Chinese Measure Words: List, Rules and Example Sentences

A measure word (量词, liàngcí) goes between a number and a noun: 一本书 (yì běn shū) is "one book", with 本 as the measure word. Mandarin needs one almost every time you count something, or point at it with 这 (this) or 那 (that). 个 (gè) works as a general one, but most nouns have their own, and about 30 cover nearly everything you'll say.

Below are the rules for when to use them (and when not to), a quick list of common nouns with the right measure word, and the 30 measure words most worth learning. Each comes with an example sentence from Mandarin Mosaic's HSK lessons, checked by a native speaker. The pinyin shows 一 (yī) with the tone it's said with: yí before a fourth tone, yì before the others.

Key Takeaways

• The pattern is number or 这/那/哪/几/每 + measure word + noun: 三本书 (sān běn shū, three books), 这本书 (zhè běn shū, this book).
• Learn each noun with its measure word as one chunk: 一张纸, not just 纸.
• If you forget, 个 is understood almost everywhere. It just sounds less natural with nouns that have their own measure word.
• Use 两 (liǎng), not 二 (èr), for "two" before a measure word: 两个人 (liǎng ge rén, two people).

What Are Measure Words in Chinese?

English has a few words like this: a cup of tea, a pair of shoes, a sheet of paper. In Chinese, almost every noun needs one when you count it, even nouns that English counts directly. You can't say 一书 for "one book"; it has to be 一本书. Linguists call them classifiers, and in Chinese they're 量词 (liàngcí).

A measure word usually says something about the shape or kind of thing you're counting. 条 (tiáo) is for long, thin things such as roads, rivers, fish and trousers; 张 (zhāng) is for flat things such as paper, tickets and tables; 只 (zhī) is for most animals. Some pairings have no logic you can see, so learn them by heart.

The measure word comes after any of these:

With 这 and 那 you'll often hear the number left out: 这本书 means "this book", and 这一本书 means the same with a little more stress on "this one".

When to Use Measure Words, and When Not To

Use one whenever you count a noun or pick one out with 这, 那, 哪, 几 or 每. You don't use one in these cases:

• Talking about a thing in general. 我喜欢猫 (wǒ xǐhuan māo) is "I like cats". There's no number, so there's no measure word.
• Possession without a number. 我的书 (wǒ de shū) is "my book" or "my books". Add a number and the measure word comes back: 我的三本书 (wǒ de sān běn shū), "my three books".
• Nouns that are units themselves. Time and money units take the number directly: 一天 (yì tiān, one day), 三年 (sān nián, three years), 五岁 (wǔ suì, five years old), 十分钟 (shí fēnzhōng, ten minutes). 星期 can take 个 or not: 两个星期 or 两星期 (liǎng ge xīngqī, two weeks). 月 needs 个 for a length of time: 三个月 (sān ge yuè) is three months, while 三月 (sān yuè) is March.
• Some and a little. 些 (xiē) and 一点儿 (yìdiǎnr) do the job of the measure word: 这些书 (zhèxiē shū, these books), 一些水果 (yìxiē shuǐguǒ, some fruit), 一点儿水 (yìdiǎnr shuǐ, a little water).

Two more rules catch nearly every beginner. "Two" before a measure word is 两 (liǎng), not 二 (èr): 两本书, never 二本书. And 一 changes tone before the measure word, so 一个 is said yí ge and 一本 is said yì běn. Our tone sandhi guide has the rule with audio, and numbers in Chinese covers counting itself.

How Many Measure Words Are There?

Dictionaries and grammars list well over a hundred, but most are rare, or used only in writing or for one or two nouns. You'll meet about 30 in everyday Chinese, and those are the ones on this page.

The HSK word lists add them slowly. Of the 33 measure words on this page, 15 are words of their own in HSK 1 to 3 on the HSK 2.0 lists (个, 本, 块, 家, 件, 次, 张, 只, 条, 口, 位, 辆, 双, 把 and 种), and 杯, 瓶 and 下 arrive early inside 杯子 (cup), 瓶子 (bottle) and 一下. Most of the rest come in HSK 4 and 5. Our HSK vocabulary lists have every word by level.

Measure Words List: Which One Goes with Which Noun?

The quickest answer to "which measure word do I use?" is a list of common nouns. Where two are given, both are used.

The 10 Measure Words to Learn First

These ten cover most of what a beginner counts. HSK levels are from the HSK 2.0 lists.

More Common Measure Words, from HSK 1 to HSK 5

The next 18, roughly in the order the HSK 2.0 lists bring them in. Two of them, 部 and 封, aren't on the HSK 2.0 lists at all, but you'll need them early anyway; the newer HSK 3.0 lists put them at levels 3 and 2.

Some nouns take more than one measure word, and the choice changes the meaning a little. 一个人 is simply "a person", 一位老师 is a polite "a teacher", and 一口人 only works when you count a household. 一只狗 and 一条狗 both mean "a dog"; 条 is common in speech. 一件衣服 is a top or a jacket, 一条裤子 a pair of trousers, and 一套衣服 a whole outfit.

Measure Words for Actions: 次, 遍, 下, 趟 and 顿

Chinese also counts actions. These measure words go after the verb and say how many times something happens.

The difference between 次 and 遍 trips people up. 次 counts occasions: 我看过两次 (wǒ kàn guo liǎng cì) is "I've seen it twice". 遍 stresses going through the whole thing: 请再说一遍 (qǐng zài shuō yí biàn) is "please say that again", all of it.

Common Mistakes with Measure Words

• 个 for everything. You'll be understood, and native speakers use 个 with more nouns than textbooks suggest. But 一个书 sounds wrong where 一本书 is expected, so learn the specific word for the nouns you use most.
• 二 instead of 两. Before a measure word, "two" is 两: 两杯咖啡 (liǎng bēi kāfēi, two coffees). 二 is for counting and in bigger numbers: 十二个 (shí'èr ge, twelve).
• A measure word with units. 一天, 一年 and 十分钟 take no measure word; 一个天 is wrong.
• Leaving it out after 这 and 那. 这书 turns up in writing, but in speech say 这本书.
• The wrong tone on 一. It's yí ge, yí jiàn and yí liàng before fourth tones (个 counts as one, though it's often said lightly), and yì běn, yì zhāng and yì tiáo before the others.

How to Learn Measure Words

Lists help at the start, but measure words stick when you meet them attached to their nouns, again and again. A few habits make that happen:

• Learn the noun with its measure word. Make your flashcard say 一张票 (a ticket), not 票. Dictionaries such as Pleco show a noun's measure word in its entry; see our Pleco review.
• Learn them in sentences. A measure word you've seen in ten sentences comes out right without thinking. That's the idea behind sentence mining.
• Group the odd ones by shape. Long and thin (条), flat (张), with a handle (把), big and fixed (座): the shape tells you most of the time.
• Count things around you. Three cups (三个杯子), two chairs (两把椅子), one window (一扇窗户, yí shàn chuānghu). It's a five-minute drill you can do anywhere.

Mandarin Mosaic teaches words in sentences with one new word each, so the measure words come with the nouns they belong to. The sentences on this page are from its HSK lessons. For grammar beyond measure words, see our guide to Chinese grammar lessons.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Most Common Measure Word in Chinese?

个 (gè). It's the general measure word for people and for many things without a measure word of their own, and it's the one to use when you don't know the right one.

Can I Just Use 个 for Everything?

You'll be understood, but it sounds like a learner's mistake with common nouns that have their own measure word, such as 本 for books, 张 for paper or 件 for clothes. Use 个 as a fallback while you learn the rest.

Are Measure Words the Same as Classifiers?

Yes. "Classifier" is the linguists' term, "measure word" the one most textbooks use, and in Chinese both are 量词 (liàngcí).

Do Measure Words Go Before or After the Noun?

Before: number (or 这/那), then the measure word, then the noun. 三杯茶 (sān bēi chá) is "three cups of tea".

When Do You Not Need a Measure Word?

When there's no number or 这/那 (我喜欢猫, "I like cats"), with possession alone (我的书, "my book"), and with nouns that are units themselves, such as 天 (day), 年 (year) and 岁 (years of age).

How Many Measure Words Do I Need to Know?

About 30 cover everyday Chinese, and 10 (个, 本, 块, 杯, 件, 张, 只, 条, 口 and 位) cover most of what a beginner says.

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