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Why hair is uncountable and the word beard is countable?



 
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ESL Forum | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
Given below vs Below given | Meaning of "to say nothing of us"
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Why hair is uncountable and the word beard is countable? Thu Jun 29, 2006 17:14 pm  Why hair is uncountable and the word beard is countable?
 

Could someone explain to me why hair is uncountable and the word beard is countable. You cannot ask "How many beards" or say "two beards" but yet you must say "He has a beard".

Kethard
Kethard
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Hair/beard Thu Jun 29, 2006 18:25 pm  Hair/beard
 

Hi Visitor,

You asked:

Quote:
Could someone explain to me why hair is uncountable and the word beard is countable. You cannot ask "How many beards" or say "two beards" but yet you must say "He has a beard".


Hair is both countable and uncountable. Hair as a mass on top of someone's head is usually uncoountable. You can talk of a single hair found perhaps in your food or on a chair on a piece of clothing.

Beard is countable as in: Men in certain countries usually wear beards.

Alan
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Given below vs Below given | Meaning of "to say nothing of us"
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