[Grammar] fish - countable or uncountable?

[tyrp]

Hello everyone,
This time I've got stuck with the word 'fish'. When do we use it as a countable noun and when as an uncountable one? Is the situation with it the same as with 'fruit'? Which is correct:
We caught much fish.
We caught many fish.
(if we use 'a lot' the problem will be done away with, but...)
Thanks in advance!

 

[5jj]

Why make life difficult for yourself? Most speakers would say 'a lot of'. We tend to use 'much' and 'many only in negative and interrogative sentences:

When you are eating it, 'fish' is generally uncountable. When you are catching it, it is generally countable.

There wasn't much fish in that fish soup.
I didn't catch many fish last night - two trout and a crayfish.

 

[BobK]

:up: When you're catching it by a countable means (e.g. a rod and line), it's generally countable. Trawlers and drift-nets are different.

b

 

[tyrp]

Thanks a million! Good clarifying examples from 5jj, and with BobK's explanation the whole thing has become quite clear to me. Thanks again!

 

[Winwin2011]

When you are eating it, 'fish' is generally uncountable. When you are catching it, it is generally countable.

I didn't catch many fish last night - two trout and a crayfish.

I wonder which of the following sentence is correct:

1. How many fish did you catch?
2. How many fishes did you catch?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Rover_KE]

You never need to use 'fishes' in modern English.

Click here to read about this in more detail and for links to many other threads on the topic.

Rover