A concrete noun names something physical, such as a person, place, object, or substance. Concrete nouns usually refer to things we can experience through our senses, although some physical things cannot be seen or detected without special equipment.
The baker placed a tray of fresh bread beside the kitchen window.
Baker, tray, bread, kitchen, and window are concrete nouns. Each refers to a person, object, or physical place.
In school grammar, nouns referring to sounds, smells, and other directly perceptible phenomena are also commonly treated as concrete.
Examples of Concrete Nouns
Concrete nouns can name people, animals, places, objects, and substances.
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| People | firefighter, neighbor, musician |
| Animals | sparrow, dolphin, butterfly |
| Places | harbor, greenhouse, mountain |
| Objects | lantern, telescope, suitcase |
| Materials and substances | cotton, oxygen, copper |
| Physical phenomena | lightning, wind, rain |
| Sounds and smells | thunder, footsteps, fragrance |
Concrete Nouns vs. Abstract Nouns
Concrete nouns refer to physical things or, in common school grammar, directly perceptible phenomena. Abstract nouns name ideas, emotions, qualities, states, and other nonphysical concepts.
Compare:
Her smile revealed her happiness.
Smile is concrete because it refers to a visible facial expression. Happiness is abstract because it names an emotion.
Now consider:
The medal reminded her of her achievement.
Medal is a concrete noun naming a physical object. Achievement is abstract because it refers to something accomplished rather than the object representing it.
An abstract feeling or quality may produce visible results, but those results are not the feeling or quality itself.
Do Concrete Nouns Have to Be Seen or Touched?
No. Something does not have to be visible or solid to be physical.
Oxygen is a physical substance even though we cannot ordinarily see it. Bacteria are physical organisms, although individual bacteria generally require magnification to observe.
The five senses provide a useful starting point, but they are not a perfect test for classifying every noun.
For example, music is often classified as concrete in school grammar when it refers to something being heard:
Music drifted through the open window.
When music refers to musical composition or an art form, its classification can be less straightforward. Grammar resources do not always draw the boundary between concrete and abstract nouns in exactly the same way.
When a Noun Has Concrete and Abstract Meanings
Some nouns can be concrete in one context and abstract in another.
Consider barrier:
A metal barrier blocked the entrance.
Here, barrier names a physical obstruction, so it is concrete.
The language barrier made communication difficult.
In this sentence, barrier refers to a difficulty in communication rather than a physical structure. It has an abstract meaning.
The noun’s meaning in the sentence determines how it is classified.
Can Concrete Nouns Belong to Other Noun Types?
Yes. A concrete noun may also be common, proper, countable, or uncountable.
For example, bicycle is a common, concrete, countable noun. Water is a concrete noun that is generally uncountable when referring to the substance.
Canada is a proper noun naming a physical geographical place.
These classifications describe different features of nouns. The types of nouns guide explains how they relate to one another.
How to Identify Concrete Nouns in a Sentence
Consider:
The photographer placed a printed photograph on the table, pleased with the excitement it captured.
The concrete nouns are photographer, photograph, and table.
Photographer names a person, while photograph and table name physical objects.
Excitement is abstract because it names an emotion.
The word printed describes the photograph, so it functions as an adjective rather than a noun.
Practice Identifying Concrete Nouns
1. Identify the concrete and abstract nouns
The children watched the fireworks with excitement.
Answer: children and fireworks are concrete nouns because they name people and physical phenomena.
Excitement is an abstract noun because it names a feeling.
2. Can something invisible be concrete?
The laboratory detected bacteria in the water sample.
Answer: Yes. laboratory, bacteria, water, and sample are concrete nouns.
Bacteria are physical organisms even though they are too small to see individually without magnification. Water is also concrete because it is a physical substance.
3. Identify the concrete and abstract nouns
Emma carried a basket of apples through the orchard with pride.
Answer: Emma, basket, apples, and orchard are concrete nouns because they name a person, physical objects, and a place.
Pride is abstract because it names a feeling.
Emma is also a proper noun, showing that a noun can belong to more than one classification.
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