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Chinese Measure Words
A measure word often sits between a number and a noun. Learn common object classifiers alongside words for containers and pairs.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Tones | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 个 | gè | 4 | general classifier |
| 只 | zhī | 1 | classifier for many animals |
| 本 | běn | 3 | classifier for books |
| 张 | zhāng | 1 | classifier for flat objects |
| 条 | tiáo | 2 | classifier for long objects |
| 位 | wèi | 4 | polite classifier for people |
| 辆 | liàng | 4 | classifier for vehicles |
| 件 | jiàn | 4 | classifier for clothing and matters |
| 杯 | bēi | 1 | cupful |
| 瓶 | píng | 2 | bottleful |
| 双 | shuāng | 1 | pair |
| 碗 | wǎn | 3 | bowlful |
| 盒 | hé | 2 | boxful |
| 袋 | dài | 4 | bagful |
| 块 | kuài | 4 | piece or chunk |
| 盘 | pán | 2 | plateful |
Chinese Measure Words sets
Frequently asked questions
What is a Chinese measure word?
It is a word used with quantities, often between a number and a noun. Different nouns commonly take different classifiers.
Can I use 个 for everything?
个 is common, but more specific classifiers are often expected. Books commonly take 本 and many animals take 只.
What is the difference between 杯 and 瓶?
杯 refers to a cupful and 瓶 to a bottleful. They describe the container used to measure the quantity.
What does 双 count?
双 counts pairs, for example a pair of shoes or socks.