Abstract Nouns
- 3rd grade
- CCSS L.3.1c
An abstract noun names something you can't see, hear, touch, taste or smell. It's an idea, a feeling or a quality: love, courage, friendship, childhood.
What is an abstract noun?
Most nouns kids know are concrete: you can touch a dog, see a park or smell a pizza. Abstract nouns are different. You can't hold happiness in your hand, but it's still a thing you can name.
A quick test: can you put it in a box? A ball goes in a box. Bravery doesn't. If it can't go in the box but it's still a "thing," it's probably an abstract noun.
Concrete nouns: you can sense them (dog, cake).
Abstract nouns: ideas and feelings (love, fun).
The 3rd grade Common Core standard (L.3.1c) gives childhood as its example. Many abstract nouns are built from other words with endings like -hood, -ness and -ship.
Abstract nouns list for kids
Grouped by type, which helps kids think of more.
| Type | Abstract nouns |
|---|---|
| Feelings | joy, anger, fear, love, sadness |
| Qualities | courage, kindness, honesty, patience |
| Ideas | freedom, truth, luck, peace |
| Times of life | childhood, birthday, future, past |
| Relationships | friendship, teamwork, trust |
| Experiences | fun, adventure, sleep, help |
Some words can be both. Light from a lamp is something you can see (concrete), but "an idea came to light" is abstract. For 3rd grade, stick with clear examples.
Abstract nouns in sentences
The highlighted words are abstract nouns. Ask your child: could you put it in a box?
- Leo showed great courage on the high dive.
- Our friendship started in kindergarten.
- Grandma talks about her childhood on the farm.
- Thank you for your kindness.
- The puppy filled us with joy.
- Practice takes patience.
- We had so much fun at the fair.
- Always tell the truth.
- Mia felt fear during the storm.
- The team won through hard work and teamwork.
In sentence 1, dive is concrete (you can see it) but courage is abstract (you can only see what it makes someone do).
Endings that make abstract nouns
Add an ending to a word you know and it becomes an idea:
- -hood: child → childhood, neighbor → neighborhood
- -ness: kind → kindness, happy → happiness (y changes to i)
- -ship: friend → friendship, leader → leadership
- -dom: free → freedom, bored → boredom
How to teach abstract nouns
Five short steps, about 10 minutes each.
- Play the box game. Name words. Your child decides: in the box (concrete) or not (abstract)?
- Act out feelings. Your child acts out joy, fear or anger. You guess the abstract noun.
- Build with endings. Write kind, sad, friend, child. Your child adds -ness, -ship or -hood.
- Name the quality. Talk about a book character: what quality did they show? Bravery? Honesty?
- Write about a value. Your child writes two sentences about something they think is important, like kindness or teamwork.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
| Mistake | Why it happens | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Thinks fun isn't a noun. | It doesn't name a thing you can see. | Nouns name ideas too. "We had fun" uses fun as a noun. |
| happyness | Adding -ness without changing the y. | Change y to i: happiness. |
| Calls brave an abstract noun. | It's about the same idea. | Brave describes someone, so it's an adjective. The noun is bravery. |
| Calls air abstract. | You can't see it. | You can feel air moving, so it's concrete. Abstract nouns can't be sensed at all. |
Practice: abstract nouns quiz
10 questions. Your child can tap the speaker to hear a question read aloud. The first try on each question counts toward the score.
-
1.Which is an abstract noun?
Show answer
courage.
-
2.Tap the abstract noun.
.
Show answer
kindness.
-
3.Which is a concrete noun?
Show answer
pencil.
-
4.Add an ending to friend to make an abstract noun.
Show answer
friendship.
-
5.Tap the abstract noun.
.
Show answer
childhood.
-
6.Which word is abstract?
Show answer
joy.
-
7.Add -ness to happy.
Show answer
happiness.
-
8.Tap the abstract noun.
.
Show answer
patience.
-
9.Which word is a noun, not an adjective?
Show answer
bravery.
-
10.Which sentence has an abstract noun?
Show answer
We had fun at the park. Fun is abstract.
Abstract Nouns worksheet (free PDF)
Abstract Nouns Worksheet, 3rd grade
Sort concrete and abstract nouns, circle abstract nouns, add -ness, -ship or -hood and write about a quality you admire. Prints on US Letter paper, with an answer key.
Download the PDFTry it at home
- After a story: "What quality did the hero show?"
- At dinner: each person names one feeling they had today.
- When praising: name the abstract noun: "That took real patience."
- Word building: add -ness to describing words you hear: dark → darkness.
- Family talk: ask a grandparent about their childhood and point out the word.
What comes next
Next, kids review how verbs show time in simple verb tenses, then compare with comparatives and superlatives. See all 3rd grade skills on the 3rd grade page, or browse all grammar lessons.
Last reviewed: November 11, 2026
Questions parents ask
What is an abstract noun for kids?
An abstract noun names something you can't see, hear, touch, taste or smell, like love, courage, fun or childhood.
What grade learns abstract nouns?
3rd grade. The Common Core standard L.3.1c gives childhood as its example.
What's the difference between concrete and abstract nouns?
You can sense a concrete noun (a dog, a song, a cookie). An abstract noun is an idea, feeling or quality (friendship, fear, honesty).
Is "fun" an abstract noun?
Yes, when it names a thing: We had fun. You can't touch fun, but you can have it.
How do you make an abstract noun?
Add an ending like -ness (kindness), -ship (friendship), -hood (childhood) or -dom (freedom) to a word you know.