Chinese - Measure Words / Classifiers (量词)
Measure Words (量词 liàngcí), also called Classifiers, are a mandatory component of Chinese grammar. They serve to link a number or a demonstrative pronoun (like "this" or "that") to the noun it modifies.
You can't just say "three books"; you must say "three [measure word] book."
1. The Core Structure (The Rule of Three Components)
The most important rule in Measure Word grammar is the fixed structure for quantification:
- Structure: Number / Demonstrative Pronoun + Measure Word + Noun
| Component | Example | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 三 (sān) | sān | Three |
| Measure Word | 本 (běn) | běn | (for books/volumes) |
| Noun | 书 (shū) | shū | Book |
| Full Phrase | 三 本 书 | Sān běn shū | Three books |
2. The Universal Measure Word: 个 (gè)
The most common and versatile measure word is 个 (gè). While you should learn the correct classifiers, when in doubt, 个 is your safety net, as it is often understood (though not always grammatically correct).
- Usage: People, abstract concepts, fruits, and many nouns that don't fit into a specific category.
| Structure | Example Phrase | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number + 个 + Noun | 一 个 人 | yī ge rén | One person |
| Demonstrative + 个 + Noun | 那 个 苹果 | nà ge píngguǒ | That apple |
3. Key Measure Words by Category
Measure words are categorized by the shape or nature of the noun they are used with. Learning these is vital.
| Measure Word | Pinyin | Primary Usage/Function | Example Phrase & Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 张 | zhāng | Flat, thin objects (paper, tables, beds, tickets). | 一 张 纸 (yī zhāng zhǐ) - A piece of paper |
| 本 | běn | Bound volumes (books, dictionaries, notebooks). | 两 本 词典 (liǎng běn cídiǎn) - Two dictionaries |
| 件 | jiàn | Items/pieces of clothing (shirts, coats, matters/affairs). | 三 件 衣服 (sān jiàn yīfu) - Three articles of clothing |
| 条 | tiáo | Long, thin, flexible objects (roads, pants, rivers, fish, scarves). | 一 条 裤子 (yī tiáo kùzi) - A pair of pants |
| 块 | kuài | Lumps, pieces, chunks (cake, money, rock). | 两 块 蛋糕 (liǎng kuài dàngāo) - Two pieces of cake |
| 支 | zhī | Stick-like objects (pens, pencils, cigarettes). | 四 支 笔 (sì zhī bǐ) - Four pens |
| 双 | shuāng | Pairs of things (shoes, chopsticks, hands). | 一 双 鞋 (yī shuāng xié) - A pair of shoes |
| 杯 | bēi | Containers, especially cups/glasses (for beverages). | 一 杯 水 (yī bēi shuǐ) - A cup of water |
4. Special Cases and Rules
A. The Measure Word for Money
The measure word for the Chinese currency (RMB) is context-dependent:
- 元 (yuán) / 块 (kuài): The basic unit (dollar/piece).
- Example: 五 块 钱 (wǔ kuài qián) — Five dollars.
- 角 (jiǎo) / 毛 (máo): One-tenth of a yuan.
- Example: 三 毛 (sān máo) — Thirty cents.
B. The Number "Two"
When counting things, the number two is usually expressed with 两 (liǎng), not 二 (èr).
- Correct: 两 个 人 (liǎng ge rén) — Two people.
- Correct: 两 杯 咖啡 (liǎng bēi kāfēi) — Two cups of coffee.
- Note: 二 (èr) is used when counting, in phone numbers, and in ordinal numbers (e.g., 第二 - dì èr - second).
C. Possession of the Noun
When the noun is possessed, the measure word comes after the possessive phrase (Pronoun + 的 + Noun).
- Structure: Possessor's + Noun + Measure Word + Adjective
- Example: 他 的 汽车 辆 大 (Tā de qìchē liàng dà.) — His car is big. (This structure is often more complex and high-level)
Summary of Measure Word Structures
| Function | Structure | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Quantification | Num. + MW + Noun | 我 买 了 三 本 书。 (I bought three books.) |
| Demonstration | Dem. + MW + Noun | 这 个 地方 很 好。 (Zhè ge dìfang hěn hǎo.) — This place is very good. |
| Question | 几 + MW + Noun | 你 有 几 个 兄弟 姐妹? (Nǐ yǒu jǐ ge xiōngdì jiěmèi?) — You have how many siblings? |
| One by One | Noun + MW + MW | 天 天 (tiān tiān) — Every day (Day by day) |