The 5 Chinese Measure Words You Should Know

What many Chinese learners feel puzzled about is the use of measure word. In addition to the “peculiar rule” stating that a measure word is needed between a number and a noun (e.g. one apple, two chairs), there are a large number of measure words in the Chinese language, and different nouns require the use of different measure words. In this article, we would like to give you a brief introduction to five most commonly used Chinese measure words.

The most Common Chinese Measure Words

1. Universal measure word

个
gè
universal measure word

“个” (gè) is the most commonly used measure word in the Chinese language. It is also known as the “universal measure word”, which means you can use it when you are not sure which measure word you should choose to describe a certain noun. Although sometimes “个 (gè) may not be the best option, it’ll at least allow other people to understand what you’re saying. In general, “个” (gè) can be used to describe things that you can hold in your hands.

EXAMPLES:

一个人
yī gè rén
one person

一个三明治
yī gè sān míng zhì
a sandwich

两个包
liǎng gè bāo
two bags

2. Describing small animals

只
zhī
a measure word describing animals

“只” (zhī) is another measure word that can be used to describe various items, and it can be replaced by “个” (gè) in many situations. What is distinctive about this measure word is that it’s often used to describe small animals.

EXAMPLES:

一只小狗
yī zhī xiǎo gǒu
a puppy

三只小鸟
sān zhī xiǎo niǎo
three birds

3. A cup of / glass of

杯
bēi
a cup of / glass of

Different types of drinks like tea and coffee are usually served in cups. Meanwhile, liquid cannot be hold in one’s hands properly. Therefore, “个” (gè) is not the best option when it comes to drinks. What you need instead is “杯” (bēi), which means “cup of / glass of”.

EXAMPLES:

一杯咖啡
yī bēi kāfēi
a cup of coffee

一杯啤酒
yī bēi píjiǔ
a glass of beer

4. A piece of

张
zhāng
a piece of

Travelling has now become an inalienable part of people’s lives. Whether it is domestic travel or international travel, you will need to buy a ticket in order to use public transport. The measure word Chinese people use to describe paper, tickets and cards is “张” (zhāng), which means “piece of”.

EXAMPLES:

一张纸
yī zhāng zhǐ
a piece of paper

两张票
liǎng zhāng piào
two tickets

三张信用卡
sān zhāng xìnyòngkǎ
three credit cards

5.Describing clothes

件
jiàn
a measure word to describe clothes

This measure word is what you need if you are passionate about shopping. “件” (jiàn) is usually used to describe clothes like shirts and sweaters.

EXAMPLES:

一件衬衫
yī jiàn chènshān
a shirt

两件毛衣
liǎng jiàn máoyī
two sweaters

We hope this post will be useful and help you next time want to use Chinese measure words to describe nouns. To find out more interesting phrases and questions in Chinese, check out one of our blog posts 5 Small Talk Phrases in Chinese