You clean fish. vs You clean a fish. Which is correct?
Fish is non-countable, and non-countable nouns don't have indefinite article a before themselves. But I saw a phrase like "clean a fish", which makes me confused.
Search from various English teachers...
Answers · 3
4
Since "fish" can be both plural and singular without changing form, "clean fish" means to clean multiple fish, while "clean a fish" means to clean a single fish.
1
Yes that phrase means "clean a single fish". Where as "clean fish" could be any amount more than one.
0
"Fish" can be singular (a fish), plural (10 fish) or uncountable (I eat fish). When it is uncountable, we mean it as food, ie. the flesh of a fish. Since the spelling and pronunciation doesn't change, I can understand that this may be confusing for learners.
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a language from the comfort of your own home. Browse our selection of experienced language tutors and enroll in your first lesson now!
Start Learning Today
