Last time, we dove into the captivating realm of Chinese numbers, uncovering their cultural significance and linguistic intricacies.
But hold onto your hats because we’re about to embark on another linguistic adventure!
Get ready to unravel the mysterious world of Chinese measure words, those little gems that bring depth and precision to your conversations.
Whether you’re measuring objects, animals, people, or food, these measure words hold the secret to speaking Chinese with flair and accuracy.
So, buckle up and join us as we journey into the enchanting universe of Chinese measure words!
Also read: Learning Chinese: Worth It or Not?
Why Chinese Measure Words Matter
Chinese measure words may seem small, but they have a big impact. Here’s why they matter:
- Precision: Measure words ensure clear communication by adding precision to quantities and object descriptions.
- Cultural Understanding: Using the appropriate measure word reflects an understanding of Chinese culture and language nuances.
- Politeness and Respect: Choosing the right measure word shows respect and politeness in Chinese social interactions.
- Language Fluency: Mastering measure words is crucial for achieving fluency and sounding more like a native speaker.
- Cultural Integration: Understanding measure words helps integrate into Chinese society and connect with native speakers.
Common Chinese Measure Words Chart
Below is a list of Chinese measure words.
| No. | Simplified Chinese | Pinyin | English Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 个 | gè | generic measure word | 一个人 (one person) |
| 2 | 本 | běn | for books | 一本书 (one book) |
| 3 | 条 | tiáo | for long, flexible objects | 一条路 (one road) |
| 4 | 只 | zhǐ | for one of a pair | 一只手 (one hand) |
| 5 | 辆 | liàng | for vehicles | 一辆车 (one car) |
| 6 | 张 | zhāng | for flat objects | 一张纸 (one piece of paper) |
| 7 | 件 | jiàn | for clothes or matters | 一件衣服 (one piece of clothing) |
| 8 | 瓶 | píng | for bottles | 一瓶水 (one bottle of water) |
| 9 | 杯 | bēi | for a cup or glass | 一杯水 (one cup of water) |
| 10 | 碗 | wǎn | for bowls | 一碗饭 (one bowl of rice) |
| 11 | 道 | dào | for dishes or problems | 一道题 (one problem) |
| 12 | 幅 | fú | for paintings or pictures | 一幅画 (one painting) |
| 13 | 首 | shǒu | for songs or poems | 一首歌 (one song) |
| 14 | 套 | tào | for set or suite of things | 一套房子 (one set of houses) |
| 15 | 位 | wèi | polite measure word for people | 一位老师 (one teacher) |
| 16 | 朵 | duǒ | for flowers or clouds | 一朵花 (one flower) |
| 17 | 支 | zhī | for long, thin, inflexible objects | 一支笔 (one pen) |
| 18 | 粒 | lì | for small, round things | 一粒米 (one grain of rice) |
| 19 | 所 | suǒ | for buildings | 一所学校 (one school) |
| 20 | 家 | jiā | for companies or restaurants | 一家公司 (one company) |
| 21 | 架 | jià | for planes | 一架飞机 (one airplane) |
| 22 | 部 | bù | for films, machines | 一部手机 (one cellphone) |
| 23 | 群 | qún | for crowds or herds | 一群人 (a crowd of people) |
| 24 | 本 | běn | for books or periodicals | 一本杂志 (one magazine) |
| 25 | 双 | shuāng | for a pair of something | 一双鞋 (one pair of shoes) |
| 26 | 堆 | duī | for a pile of something | 一堆书 (a pile of books) |
| 27 | 节 | jié | for lessons or sections | 一节课 (one lesson) |
| 28 | 班 | bān | for classes | 一班学生 (one class of students) |
| 29 | 场 | chǎng | for events or activities | 一场比赛 (one match) |
| 30 | 棵 | kē | for trees | 一棵树 (one tree) |
| 31 | 层 | céng | for floors or layers | 一层楼 (one floor) |
| 32 | 行 | háng | for rows | 一行文字 (one row of text) |
| 33 | 盘 | pán | for dish or plate | 一盘鱼 (one dish of fish) |
| 34 | 门 | mén | for academic courses | 一门课 (one course) |
| 35 | 段 | duàn | for segments or sections | 一段路 (one section of road) |
| 36 | 封 | fēng | for letters | 一封信 (one letter) |
| 37 | 页 | yè | for pages | 一页书 (one page of a book) |
| 38 | 对 | duì | for a couple or pair | 一对夫妻 (one couple) |
| 39 | 堂 | táng | for classes or courses | 一堂课 (one class) |
| 40 | 堵 | dǔ | for walls | 一堵墙 (one wall) |
| 41 | 把 | bǎ | for objects with handles | 一把伞 (one umbrella) |
| 42 | 桶 | tǒng | for bucket or barrels | 一桶水 (one bucket of water) |
| 43 | 块 | kuài | for pieces or chunks | 一块蛋糕 (one piece of cake) |
| 44 | 台 | tái | for machines or devices | 一台电脑 (one computer) |
| 45 | 批 | pī | for a batch or group | 一批商品 (one batch of goods) |
| 46 | 匹 | pǐ | for horses | 一匹马 (one horse) |
| 47 | 排 | pái | for rows or lines | 一排座位 (one row of seats) |
| 48 | 根 | gēn | for long, thin, flexible objects | 一根线 (one thread) |
| 49 | 轮 | lún | for cycles or rounds | 一轮会议 (one round of meetings) |
| 50 | 包 | bāo | for packages or bundles | 一包糖 (one bag of candy) |
Chinese Measure Words for Animals
Below is a table of Chinese measure words specifically used for animals:
| No. | Simplified Chinese | Pinyin | English Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 只 | zhǐ | one of a small animal | 一只猫 (one cat) |
| 2 | 条 | tiáo | one of a long, flexible animal | 一条蛇 (one snake) |
| 3 | 匹 | pǐ | one of a horse or larger animals | 一匹马 (one horse) |
| 4 | 群 | qún | a group of animals | 一群鸭 (a group of ducks) |
| 5 | 头 | tóu | one of a cow, pig, or larger animals | 一头牛 (one cow) |
| 6 | 双 | shuāng | a pair of birds or animals | 一双鸽子 (a pair of pigeons) |
| 7 | 对 | duì | a pair of animals | 一对鹿 (a pair of deer) |
| 8 | 串 | chuàn | a string of fish or shrimp | 一串鱼 (a string of fish) |
| 9 | 窝 | wō | a nest of animals | 一窝兔子 (a nest of rabbits) |
| 10 | 舵 | duò | a flock of birds | 一舵鸽子 (a flock of pigeons) |
Note: Some animals may have more than one appropriate measure word depending on the context and region.
Chinese Measure Words for People
| No. | Simplified Chinese | Pinyin | English Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 个 | gè | generic measure word for people | 一个人 (one person) |
| 2 | 位 | wèi | polite measure word for people | 一位客人 (one guest) |
| 3 | 名 | míng | measure word for people with a certain identity | 一名学生 (one student) |
| 4 | 群 | qún | a group of people | 一群人 (a group of people) |
| 5 | 对 | duì | a pair of people | 一对夫妻 (a couple) |
| 6 | 户 | hù | a household of people | 一户人家 (one household) |
| 7 | 伙 | huǒ | a group of people (usually for a common purpose) | 一伙人 (a group of people) |
| 8 | 队 | duì | a team of people | 一队球员 (a team of players) |
| 9 | 班 | bān | a class of students | 一班学生 (one class of students) |
| 10 | 帮 | bāng | a gang or group of people | 一帮朋友 (a group of friends) |
Chinese Measure Words for Clothes
| No. | Simplified Chinese | Pinyin | English Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 件 | jiàn | piece (for clothes) | 一件衣服 (one piece of clothing) |
| 2 | 套 | tào | set (for suit/clothes) | 一套衣服 (one set of clothes) |
| 3 | 条 | tiáo | long piece (for trousers/scarves) | 一条裤子 (one pair of pants) |
| 4 | 双 | shuāng | pair (for shoes/socks) | 一双鞋 (one pair of shoes) |
| 5 | 顶 | dǐng | for hats | 一顶帽子 (one hat) |
| 6 | 面 | miàn | for flags | 一面旗子 (one flag) |
| 7 | 把 | bǎ | for umbrellas | 一把伞 (one umbrella) |
| 8 | 根 | gēn | for ties | 一根领带 (one tie) |
| 9 | 扎 | zhā | for bunches (of hair) | 一扎头发 (one bunch of hair) |
| 10 | 层 | céng | for layers (of clothes) | 一层衣服 (one layer of clothes) |
Chinese Measure Words for Food
| No. | Simplified Chinese | Pinyin | English Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 盘 | pán | plate (for dishes) | 一盘鱼 (one plate of fish) |
| 2 | 碗 | wǎn | bowl (for rice, noodles) | 一碗饭 (one bowl of rice) |
| 3 | 杯 | bēi | cup/glass (for drinks) | 一杯水 (one cup of water) |
| 4 | 瓶 | píng | bottle (for bottled drinks) | 一瓶水 (one bottle of water) |
| 5 | 块 | kuài | piece (for cake, bread, meat) | 一块蛋糕 (one piece of cake) |
| 6 | 根 | gēn | stick (for sausages, fries) | 一根香肠 (one sausage) |
| 7 | 条 | tiáo | strip (for fish, long food items) | 一条鱼 (one fish) |
| 8 | 双 | shuāng | pair (for chopsticks) | 一双筷子 (a pair of chopsticks) |
| 9 | 道 | dào | course (for dishes in a meal) | 一道菜 (one dish) |
| 10 | 粒 | lì | grain (for small, round items like peas, grains of rice) | 一粒米 (one grain of rice) |
Chinese Measure Words Worksheet
1. Fill in the blank with the appropriate measure word:
a. 一____鸟 (one bird)
b. 一____桌子 (one table)
c. 一____书 (one book)
d. 一____衣服 (one piece of clothing)
e. 一____香蕉 (one banana)
2. Circle the correct measure word for each sentence:
a. 一____纸 (one sheet of paper)
只 / 张 / 条
b. 一____牛 (one cow)
头 / 个 / 条
c. 一____苹果 (one apple)
个 / 条 / 粒
d. 一____裤子 (one pair of pants)
条 / 件 / 匹
e. 一____朋友 (one friend)
位 / 只 / 根
Answers:
- a. 只, b. 张, c. 本, d. 件, e. 根
- a. 张, b. 头, c. 个, d. 条, e. 位
FAQs on Chinese Measure Words
What Are Measure Words in Chinese?
Measure words in Chinese are words that are used between the number and the noun to help “measure” what you’re talking about.
Why Does Chinese Have Measure Words?
In Chinese, measure words or classifiers are used as a way to categorize nouns, which helps make things clearer and more specific in conversation and writing.
Let’s think about English for a second. In certain cases, English uses measure words too, like a “slice” of bread or a “pair” of shoes. Here, “slice” and “pair” help you picture the amount and form of the thing we’re talking about.
In Chinese, this concept is used more extensively. Almost every noun requires a measure word when being quantified. For instance, if you want to say “three people” in Chinese, you say “三个人” (sān gè rén), where “个” (gè) is the measure word for “people.”
This use of measure words adds another layer to the language, enriching the details and precision of communication.
It’s a fascinating aspect of Chinese grammar that gives learners an insight into the Chinese way of classifying and understanding the world around them.
What Is the Polite Measure Word for People in Chinese?
The polite measure word for people in Chinese is “位” (wèi). You would use it in formal situations or when you want to show respect.
What Is the Chinese Measure Word for Mouth?
The Chinese measure word for ‘mouth’ can depend on the context in which it’s used.
When referring to the physical feature—the mouth, you would use the measure word “张” (zhāng), which results in “一张嘴” (yì zhāng zuǐ). This directly translates to “one mouth.”
On the other hand, when referring to the number of family members, you would use the measure word “口” (kǒu). For instance, if you’re referring to a family of five, you would say “我们家有五口人” (Wǒmen jiā yǒu wǔ kǒu rén), which translates to “There are five mouths in our family.” This is more symbolic and relates to the idea of how many “mouths” there are to feed in a family.
What Are the Chinese Measure Words for Family?
The Chinese measure word for family is “个” (gè), but when you’re talking about how many people are in your family, you use “口” (kǒu).
What Is the Chinese Measure Word for a Cup?
The Chinese measure word for a cup is “杯” (bēi).
What Is the Chinese Measure Word for Gloves?
The Chinese measure word for gloves is “双” (shuāng), which is the same measure word you’d use for other pairs of things.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it! Chinese measure words may be small, but they pack a punch in language learning.
As you continue on your language journey, don’t forget about the magic of these little linguistic gems.
Before you leave this page, share your knowledge with others, spreading the joy of language learning and fostering deeper connections with fellow language enthusiasts and native speakers.