những

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The Vietnamese word "những" is a plural marker used to indicate a certain number of items or people. It is commonly used in sentences to refer to multiple things, emphasizing quantity or frequency.

Usage Instructions:

1. Plurality: Use "những" before nouns to indicate that you are talking about more than one of something.
2. Contextual Usage: It can be used in various contexts, such as describing people, objects, or ideas.

Examples:

• Những người bạn của tôi: "My friends" (literally translates to "the friends of mine"). This shows that you are referring to more than one friend.
• Những cuốn sách trên bàn: "The books on the table." Here, "những" indicates that there are multiple books.
• Nó ăn những tám bát cơm một bữa: "He eats as many as eight bowlfuls of rice at a meal." This example illustrates the use of "những" to express a quantity.

Advanced Usage:

• To Express Frequency: "Những" can be used to imply regularity or frequency. For example, những lần đi chơi means "the times (when) going out," implying that it happens repeatedly.
• To Emphasize Quantity: You might find "những" used in more complex sentences to stress the amount, like chỉ những người có tài mới được chọn ("only those talented people are chosen").

Word Variants:

• Một số: This means "some" and can sometimes be used interchangeably with "những" when referring to an unspecified quantity.
• Tất cả: Meaning "all," this is used when you want to refer to every item in a group, as in tất cả những người ("all the people").

Different Meanings:

While "những" primarily functions as a plural marker, it can also suggest exclusivity or specificity in certain contexts, as in những điều tốt đẹp ("the good things") implying a focus on positive aspects.

Synonyms:

• Các: This is another plural marker that can be used similarly. For example, các bạn also means "friends."
• Một vài: Meaning "a few," this can also imply plurality but with a more limited scope than "những."

Academic

1. Certain number of, some
   • Có những nhận thức sai lầm
     There are a certain number of wrong notions
2. As much as, as many as
   • Nó ăn những tám bát cơm một bữa
     He eats as many as eight bowlfuls of rice at a meal.
3. (chỉ số nhiều, không dịch)
   • Những người bạn của tôi
     My friends
   • Tất cả những người khác
     All the others
4. Nothing but
   • Những sách là sách
     Nothing but books
5. Frequently, usually
   • Những mong gặp bạn
     To hope frequently to see one's friend