Is fish singular or plural?

Fish can mean one animal or many animals. For different kinds, you can also say fishes.

What is the difference between fish and seafood?

Fish is one type of seafood. Seafood includes fish, shellfish, and other sea animals.

Can fish be used as a verb?

Yes. It means to catch fish, or to search in water for something.

← Dictionary

fish

/fɪʃ/

IELTSAcademic

noun

An animal that lives in water and breathes through gills. Fish are usually covered with scales and have fins.

We ate grilled fish for dinner.
The lake has many kinds of fish.

verb

To catch fish, or to search in water with your hands or a tool.

They fish in the river on weekends.
He fished for his keys in the bag.

Adinary Nuance

Fish is the general word for the animal and also the action of catching it. Compared with seafood, fish means the animal itself, while seafood is the wider category of edible sea animals. Compared with a specific name like salmon or tuna, fish is the broader, less exact word.

In other languages

Vietnamese: cá
Spanish: pez
Chinese: 鱼
Japanese: 魚
Korean: 물고기

Etymology

Old English fish, from Proto-Germanic *fiskaz. It has been used in English for a very long time, with the same basic meaning.

Common phrases

fish and chipsfish marketfishing rodfry a fish

Synonyms

seafood catch

Related words

salmon tuna aquatic gills

Frequently asked questions

Is fish singular or plural?: Fish can mean one animal or many animals. For different kinds, you can also say fishes.
What is the difference between fish and seafood?: Fish is one type of seafood. Seafood includes fish, shellfish, and other sea animals.
Can fish be used as a verb?: Yes. It means to catch fish, or to search in water for something.