Measure words

1. Put a measure word between a number and a noun

   A number can't go straight onto a noun: a measure word goes between, much as "a slice of" does in English. 三sān个gè人rén is three people and 两liǎng本běn书shū two books. For two of anything, use 两liǎng, not 二èr. 个gè is the one you will use most, for people and for many things: 一yī个gè朋友péngyou, 一yī个gè苹果píngguǒ.

2. Match 只zhī, 本běn and 口kǒu to their nouns

   只zhī counts animals: 一yī只zhī猫māo, 两liǎng只zhī狗gǒu. 本běn counts books and magazines: 三sān本běn杂志zázhì. 口kǒu counts the people in a household, as in 我wǒ家jiā有yǒu四sì口kǒu人rén。 (There are four people in my family.)

3. Use 条tiáo, 张zhāng, 件jiàn and 双shuāng for shapes and clothes

   条tiáo is for long, thin things: 一yī条tiáo裤子kùzi, 一yī条tiáo河hé, 一yī条tiáo鱼yú. 张zhāng is for flat things: 一yī张zhāng桌子zhuōzi, 两liǎng张zhāng票piào. 件jiàn counts tops, coats and other single garments (一yī件jiàn衣服yīfu), and 双shuāng counts pairs: 一yī双shuāng鞋xié.

4. Use 杯bēi, 瓶píng and 碗wǎn for what something comes in

   For food and drink, the container is the measure word: 一yī杯bēi茶chá (a cup of tea), 两liǎng瓶píng水shuǐ (two bottles of water), 一yī碗wǎn面条miàntiáo (a bowl of noodles). Asking for 一yī杯bēi咖啡kāfēi in a café uses the same pattern.

5. Count years, days and ages with no extra measure word

   年nián, 天tiān and 岁suì are measure words themselves: 三sān年nián, 两liǎng天tiān, 十shí五wǔ岁suì. Months and weeks are different, because they take 个gè: 三sān个gè月yuè is three months, while 三月sānyuè is March, and two weeks is 两liǎng个gè星期xīngqī.

6. Use 这zhè, 那nà, 哪nǎ and 几jǐ with a measure word

   这zhè本běn书shū is this book, 那nà个gè人rén that person and 哪个nǎge which one. 几jǐ asks how many when you expect a small number, and it takes a measure word too: 你nǐ家jiā有yǒu几jǐ口kǒu人rén？ Once the noun is clear, the measure word can stand in for it: 我wǒ要yào这zhè个gè。 (I'd like this one.)

7. Say every with 每měi

   每měi and a measure word mean every, and 都dōu usually follows before the verb: 每měi个gè学生xuésheng都dōu有yǒu校服xiàofú。 (Every student has a uniform.) 天tiān and 年nián need no extra measure word: 我wǒ每天měitiān都dōu走路zǒulù去qù学校xuéxiào。

8. Use 家jiā, 次cì and 些xiē, and double a measure wordHigher only

   家jiā counts shops, restaurants and companies: 一yī家jiā饭馆fànguǎn. 次cì counts times: 我wǒ去qù过guò两liǎng次cì。 些xiē means some or a few: 一些yīxiē朋友péngyou, 这zhè些xiē书shū. A doubled measure word means every single one: 他们tāmen个gè个gè都dōu很hěn高gāo。 (Every one of them is tall.)

Measure word

The word between a number, or 这zhè, 那nà or 几jǐ, and a noun, such as the 本běn in 三sān本běn书shū.

个gè

The everyday measure word for people and many things. If you are unsure, it is the safest one to use.

只zhī

The measure word for animals: 一yī只zhī猫māo.

本běn

The measure word for books and magazines: 两liǎng本běn书shū.

口kǒu

The measure word for counting the people in a family: 我wǒ家jiā有yǒu三sān口kǒu人rén.

条tiáo

The measure word for long, thin things such as rivers, trousers and fish: 一yī条tiáo河hé.

张zhāng

The measure word for flat things such as tables, tickets and photos: 两liǎng张zhāng票piào.

每měi

Every, followed by a measure word and usually 都dōu: 每měi个gè人rén都dōu.

几jǐ

How many, for a small number, with a measure word: 几jǐ个gè人rén.

些xiēHigher only

Some or a few, after 一yī, 这zhè or 那nà: 一些yīxiē人rén, 这zhè些xiē书shū.

• Leaving out the measure word, as in 三sān书shū or 这zhè书shū.

  A number, 这zhè or 那nà needs a measure word before the noun: 三sān本běn书shū, 这zhè本běn书shū.

• Adding 个gè to years, days or ages, as in 三sān个gè年nián.

  年nián, 天tiān and 岁suì are measure words already: 三sān年nián, 两liǎng天tiān, 十shí六liù岁suì.

• Writing 三月sānyuè for three months.

  三月sānyuè is March. Three months is 三sān个gè月yuè, with 个gè, and the same goes for weeks: 两liǎng个gè星期xīngqī.

• Using 几jǐ for a big number, as in 你们nǐmen学校xuéxiào有yǒu几jǐ个gè学生xuésheng？

  几jǐ expects an answer under about ten. For a bigger or unknown number, use 多少duōshao, as in 你们nǐmen学校xuéxiào有yǒu多少duōshao学生xuésheng, how many students does your school have.

• Leaving 都dōu out after 每měi, as in 每měi个gè人rén有yǒu手机shǒujī.

  每měi is nearly always picked up by 都dōu before the verb: 每měi个gè人rén都dōu有yǒu手机shǒujī.

More Words and sentences topics

• Word order
• Shì, yǒu and zài
• Numbers, dates and time
• Asking questions
• Adjectives and adverbs
• De: whose, and how well

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