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Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th
a



a BrE [ə] NAmE [ə] BrE strong form [eɪ] AmE strong form [eɪ] (also an) indefinite article
 The form a is used before consonant sounds and the form an before vowel sounds. When saying abbreviations like ‘FM’ or ‘UN’, use a or an according to how the first letter is said. For example, F is a consonant, but begins with the sound /e/ and so you say
an FM radio. U is a vowel but begins with /j/ and so you say
a UN declaration.
1. used before countable or singular nouns referring to people or things that have not already been mentioned
a man/horse/unit
an aunt/egg/hour/x-ray
I can only carry two at a time.
There's a visitor for you.
She's a friend of my father's (= one of my father's friends).
2. used before uncountable nouns when these have an adjective in front of them, or phrase following them
a good knowledge of French
a sadness that won't go away
3. any; every
A lion is a dangerous animal.
4. used to show that sb/sth is a member of a group or profession
Their new car's a BMW.
She's a Buddhist.
He's a teacher.
Is that a Monet (= a painting by Monet)?
5. used in front of two nouns that are seen as a single unit
a knife and fork
6. used instead of one before some numbers
A thousand people were there.
7. used when talking about prices, quantities and rates
Syn: per
They cost 50p a kilo.
I can type 50 words a minute.
He was driving at 50 miles an hour.
8. a person like sb
She's a little Hitler.
9. used before sb's name to show that the speaker does not know the person
There's a Mrs Green to see you.
10. used before the names of days of the week to talk about one particular day
She died on a Tuesday.
See also:an

Word Origin:
[a] Middle English: weak form of Old English ān ‘one’.

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