A list of measure-words

This list was mostly derived from the CEDICT database, plus a couple of printed dictionaries and Liz Scurfield's Chinese textbook. There are probably many words missing still, some of these may well be wrong, and I have no idea how often they're actually used. The intention is more to provide a quick reference for Chinese characters that are "obviously" measure-words, than to assist in learning the correct measure-word for any given noun.

Word Pronunciation Used of
口 kou3 population, mouthsful, wells
分 fen1 length, area, weight, money, time
匹 pi3 horses, mules, bolts of cloth
支 zhi1 stick-like objects, military contingents, songs, wattage
冊 ce4 books
出 chu1 dramas, plays, or operas
包 bao1 packets, wrapped things
句 ju4 poems, sentences, lines of verse
本 ben3 books, files
件 jian4 articles, items etc
份 fen4 gifts, copies of a newspaper
名 ming2 persons
回 hui2 matters, actions, chapters
次 ci4 occurrences, times
米 mi3 metres
串 chuan4 string, bunches, clusters
位 wei4 persons (courteous)
局 ju2 games, sets, innings
床 chuang2 bedding
把 ba3 handfuls, things with handles, and some abstract things
批 pi1 batches, lots
束 shu4 bundles, bunches
身 shen1 clothing, suits
些 xie1 indefinite or small amounts
具 ju4 tools, corpses
刻 ke4 quarters of an hour
枝 zhi1 slender or stick-like objects
杯 bei1 cups
泡 pao1 urine, faeces
股 gu3 string-shaped things, air, fragrance, strength, groups of people (derog.), electric current
封 feng1 letters
挂 gua4 string-shaped things, strings of things
架 jia4 aeroplanes, radios
秒 miao3 seconds (of time)
首 shou3 poems, songs
倆 lia3 two (colloquial)
個 ge4 people, non-specific other items
套 tao4 sets of things, series, suites
座 zuo4 mountains, bridges
扇 shan4 doors, windows
株 zhu1 plants, trees
班 ban1 crowds, classes, scheduled transport vehicles
紙 zhi3 pieces or sheets, paper
隻 zhi1 birds, some animals, some utensils, one of a pair of things
副 fu4 sets of things, facial expressions, sunglasses
張 zhang1 flat objects
捲 juan3 rolls, spools, reels
條 tiao2 long, narrow things
瓶 ping2 bottles
部 bu4 works of literature, films, machines
頂 ding3 hats, sedan chairs
場 chang3 games or performances
壺 hu2 pots
棵 ke1 trees, cabbages
番 fan1 kinds
間 jian1 rooms
塊> kuai1 chunks, lumps
塊> kuai4 cloth, cake, soap
歲 sui4 years of age
群 qun2 swarms, flocks
道 dao4 rivers, topics
臺 tai2 performances, engines
層 ceng2 layers, floors
盤 pan2 dishes of food, coils of wire
磅 bang4 pounds, printer's points
篇 pian1 articles, chapters
課 ke4 lessons
輛 liang4 vehicles
簇 cu4 bunches, clusters
聲 sheng1 sounds
顆 ke1 small spheres
點 dian3 small amounts, hours, items or matters, printer's points
響 xiang3 sound
Word list
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口 kou3 mouth, (a measure word)
分 fen1 / fen4 to divide, minute, (a measure word), (a unit of length = 0.33 centimeter) / part
匹 pi1 / pi3 mate, one of a pair / (measure word for horses, mules, a bolt of cloth), ordinary person
支 zhi1 (a measure word), to support, to sustain, to erect, to raise, branch, division, to draw money
冊 ce4 book, a measure word for books, booklet
出 chu1 to go out, to come out, to occur, to produce, to go beyond, to rise, to put forth, to occur, to happen, (a measure word for dramas, plays, or operas)
包 bao1 to cover, to wrap, to hold, to include, to take charge of, package, wrapper, container, bag, to hold or embrace, bundle, packet, to contract (to or for)
句 ju4 (a measure word, for sentences or lines of verse), sentence
本 ben3 roots or stems of plants, origin, source, this, the current, root, foundation, basis, (a measure word)
件 jian4 (a measure word for thing, clothes, item
份 fen4 (a measure word for gifts, copies of a newspaper), copy (of newspaper, magazine, etc.), share, portion, part, (a measure word)
名 ming2 name, (measure word for persons), place (e.g. among winners)
回 hui2 (a measure word for matters or actions) a time, to circle, to go back, to turn around, to answer, to return, to revolve
次 ci4 nth, number (of times), order, sequence, next, second(ary), (measure word)
米 mi3 (measure word) meter, rice
串 chuan4 to string together, to mix up, to conspire, to connect, (a measure word), string
位 wei4 position, location, (measure word for persons), place, seat
局 ju2 (a measure word used for games) set or round office, situation, office
床 chuang2 bed, couch, (a measure word)
把 ba3 / ba4 (a measure word), (marker for direct-object), to hold, to contain, to grasp, to take hold of / handle
批 pi1 to ascertain, (measure word for batches, lots), to act on, to criticize, to pass on
束 shu4 bunch, (a measure word), to bind, to control
身 shen1 body, torso, person, life, status, pregnancy, (a measure word used for clothes) suit
些 xie1 some, few, several, (a measure word)
具 ju4 tool, device, utensil, equipment, instrument
刻 ke4 quarter (hour), (a measure word), to carve, to engrave, to cut, oppressive
枝 zhi1 branch, (a measure word)
杯 bei1 cup, a measure word
泡 pao1 / pao4 puffed, swollen / to steep, soak, bubble(s), foam
股 gu3 share, portion, section, part, thigh, (a measure word, e.g. use with electric current), whiff
封 feng1 to confer, to grant, to seal, (a measure word)
挂 gua4 hang, suspend
架 jia4 to support, frame, rack, framework
秒 miao3 (a measure word), second
首 shou3 head, chief, (a measure word, use with poem)
倆 lia3 / liang3 (a numeral-measure word) two, both / craft, cunning
個 ge4 (a measure word), individual
套 tao4 to cover, covering, case, cover, (a measure word, a set of something), sheath
座 zuo4 to sit, to take a seat
扇 shan1 / shan4 to fan / (a measure word for doors, windows, etc.)
株 zhu1 (a measure word, use with plants), trunk of tree
班 ban1 team, class, rank, squad, a work shift, a measure word, (a surname)
紙 zhi3 paper
隻 zhi1 M for one of a pair
副 fu4 secondary, auxiliary, deputy, assistant, vice-, (measure word for a pair)
張 zhang1 (a measure word), (a surname), open up
捲 juan3 coil, to roll
條 tiao2 measure word for long, thin things (i.e. ribbon, river, etc.), a strip, item, article
瓶 ping2 bottle, (a measure word), vase, pitcher
部 bu4 ministry, department, section, part, division, troops, board, (a measure word), (a measure word for works of literature, films, machines, etc.)
頂 ding3 go against, most, peak, top, to replace, to substitute, a measure word (use with hat)
場 chang3 a courtyard, open space, place, field, a measure word, (a measure word, used for sport or recreation)
壺 hu2 pot, (a measure word)
棵 ke1 M for plants
番 fan1 / pan1 (measure word for acts), deeds, foreign / (surname), place name
間 jian1 / jian4 between, among, space, (measure word) / interstice, separate
塊 kuai1 / kuai4 piece, chunk, lump, (measure word for chunks, lumps) / yuan (unit of currency), fast (of a watch), swift, rapid, happy, joyful, soon, quick, (a measure word, for cloth, cake, soap)
歲 sui4 year, years old, (a measure word)
群 qun2 crowd, flock, group
道 dao4 direction, way, method, road, path, principle, truth, reason, skill, method, Tao (of Taoism), a measure word, to say, to speak, to talk
臺 tai2 (broadcasting) station, (measure word), platform, stage, desk, station
層 ceng2 a measure word for layers, laminated, repeated, floor, story (of a building), layer
盤 pan2 dish, tray, to build, to check, to examine, to transfer, (a measure word used for dishes of food or coils of wire), to coil
磅 bang4 a measure word, pound (unit of measurement), scale, weigh
篇 pian1 sheet, piece of writing, (a measure word), chapter, article
課 ke4 / ke4 subject, class, lesson / class, lesson
輛 liang4 (a measure word for vehicles)
簇 cu4 crowded, frame work for silkworms, gather foliage, a measure word, bunch
聲 sheng1 sound, voice, (a measure word, used for sounds), tone, noise
顆 ke1 (measure word for small spheres)
點 dian3 (downwards-right convex character stroke), oclock, (a measure word), point, dot, (decimal) point)
響 xiang3 to make a sound, to sound, to ring, (a measure word for sound), loud

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