Noun + Noun (a bus stop, a tennis ball)

Two Nouns Together

In English you can put two nouns side by side to name a single thing, person, or idea. The first noun works like an adjective — it tells you what kind or type.

Noun + noun	Meaning
a bus driver	a driver of a bus
the company website	the website of the company
*income tax*	tax on your income
a project manager	a manager who handles projects

You can build whole families of combinations from one noun:

• a budget meeting / a budget report / a budget review / budget cuts
• a customer complaint / customer feedback / customer service / a customer survey

First Noun Ending in -ing

Sometimes the first noun is a verb form ending in -ing. It tells you what the second noun is used for.

• a meeting room (= a room for meetings)
• a parking lot (= a lot for parking)
• a training session (= a session for training)
• a shipping label (= a label for shipping)

Three or More Nouns

You can chain more than two nouns together. Read them from right to left to get the meaning.

• *the hotel reception desk* (= the desk at the hotel reception)
• *the employee health insurance plan* (= a plan for health insurance for employees)
• *the sales team performance review* (= a review of the performance of the sales team)

One Word or Two?

Some noun + noun combinations are written as one word, some as two separate words. There is no reliable rule.

One word	Two words
headache	head office
toothpaste	bus stop
weekend	car park
airport	credit card

When you are not sure, write two words. A dictionary will give you the standard spelling.

Container vs. Purpose

There is a difference between noun + noun (the type of container) and a noun of noun (a container with something in it).

Type (maybe empty)	Contents (full)
a coffee cup	a cup of coffee
a shopping bag	a bag of shopping
a water bottle	a bottle of water

At the office: Can you grab me a coffee cup? (any cup meant for coffee) vs. Can you grab me a cup of coffee? (a cup that has coffee in it)

The First Noun Stays Singular

When two nouns go together, the first noun is almost always singular, even when the meaning is plural.

• a car park (= a park for cars, not a cars park)
• a shoe factory (= a factory that makes shoes, not a shoes factory)
• a job board (= a board that lists jobs, not a jobs board)

Number + Noun as an Adjective

The same rule applies when a number + noun works as an adjective before another noun. Use a singular noun with hyphens.

As adjective (singular + hyphen)	As regular noun phrase
a two-hour meeting	The meeting lasted two hours.
a five-page report	The report has five pages.
a three-year contract	The contract runs for three years.
a ten-dollar fee	The fee is ten dollars.
a six-month trial period	The trial period is six months.

Notice: It was a four-week training course. (not a four-weeks training course) but The training course lasted four weeks.

Quick Self-Check