10 Measure Words — 打 dǎ, 袋 dài, 棵 kē, 台 tái, 幅 fú, 脸 liǎn, 手 shǒu, 盒 hé, 屋子 wūzi, 桌子 zhuōzi
Ten more measure words at HSK4 level — six for everyday counting (dozens, bags, trees, machines, artwork, boxes), and four that borrow a body part or piece of furniture to mean “a whole [container] full of.”
The pattern is always Number + Measure Word + Noun. The last four words in this set work a little differently — 臉/脸 liǎn, 手 shǒu, 屋子 wūzi, and 桌子 zhuōzi are ordinary nouns that get borrowed as measure words to mean “a whole [container] full of.”
1 Quick Reference
A cheat sheet before diving into examples.
| Word | Used For | Example Nouns |
|---|---|---|
| 打 dǎ | Dozen (12 of something) | eggs, pencils, roses |
| 袋 dài | Bag | rice, flour, garbage, chips |
| 棵 kē | Trees and plants | trees, grass, cabbage |
| 台 tái | Machines and devices | computers, TVs, cars |
| 幅 fú | Flat artwork | paintings, scrolls, maps |
| 脸 liǎn | A face full of (expression) | an expression, a look |
| 手 shǒu | A hand’s worth of skill | handwriting, cooking, craft |
| 盒 hé | Box | chocolates, tissues, cookies |
| 屋子 wūzi | A room full of | toys, furniture, junk |
| 桌子 zhuōzi | A table full of | food, dishes |
2 Usage
打 dǎ — Dozen
袋 dài — Bag
棵 kē — Trees and Plants
台 tái — Machines and Devices
幅 fú — Flat Artwork
脸 liǎn — A Face Full of (Expression)
手 shǒu — A Hand’s Worth of Skill
盒 hé — Box
The last four words on this page — 脸 liǎn, 手 shǒu, 屋子 wūzi, and 桌子 zhuōzi — aren’t dedicated measure words like 个 gè or 张 zhāng. They’re ordinary nouns borrowed to mean “a whole [container] full of” — a face full of an expression, a room stuffed with belongings, a table piled with food. The imagery is the point.
屋子 wūzi — A Room Full of
桌子 zhuōzi — A Table Full of
3 Practice Quiz
Fill in the blank with the correct measure word.
我买了一 ＿＿＿ 玫瑰花给她。
I bought her a dozen roses.
厨房里有一 ＿＿＿ 面粉。
There’s a bag of flour in the kitchen.
公园里有很多 ＿＿＿ 树。
There are many trees in the park.
这家工厂有三十 ＿＿＿ 机器。
This factory has thirty machines.
走廊上挂着一 ＿＿＿ 字画。
There’s a scroll hanging in the hallway.
她一 ＿＿＿ 尴尬。
She looked embarrassed.
这位老师傅有一 ＿＿＿ 好雕刻技术。
This old craftsman has excellent carving skills.
我买了一 ＿＿＿ 饼干给他。
I bought him a box of cookies.
车库里堆了一 ＿＿＿ 的杂物。
The garage is piled with a room full of junk.
餐厅员工收走了一 ＿＿＿ 的碗盘。
The restaurant staff cleared away a whole table full of dishes.
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