Vietnamese classifier trái usage (piece/fruit)
trái is commonly used for fruits, especially in southern Vietnamese spoken language.
Quick explanation
Quick explanation
trái is commonly used for fruits, especially in southern Vietnamese spoken language.
English meanings
- piece
- fruit
Grammar pattern
Examples
1
Tôi mua ba trái xoài.
I bought three mangoes.
2
Bạn ăn trái chuối này đi.
You eat this banana.
How to use it
Both trái and quả can be used as classifiers for fruits. Trái is more common in southern Vietnamese spoken language, while quả is more frequent in northern and standard Vietnamese.
- Common in southern spoken Vietnamese.
- Mainly used for fruits.
- Northern Vietnamese often use quả instead.
Compared with English
Compared with English
English does not distinguish classifiers regionally for fruits; Vietnamese trái and quả show regional and habitual differences.
Common mistakes
ba cái xoài
ba trái xoài
For mangoes, use trái or quả.
một trái bàn
một cái bàn
Tables do not use trái.
Commonly confused grammar
Practice
Multiple choice
Which sentence correctly uses trái?
Show answer
Multiple choice
Which sentence correctly uses trái?
- Tôi mua ba trái xoài.
- ba cái xoài
- một trái bàn
Answer: Tôi mua ba trái xoài.
Explanation: Common in southern spoken Vietnamese.
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Tôi mua ba ____ xoài.
Show answer
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Tôi mua ba ____ xoài.
Answer: Tôi mua ba trái xoài.
Explanation: Common in southern spoken Vietnamese.
English to Vietnamese
Translate "I bought three mangoes." into Vietnamese.
Show answer
English to Vietnamese
Translate "I bought three mangoes." into Vietnamese.
Answer: Tôi mua ba trái xoài.
Explanation: Use trái in the same structure as the example.
True or false
trái can replace all classifiers like the English 'a' or 'an'.
Show answer
True or false
trái can replace all classifiers like the English 'a' or 'an'.
Answer: False
Explanation: Vietnamese cái is very common, and many nouns have more natural or precise classifiers.
Correction
Correct this sentence: ba cái xoài
Show answer
Correction
Correct this sentence: ba cái xoài
Answer: ba trái xoài
Explanation: For mangoes, use trái or quả.