7 Measure Words — 把 bǎ, 双 shuāng, 张 zhāng, 种 zhǒng, 层 céng, 封 fēng, 页 yè
Every noun in Chinese needs a measure word before it when you count it. This set covers seven common ones you’ll run into constantly: for handled objects, pairs, flat things, types, layers, letters, and pages.
The pattern is always Number + Measure Word + Noun. Pick the wrong measure word and the sentence still makes sense grammatically — it just sounds off, the way “a herd of geese” sounds off in English.
1 Quick Reference
A cheat sheet before diving into examples.
| Word | Used For | Example Nouns |
|---|---|---|
| 把 bǎ | Objects with a handle | knife, umbrella, chair, key, scissors |
| 双 shuāng | Things that come in pairs | shoes, socks, chopsticks, hands |
| 张 zhāng | Flat, sheet-like objects | paper, tickets, tables, beds, photos, maps |
| 种 zhǒng | Types or kinds | fruit, methods, colors, tea, coffee |
| 层 céng | Layers or floors | floors of a building, layers of a cake, dust |
| 封 fēng | Letters (sealed items) | letters, emails |
| 页 yè | Pages | pages of a book, report, document |
2 Usage
把 bǎ — Objects with a Handle
把 bǎ does double duty in Chinese — as a measure word here, but also as the coverb in the 把-construction (把 + object + verb), which you’ve likely seen in sentences like 我把作业做完了 wǒ bǎ zuòyè zuòwán le (“I finished the homework”). Two unrelated jobs, same character — context tells you which one you’re looking at. Read the full 把-construction grammar point here.
双 shuāng — Things That Come in Pairs
Pants don’t take 双 shuāng in Chinese, even though they have two legs — use 件 jiàn or 条 tiáo instead, e.g. 一件裤子 yí jiàn kùzi or 一条裤子 yì tiáo kùzi.
张 zhāng — Flat, Sheet-Like Objects
种 zhǒng — Types or Kinds
层 céng — Layers or Floors
封 fēng — Letters
页 yè — Pages
3 Practice Quiz
Fill in the blank with the correct measure word.
我买了一 ＿＿＿ 筷子。
I bought a pair of chopsticks.
桌上有一 ＿＿＿ 刀。
There’s a knife on the table.
你可以给我一 ＿＿＿ 纸吗？
Can you give me a piece of paper?
这家餐厅有很多 ＿＿＿ 面。
This restaurant has many kinds of noodles.
我们住在三 ＿＿＿。
We live on the third floor.
她写了一 ＿＿＿ 信给我。
She wrote me a letter.
这本字典有一千 ＿＿＿。
This dictionary has a thousand pages.
他有一 ＿＿＿ 新鞋。
He has a pair of new shoes.
我需要一 ＿＿＿ 椅子。
I need a chair.
这里有三 ＿＿＿ 咖啡。
There are three types of coffee here.
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