Cards

[irmamar]

My book says that "cards" is an uncount noun ending in -s, but I'm not sure its meaning. When I look for it in Wordreference, the only thing I see uncountable is with the meaning of "cartulina", but there's no -s in card. And card as carta (de juego) is countable.

By the way, why is marked "uncount" in red? My book says "uncount nouns" or "mass nouns". Isn't this word correct?

Thanks.

[Perikles]

You can have a game of cards (naipes).

Yesterday, I played bridge with some friends, which is a game of cards played by four people. (Actually, this is true - I did. - And bridge is a fantastic game).

There are 52 cards in a pack (baraja) of bridge cards.

[laepelba]

And I often have cards at my house. That is to say that my friends come over and we play pinochle.

[irmamar]

Pero los naipes son contables.

[Perikles]

True. I can't think what your book could mean with 'cards' as uncountable, unless in the expression I play cards, cards counts as an uncountable noun. It would be different if you said I play with cards - here they are countable.

[pjt33]

¿Hay algunas pistas del contexto?

[irmamar]

Right nown I don't have any example of this word. Let me advance for if I find some example.

[Ambarina]

Originally Posted by irmamar

My book says that "cards" is an uncount noun ending in -s, but I'm not sure its meaning. When I look for it in Wordreference, the only thing I see uncountable is with the meaning of "cartulina", but there's no -s in card. And card as carta (de juego) is countable.

By the way, why is marked "uncount" in red? My book says "uncount nouns" or "mass nouns". Isn't this word correct?

Thanks.

Cuando se refiere al juego de naipes, "Cards" es incontable y por lo tanto no podrías decir "I play card on Saturday night with my friends". Como en Castellano, se usa la forma "plural"(entendiéndose que aquí "cards" no es estrictamente plural): Juego a las cartas con mis amigos/I play cards with my friends.

Si te refieres a la baraja sería a "pack/deck of cards" y aquí "cards" es contable ya que, como dijiste anteriormente, las cartas/los naipes se pueden contar: give me one card, two cards, three cards, etc.

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Right nown I don't have any example of this word. Let me advance for if I find some example.

Me refería a, por ejemplo, si el capítulo del libro tiene algún tema (quizás el ocio).

[CrOtALiTo]

The word make come to the mind that cards could some kind to game in the casino.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by pjt33

Me refería a, por ejemplo, si el capítulo del libro tiene algún tema (quizás el ocio).

This is a grammar section, just mass nouns. There are another ones (bowls, classics, darts, draughts, etc.). That is, uncount nouns ending in -s.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by irmamar

This is a grammar section, just mass nouns. There are another ones (bowls, classics, darts, draughts, etc.). That is, uncount nouns ending in -s.

Not sure about some of those. Maybe I don't understand exactly how they're "uncount" nouns.......

[irmamar]

Tea, milk, etc. are uncount nouns.

[laepelba]

Right - I get that. In fact, I am fairly sure what noncount nouns are. But I don't know that I would agree with "bowls, darts, droughts" specifically.....

[irmamar]

There are several: linguistics, mathematics, measles, mumps, physics, rickets. I have to get them into groups, depending on its subject, but it's not important. I think I understand that darts or cards are uncount nouns when you're playing with them (though I can count them).

[laepelba]

If you're looking to organize them, try this website: http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/egw/nouns/noncount.htm - it's a little elementary in its layout, but has specific groups of noncount nouns with multiple examples of each.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Right - I get that. In fact, I am fairly sure what noncount nouns are. But I don't know that I would agree with "bowls, darts, droughts" specifically.....

I see what is happening - Clearly in the singular, these nouns are countable, because you can have one or several cards, bowls, darts and draughts (don't you say checkers?).

But in the plural used as a (singular) game, these words are classified as uncountable.

Edit:
I like playing tennis
I like playing chess
(both definitely uncountable)
I like playing cards .....

[irmamar]

But are they plural nouns really? I mean, I use them with the verb in singular: linguistics is a subject.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by Perikles

I see what is happening - Clearly in the singular, these nouns are countable, because you can have one or several cards, bowls, darts and draughts (don't you say checkers?).

But in the plural used as a (singular) game, these words are classified as uncountable.

Edit:
I like playing tennis
I like playing chess
(both definitely uncountable)
I like playing cards .....

I'll give you "darts" as the name of the game and a noncount noun. "Let's play a game of darts." Singular, yet with an "s". But I still don't like "bowls" or "droughts". (I'm quoting Irmamar here, and she used "droughts", which I take to mean lack of water for a period of time. In BrE, "draught" means what we call "draft" in AmE.)

Originally Posted by irmamar

But are they plural nouns really? I mean, I use them with the verb in singular: linguistics is a subject.

I agree! Linguistics, Economics, etc. They are NOT plural nouns. I can take a class in linguistics or economics. I don't know that I could imagine an instance for using the word "linguistic" or "economic" as a noun. (They ARE adjectives, though.)

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

But are they plural nouns really? I mean, I use them with the verb in singular: linguistics is a subject.

No, I don't think so. I would say Cards are great fun. So are bowls.