What is Measure Word
A group of birds, a herd of cows. Similar to English, Chinese also uses measure words. However, Chinese uses them much more frequently than English. In English, you can say “There is a flock of birds” or “There are five birds.” In Chinese, we always need to use the specific measure word, no matter how many there are.
Measure words are a major challenge for many Chinese language learners. There are over two hundred different measure words in Chinese. Many nouns are linked with their own special measure word, which usually relates to the meaning of the given noun.
In Chinese, you always need to put a measure word between a number and a noun, or a demonstrative pronoun and a noun. Every noun, even single and countable nouns, requires a measure word in Chinese.
一杯水 yì bēi shuǐ a cup of water
五只狗 wǔ zhī gǒu five dogs
这本书 zhè běn shū this book
那辆车 nà liàng chē that car
However, measure words are not required when the noun is used generically to refer to something without regard to a specific quantity.
书很好 shū hěnhǎo book(s) is/are good
我有笔 wǒ yǒu bǐ I have pen(s)
枝/支 (zhī)
The measure word 支 zhī is typically used for objects that are long and slender in form, often cylindrical or stick-like in shape, such as rifles, roses, pencils, or branches. Remember do not use 支 zhī to quantify a soft, flexible object such as a scarf or a rubber hose.
两支铅笔 Liǎng zhī qiānbǐ
Two pencils
一支口红 Yì zhī kǒuhóng
One lipstick
三支枪 Sān zhī qiāng
Three Guns
In addition to being used as a measure word for slender, elongated objects, in modern Chinese, particularly in the context of technology and mobile devices, 支 zhī (not 枝 zhī) is also used as a measure word for counting cell phones or mobile phones.
一支手机 Yì zhī shǒujī
One cell phone
杯 (bēi)
杯 bēi is a measure word used for cup-like objects or beverages.
两杯咖啡 Liǎng bēi kāfēi
Two cups of coffee
一杯珍奶 Yì bēi zhēnnǎi
One cup of Bubble Milk Tea
Note: When you are counting cups or glass, the measure word should be ge instead of 杯 bēi.
三个杯子 Sān ge bēizi
Three cups
種/种 (zhǒng)
This measur word is used for kinds, sorts, types. You can use it to count everything.
这种人 Zhè zhǒng rén
This kind of person
五种花 Wǔ zhǒng huā
Five kinds of flowers
一种现象 Yì zhǒng xiànxiàng
A phenomenon
塊/块(kuài)
The measure word 块 kuài is used for counting objects that are considered as a single, solid unit, such as chunks, pieces, blocks, or lumps. It is also commonly used for measuring money.
一块蛋糕 Yí kuài dàngāo
A piece of cake
十块錢 Shí kuài qián
Ten dollars
两块木材 Liǎng kuài mùcái
Two chunks of wood
