Abstract and concrete nouns are two different classes of nouns. Noun is defined as a word that is used to refer to a place, thing, person, events, or quality.
Abstract Nouns
Abstract nouns are those nouns that are not concrete. It means that these nouns are intangible. You cannot touch, see, smell, hear, or taste it. It is used to refer an idea, quality, or a state.
Some examples of abstract nouns are,
• Happiness
• Bravery
• Courage
• Beauty
• Envy
• Honesty
• Hope
• Intelligence
• Jealousy
• Trust
• Poverty
• Depression
Example sentences
1. Everyone is talking about his bravery that he showed yesterday.
2. Trust is very important for a relationship; don’t break it.
From the above examples, ‘bravery’, ‘trust’, and ‘relationship’ are known as abstract nouns, which are intangible.
Here are some abstract nouns that are used in some famous quotes.
1. Happiness is not a goal… it’s a by-product of a life well lived. (Eleanor Roosevelt)
2. Honesty is the best policy. (Benjamin Franklin)
3. Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear. (Mark Twain)
Concrete Nouns
Concrete nouns are those nouns that you can see, hear, feel (touch), taste, or smell (i.e. that you can experience with your five senses). They are not abstract. It means that these nouns are used to refer something that exists.
Some examples of concrete nouns are,
• Pen
• Table
• Student
• Mobile
• Flowers
• Trousers
• Bookstore
• Glass
• Bed
• Room
• Girl
• Notebook
Example Sentences
1. Let’s go to the nearby bookstore to buy some new English novels.
2. The students are excited to participate in the beauty contest.
From the above examples, ‘bookstore’, ‘novels’, and ‘students’ are concrete nouns, which are tangible.
Concrete Noun = Tangible
Abstract Noun = Intangible
Find out Abstract and Concrete Nouns from the following sentences.
1. Girls had no idea about your relationship.
2. Kindly bring those gadgets for me.
3. Do you have enough strength to go inside that haunted house?
(Answers are at the end.)
Connecting to Other Types of Nouns
Abstract and concrete nouns also relate to other types of nouns, such as proper and collective nouns.
- Proper Nouns: These are specific names of people, places, or organizations, often tangible in nature (e.g., “Paris” is a concrete proper noun because it refers to a specific place you can visit).
- Collective Nouns: These refer to groups of things or people and can be either concrete or abstract. For example, “team” is a concrete collective noun because it refers to a group of people (e.g., “The team played well“). “Society,” however, can be an abstract collective noun because it refers to an organized group of people with shared values or institutions (e.g., “A healthy society values equality“).
Dual Nouns (Nouns that Can Be Both Abstract and Concrete)
Some nouns can function as both abstract and concrete depending on the context in which they are used. These nouns have flexible meanings, shifting from something tangible to intangible based on their usage.
- Love: As an abstract noun, “love” refers to an emotion or feeling (e.g., “Her love for her family is unconditional“). However, it can also be concrete when referring to a physical manifestation of that feeling (e.g., “The love letter she wrote“).
- Experience: When “experience” refers to knowledge or emotions gained over time, it is abstract (e.g., “He gained a lot of experience from traveling“). It becomes concrete when referring to a specific event or activity (e.g., “That was an unforgettable experience at the concert“).
What Did You Learn?
It is concluded that abstract nouns are intangible that are used to refer an idea, state, or a quality. Concrete nouns, on the other hand, are used to refer something that exists; or is not abstract. Both nouns are opposite from each other.
Answers:
1. Girls (Concrete Noun), Idea (Abstract Noun), Relationship (Abstract Noun).
2. Gadgets (Concrete Noun)
3. Strength (Abstract Noun), House (Concrete Noun)