular circumstance, but there are many exceptions. For example advice is always a mass noun, even though you give advice at a particular time.
How to use count nouns vs. mass nouns?
The most important difference between mass nouns and count nouns is that mass nouns cannot be counted. Mass nouns are words for substances or ideas, and so we measure mass nouns instead of counting them.
This means that there are some differences between the grammar of mass nouns and count nouns in English. Here are the main rules:
Mass nouns are always singular.
They cannot be used with numbers.
They cannot be used with the indefinite article a/an (which means “one”).
When we want to talk about the quantity of a mass noun or a count noun, we also use different grammar.
Let’s look at each of these points in a little more detail.
Exception!
You might sometimes hear someone “break the rules” and use a mass noun like a count noun or a count noun like a mass noun. When English speakers do this, though, it gives the noun a slightly different meaning. We’ll talk about those more in our section on nouns that are both count nouns and mass nouns.
Mass nouns are always singular
Count nouns can be singular (cup) or pluralNo definition set for pluralLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. (cups), but mass nouns are always singular (water). A mass noun is singular because it refers to a singular mass (or material).
Do not use the plural -s on mass nouns.
✅ I studied biology.
❌ I studied biologies.
Use only singular verbs with mass nouns.
✅ Clothing is at the front of the store.
❌ Clothing are at the front of the store.
Mass nouns cannot be used with numbers
We do not use mass nouns with numbers, because they represent a substance not an item. Even when you use the singular form of the noun with the number one, it is still wrong.
❌ I ate three toasts for breakfast.
❌ I ate three toast for breakfast.
❌ I ate one toast for breakfast.
Mass nouns cannot be used with ‘a/an’
We do not use the indefinite article, a/an, with mass nouns either. This is because a/an also means “one.” So when you use a cup you are saying one cup. Because we do not use numbers with mass nouns, we also do not use the indefinite article.
❌ a gravity = one gravity
❌ an advice = one advice
If a mass noun is indefinite (generic or unfamiliar), we do not need any article. We either just use the noun by itself, or we use it with the word some:
❌ A water spilled out of the bathtub and onto the floor.
✅ Water spilled out of the bathtub and onto the floor.
✅ Some water spilled out of the bathtub and onto the floor.
Tip
You can also use other English quantifying adjectives like a little or a lot of, but some is the most common!
There is not much difference between using just the noun and using some, but there is a small difference:
✅ I gave my sister water.
→ I gave water, probably as much as I had or as much as she needed.✅ I gave my sister some water.
→ I gave a fixed amount of water, probably a cup, maybe two cups.
Important
Because the definite article, the, is used with both singular and plural nouns, we can use the definite article with mass nouns, just like we can with count nouns:
✅ I gave my sister the advice that she asked for.
✅ The weather today is beautiful.
✅ I love to drink the water at your house!
Talking about the quantity of mass nouns and count nouns
One of the biggest differences between the grammar of mass nouns and count nouns is in how we talk about the quantity of a noun. In this section, we’ll talk about some of those differences.
How to ask about a quantity
In English, there are different question phrases to ask about the quantities of mass nouns and count nouns. To ask about mass nouns use how much and to ask about a count noun ask how many.
✅ How much information did you ask for?
→ mass noun✅ How many friends came to your show?
→ count noun
Because we use how much with mass nouns (which cannot be counted), you cannot answer a “how much” question with a number!
How to describe a general quantity of a count or mass noun?
There are some words for general quantities (called quantity adjectives) that we can use with both mass nouns and count nouns, but other quantity words can only be used with one type of noun or the other. For example:
✅ some cups ✅ some rice | ✅ several cups ❌ several rice | ❌ a little cup ✅ a little rice |
If you’re interested, check out this longer list of general quantity words for different types of English nouns. Or, you can learn more about how to describe quantities with different types of nouns in our post on quantity adjectives in English!
How to describe a specific quantity of a count or mass noun?
When we describe the specific quantity of a count noun, we usually give a number (1 cup, 17 cups, 147 cups) that counts the noun directly. But to give a specific quantity of a mass noun, we need to use a second noun called a unit word.
Use this structure to count mass nouns:
(number)
unit word
of
mass noun
three pieces of cake
The unit word is a count noun that describes the size and shape of a clump (pile, piece, bar, lump,...) made from the mass noun, or the size, shape, or type of the container you put it in (cup, spoonful, bucket, barrel,...).
unit wordmass noun
a piece of cake
a spoonful of sugar
All unit words are count nouns. This means that they can be singular or plural and that we can count them with numbers or the quantity words for count nouns. Here are some more examples:
unit wordmass noun
the plank of wood
several cups of coffee
two bars of chocolate
a few drops of blood
a ray of sunshine
What unit words to use to measure mass nouns?
You can measure a mass noun with any count noun that can contain or be made of the mass noun you are measuring. Usually, you can just use logic to decide which unit word would work. Here are some examples:
If you are describing an amount of toast, you can use words like piece, pile, stack, crumb, plate, tray, or heap. These words describe the size, shape, or container used for toast.
If you are describing an amount of soup, you can use words like cup, bowl, pot, spoonful, drop, or even lake or puddle. These are all words that describe the shapes, sizes, and containers of liquids.
Tip
You can use unit words to measure abstract mass nouns too. Sometimes these sound a bit poetic, but you can do this with phrases like…
a smidge of respect
a touch of ambition
a cup of kindness
a piece of advice
You will realize as you practice that some unit words are more specific than others. Here are some examples:
A very specific unit word
A plank is a wooden board. So we talk about planks of wood, but we don’t usually talk about ❌ planks of plastic or ❌ planks of bread, because a plank cannot be made of plastic or bread.
A less specific unit word
A slice is a piece that is cut by a knife. So we can use a slice of cake, a slice of bread, or a slice of meat, but it would be strange to say a ❌ slice of wood, since you can’t cut wood with a knife.
A very general unit word
A piece is just for a chunk of a solid or an idea. So we can say a piece of cake, a piece of sand, a piece of glass, or even a piece of wisdom or a piece of advice. We just can’t use it for liquids, like ❌ a piece of water, since water is not a solid or an idea.
But the bottom line is that any count noun can be used to measure mass nouns. For example, the phrase an umbrella of water might describe the amount of water you can fit in an upside-down umbrella. Or, a ribbon of cheese might describe a long thin strip of string cheese. Go ahead and get creative!
Hey! Guess what? We’ve now covered all the basics about how to use mass nouns. But maybe you’re ready for something more advanced. If so, keep reading!
Can something be both a count noun and a mass noun?
Each English noun is either a mass noun or a count noun, but there are some cases where we use mass nouns as count nouns, or count nouns as mass nouns.
You can use any count noun as a mass noun, as long as you are thinking of the noun as a material, not an object.
You can use some mass nouns like count nouns when you are talking about a specific kind of a mass noun, or occasionally a standard amount of the mass noun.
Let’s talk about that in a little more detail.
When to use a count noun like a mass noun?
When we start to see a count noun as “stuff” (or a material) rather than as a “thing,” we use it like a mass noun instead.
For an example, let’s talk a little bit about cake!
The word cake is a count noun (one cake, two cakes), but when we break up a cake into pieces, it becomes a mass noun.
So, here is the difference:
Do you want a cake?
→ count noun: you are asking about one whole cake, like the one in the pictureDo you want a piece of cake?
→ mass noun: you are asking about servings or pieces of the whole cake)
There are some other words for foods that we can serve either whole or in pieces that work this way too. We very often use these count nouns as mass nouns. Here are some examples.
Word | Count Noun (for whole items) | Mass Noun (for servings) |
|---|---|---|
steak | three steaks | a slice of steak |
chicken | three chickens | a serving of chicken |
pizza | three pizzas | a piece of pizza |
tomato | three tomatoes | a chunk of tomato |
Although this is common with foods, any count noun can be a mass noun if you are treating it as a substance. You will probably see this most in two circumstances:
When we use a count noun as a building material or ingredient.
The wall is made of stones.
→ Count Noun: the wall is made out of whole individual rocks
The wall is made of stone.
→ Mass Noun: the wall is made out of the “stuff” of stones, but not always individual rocks)
When something breaks or becomes a mess rather than an object. This is usually more casual.
I have three eggs on my shirt.
→ I am wearing a shirt with a picture of three eggs on it)I have egg on my shirt .
→ I cracked an egg on my shirt and now it is a sticky yellow mess)My dog left three hairs on the couch.
→ exactly three hairsMy dog left hair all over the couch!
→ a mess made from hair
Keep in mind that these rules only work to turn count nouns into mass nouns, not the other way around! For example:
The noun concrete is a mass noun. We cannot say ❌ three concretes to mean “three blocks of concrete.” So when we build a wall out of concrete, we always say, The wall is made of concrete (with a mass noun), even if the wall is made out of individual concrete blocks.
✅ The wall is made of concrete
→ one slab of concrete or many smaller blocks✅ The wall is made of blocks of concrete.
→ individual smaller pieces stuck together❌ The wall is made of concretes.
→ a concrete does not refer to a block of concrete
The noun breadis also a mass noun. So even though you can serve bread “whole” (in a loaf) or in servings (slices) you cannot refer to a “whole” unit of bread as ❌ a bread, because bread starts out as a mass noun.
✅ a loaf of bread
→ "whole"❌ a bread
→ a bread does not refer to a single whole loaf✅ a slice of bread
→ a single serving
However, there are a few circumstances where you can actually count the nouns bread and concrete. They’ll just have a slightly different meaning. Ready to learn more? Keep reading!
When to use a mass noun like a count noun?
There are some mass nouns that can be used as count nouns. We usually turn a mass noun into a count noun when the count noun refers to a specific type of the mass noun, or else the count noun refers to a “standard amount” of a drink.
There are some mass nouns that become count nouns when we use them to refer to a specific type of the noun.
Most concrete (non-abstract) mass nouns can be used as count nouns, as long as the noun comes in several types. Here are some examples:
mass nouncount noun
✅ There is some juice in the fridge.
→ the general substance of juice
✅ The juice store sells many different juices.
→ specific types or brands of juice
mass nouncount noun
✅ I had salad for lunch.
→ the general substance of salad
✅ Louis ordered a salad at the restaurant.
→ a specific type of salad
That means that even though bread and concrete aren’t count nouns that refer to “whole chunks” of bread or concrete, they can be count nouns when they refer to types of bread and concrete!
Some abstract mass nouns also have a “sister word” that is a count noun referring to a specific type or instance of that mass noun. Here are some examples:
mass nouncount noun
✅ Shakespeare used beautiful language.
→ words used for communication in general
✅ He speaks six languages.
→ a specific system of words used for communication
mass nouncount noun
✅ Paula studied business in school.
→ the general idea and concepts related to doing business
✅ Paula founded three businesses.
→ a specific place or group of people who do business
But be a bit careful with abstract nouns, since not all abstract mass nouns have a count noun “sister word.” For example, even though you might think that information could refer either to the general idea of facts or to a specific kind of fact, information is still always a mass noun.
✅ I like to gather information about things.
→ general idea of information❌ Addresses are an information.
→ information is always a mass noun!✅ Addresses are a type of information.
→ specific kind of information
For a lot more examples of mass nouns that can be used as count nouns, have a look at the table of English mass nouns that can also be count nouns!
The count noun refers to the “standard amount” of a drink
In conversation, English speakers will sometimes treat mass nouns for drinks like count nouns if the amount of the mass noun they are talking about is a standard serving size.
count noun
I brought thirty waters to my son’s soccer game.
→ we can guess you brought thirty bottles of water
Ophelia has a tea with breakfast every morning.
→ we can guess that she has one cup of tea
Interestingly, this means that the count noun version of a mass noun for a drink can actually have two different meanings.
tea (mass noun) → the general substance tea
a tea(count noun) → a standard serving of tea (cup, mug, ...)
a tea (count noun) → a type of tea (black, green, Earl Grey, ...)
Summary
In this article we saw that…
The difference between mass nouns and count nouns is that count nouns are nouns for things and mass nouns are nouns for stuff or materials.
Mass nouns and count nouns have different grammar requirements.
Mass nouns are always singular, do not take numbers, and do not use indefinite articles.
Mass nouns and count nouns are used with different quantity words.
We give exact quantities of mass nouns using unit words: unit word + of + mass noun.
Sometimes we use count nouns as mass nouns or mass nouns as count nouns, but doing this means we are looking at the noun in a new way (as an item vs. substance).
Are you feeling more confident with English mass nouns now? Then let’s take a minute, get a piece of cake and a cup of coffee, and check out these extra mass noun activities or these extra examples of mass nouns!
