Measure words (15)

Words used for quantifying objects are called measure words. In English, some nouns are used in expressions of quantity to measure uncountable nouns, such as cup of in a cup of tea, bottle of in a bottle of wine and piece of in a piece of paper. However, measure words are used to quantify every object in Chinese. In

sān ge rén

Three people.

The word GE is a measure word used to quantify people. Here are some more examples.

1. If a number is attached to a noun, a measure word is inserted between the number and the noun, as in

老师

wǒ yǒu sān ge lăoshī

I have three teachers.

2. If a specifier such as zhè this, that or měi every is attached to a noun, a measure word is inserted between the specifier and the noun, as in

老师 老师

zhè ge lăoshī shì Hànyŭ Lăoshī

This teacher is a Chinese language teacher.

3. If a question word such as how many or which is used, a measure word is inserted between the question word and the noun, as in 你有 几个老师 nĭ yǒu jĭ ge lăoshī ? How many teachers do you have?

The most commonly used measure word is the very general ge but other Chinese measure words often categorise what follows according to shape and type. For instance, the measure word tiáo is used for quantifying objects that are long, thin, narrow and twisted, such as ropes, snakes, streets and rivers, but is also used for quantifying news, lives, and lower-body worn items such as trousers!

There are two special Chinese nouns that do not need measure words. One is nián year and the other is tiān day (including )

There are so many measure words that they are even a nightmare for the Chinese. Worse still, measure words used in the north of China may be different from those used in the south. The following list gives the "essential" Chinese measure words for beginners.

MW

Used for

Examples

bĕn

book-like objects

Magazines 四本杂志 ; novels 三本小说

céng

floors (similar to )

storey 三层楼

actions

to pay a visit 去了一次中国 ; to do something

这件事作了两次

dĭng

something to put over one's head

hats 一顶帽子 ; umbrellas 一顶雨伞

dùn

actions which last for a short period

to eat a meal 吃了一顿饭 ; to beat somebody up 把他打了一顿

fēng

something sealed in an envelope

letters 两封信 ; telegrams 一封电报

picture-like objects

paintings 三幅画 ; banners 八幅标语

ge

units of something (common measure word for abstract and physical objects)

people 五个人 ; ideas 一个主意 ...

jiān

any kind of room

bed-room 一间卧室 ; kitchen 两间厨房 ;

jiàn

upper-body worn clothes; matters

shirts 两件衬衫 ; matters 三件事

Sentences; lines (e.g. of poems)

sentences 两句话 ; idioms 三句成语 ;

liàng

vehicles (on wheels)

cars 一辆汽车 ; bikes 一辆自行车

piān

writing

essays 一篇文章 ;

shŏu

verse

songs 一首民歌 ; poems 两首中国诗歌

tiáo

narrow, long and twisting; lower-body worn clothes

fish 一条鱼 ; trousers 两条裤子 , boats 一条船

wèi

people (used to show respect)

teachers 三位老师 ; customers 一位顾客

zhāng

objects made of paper; flat objects

paper 一张纸 ; tickets, table 一张桌子 ; bed 一张床

zhī

animals; one of a pair

chickens 三只鸡 ; shoe 一只鞋

Click on the following links to view the Flash files.

Measure words

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

Assignments .


Translate the sentences into Chinese (15, measure words)

Pleased give me two magazines.

He has six books, magazine and two dictionaries, he has no maps.

One of the students lives in the foreign students dormitory.

I have three friends, none of them have Chinese dictionaries.

How many Chinese do you know? I know two.

He is going to the dormitory to see a student.


Frequently asked questions

Click on the following links to view the answers

  1. How many measure words are there?

  2. When do I need a measure word (category 1) in a sentence?

  3. Where should I place a measure word in a sentence?

  4. Are there any other tips on the use of measure words?

  5. Should the word (more, over) appear before or after a measure word?

Click here for more exercises