ChineseGrammarWiki/MD/A2/85.mw.html

<p>In English, when you refer to &quot;this table&quot; or &quot;that girl&quot; you only need two words: &quot;this&quot; or &quot;that&quot; plus the noun you're referring to. In Chinese, though, you also need a <a href="measure_word" title="wikilink">measure word</a> in the middle between the two. In the very beginning you can get away with using <a href="Measure_word_%22ge%22" title="wikilink">个 (gè)</a> for everything, but pretty soon you're going to have to start using other measure words in these simple phrases.</p>
<h2 id="structure">Structure</h2>
<p>If you use 这 (zhè) or 那 (nà) before a noun, you also need to include a <a href="measure_word" title="wikilink">measure word</a> before the noun.</p>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>这 / 那 + Measure Word + Noun</p>
</div>
<h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>
<p>Note: In this usage, the tone of 个 (gè) tends to soften, so it's represented below as a neutral tone.</p>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li><em>那</em> <strong>个</strong> 人 <span class="pinyin"> <em>nà</em><strong>ge</strong> rén</span><span class="trans">that person</span></li>
<li><em>这</em> <strong>本</strong> 书 <span class="pinyin"> <em>zhè</em> <strong>běn</strong> shū</span><span class="trans">this book</span></li>
<li><em>那</em> <strong>件</strong> 事 <span class="pinyin"> <em>nà</em> <strong>jiàn</strong> shì</span><span class="trans">that matter (in the sense of business, affair, or thing)</span></li>
<li><em>这</em> <strong>瓶</strong> 啤酒 <span class="pinyin"> <em>zhè</em> <strong>píng</strong> píjiǔ</span><span class="trans">this bottle of beer</span></li>
<li><em>那</em> <strong>个</strong> 房间 <span class="pinyin"> <em>nà</em><strong>ge</strong> fángjiān</span><span class="trans">that room</span></li>
<li><em>那</em> <strong>台</strong> 电脑 <span class="pinyin"> <em>nà</em> <strong>tái</strong> diànnǎo</span><span class="trans">that new computer</span></li>
<li><em>这</em> <strong>只</strong> 猫 <span class="pinyin"> <em>zhè</em> <strong>zhī</strong> māo</span><span class="trans">that cat</span></li>
<li><em>那</em> <strong>条</strong> 河 <span class="pinyin"> <em>nà</em> <strong>tiáo</strong> hé </span><span class="trans">that river</span></li>
<li><em>这</em> <strong>件</strong> 衣服 <span class="pinyin"><em>zhè</em> <strong>jiàn</strong> yīfu </span><span class="trans">this piece of clothing</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>Although we didn't get into it here, the same pattern holds true when you use 哪 (nǎ) to ask &quot;which?&quot;</p>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="&quot;Some&quot;_Using_&quot;yixie&quot;" title="wikilink">&quot;Some&quot; Using &quot;yixie&quot;</a></li>
<li><a href="Measure_words_in_quantity_questions" title="wikilink">Measure words in quantity questions</a></li>
<li><a href="Measure_Words_for_Verbs" title="wikilink">Measure Words for Verbs</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2>
<h3 id="books">Books</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="Basic_Patterns_of_Chinese_Grammar" title="wikilink">Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar</a> (p. 33) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330899/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399373&amp;creativeASIN=1933330899">→buy</a></li>
</ul>
<p>        </p>
<p><a href="Category:A2_grammar_points" title="wikilink">Category:A2 grammar points</a> <a href="Category:Measure_words" title="wikilink">Category:Measure words</a></p>