tờ

Classifier for Sheets

Level 1

Tờ is the classifier for thin, flat, and flexible sheets of paper.

How It Works

Use tờ for single, unbound sheets of paper, as well as for periodical publications like newspapers and magazines. Common nouns that take tờ include giấy (paper), báo (newspaper), tiền (money/banknote), đơn (application form), tạp chí (magazine), lịch (calendar sheet), hóa đơn (receipt/invoice), and séc (bank check).

The standard structure is: Number + tờ + Noun (e.g., hai tờ báo = two newspapers).

Important Distinctions:

  • Forming new nouns: Tờ can also combine directly with verbs to create fixed compound nouns for paper documents. In these cases, it acts as a noun-forming word rather than just a classifier. Examples include tờ rơi (flyer - from rơi meaning "to fall/drop"), tờ khai (declaration form - from khai meaning "to declare"), and tờ trình (written report - from trình meaning "to submit/present").
  • Use tờ for unbound paper sheets and periodicals. Note that lottery tickets can use either tờ (tờ vé số) or tấm (tấm vé số).
  • Use quyển / cuốn for bound paper like books or notebooks. Magazines (tạp chí) can take either tờ (as a periodical) or cuốn / quyển (as a bound physical object).
  • Use bức for flat things with artistic value (paintings, photos), letters, as well as walls (bức tường) and curtains (bức rèm). Note that tấm is also very common for photographs (tấm ảnh / tấm hình).
  • Use tấm for flat materials, whether rigid (cards, boards) or flexible (cloth - tấm vải, carpets - tấm thảm).
  • Use lá for letters, playing cards, or ballots.
  • In casual speech, speakers frequently stack the general classifier cái before tờ for emphasis or when using demonstratives (e.g., cái tờ giấy này, cái tờ đơn).

Examples (4)

  1. Cho tôi một tờ giấy.

    Give me a sheet of paper.

    Word by Word: Give me one sheet paper.

  2. Tôi đã mua hai tờ báo sáng nay.

    I bought two newspapers this morning.

    Word by Word: I past buy two sheet newspaper morning this.

  3. Anh ấy đưa cho tôi một tờ năm trăm.

    He gave me a 500-dong banknote.

    Word by Word: Brother that hand give me one sheet five hundred.

    When talking about money, "tờ" is often used directly with the amount, dropping the word "tiền" (money).

  4. Tờ đơn này dài quá.

    This application form is too long.

    Word by Word: Sheet application this long too.

Common Mistakes

  • Dropping the classifier when counting paper items.

    Tôi muốn mua hai báo.
    Tôi muốn mua hai tờ báo.

    Unlike English, Vietnamese requires a classifier when counting specific nouns. You cannot attach a number directly to words like "báo" (newspaper) or "giấy" (paper).

  • Using the general classifier "cái" for paper.

    Cho tôi một cái giấy.
    Cho tôi một tờ giấy.

    While "cái" is sometimes used casually for specific items like "cái đơn" (the application form), using it for raw materials like paper sounds unnatural. "Tờ" is the proper classifier for thin, flexible sheets of paper.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

tờLevel 1Classifier for Sheets

Learn This First

To use 'tờ' correctly, you need to understand the general role of classifiers in Vietnamese and how they fit into the standard word order for counting or specifying nouns.

Words in This Pattern

tờ