Measure Words / Classifiers
Measure words (or classifiers) are little nouns that tag quantities and types of things. They must appear between a number (or demonstrative) and the noun. This guide goes over common measure words and how to use them.
Measure Words
Measure words categorize nouns by shape, function, or grouping. You pick the measure word that fits the kind of thing you're counting.
Common Measure Words
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 个 | gè | general one | default measure word |
| 本 | běn | for books | for bound items |
| 张 | zhāng | for flat things | tickets, paper, tables |
| 把 | bǎ | for things with handles | knives, umbrellas, chairs |
| 场 | chǎng | for events | movies, matches, performances |
| 条 | tiáo | for long flexible things | fish, rivers, pants |
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Example Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 个 | gè | general | 🌇 我买了三个苹果。 | I bought three apples. |
| 本 | běn | books | 📚 他有两本小说。 | He has two novels. |
| 杯 | bēi | cup/glass | ☕ 我喝了一杯咖啡。 | I drank a cup of coffee. |
| 盘 | pán | plate | 🍽️ 服务员端来了一盘饺子。 | The waiter brought a plate of dumplings. |
| 瓶 | píng | bottle | 🍶 桌上有一瓶茶。 | There is a bottle of tea on the table. |
| 盒 | hé | box | 🥡 我点了一盒炒饭。 | I ordered a box of fried rice. |
| 条 | tiáo | long thin | 🥢 他拿了一条筷子。 | He took a pair of chopsticks. |
| 双 | shuāng | pair | 👟 我买了一双运动鞋。 | I bought a pair of sneakers. |
| 张 | zhāng | flat | 🍕 我切了一张披萨。 | I cut a slice of pizza. |
| 辆 | liàng | vehicle | 🚗 街上有好几辆出租车。 | There are several taxis on the street. |
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Usage
To use a measure word, place a number or demonstrative before the measure word, then the noun. You cannot put the number directly before the noun without the measure word.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 三 个 苹果 | sān gè píngguǒ | three apples |
| 这 本 书 | zhè běn shū | this book |
| 五 张 票 | wǔ zhāng piào | five tickets |
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Time Measure Words
Time expressions use special measure words that fit units like minutes, hours, days, and so on.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 秒 | miǎo | second | time unit |
| 分钟 | fēnzhōng | minute | time unit |
| 小时 | xiǎoshí | hour | time unit |
| 天 | tiān | day | can count days |
| 週 / 周 | zhōu | week | time unit |
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Example Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 秒 | miǎo | second | ⏱️ 比赛开始前，倒数三秒。 | Countdown three seconds before the race starts. |
| 分 | fēn | minute | 🕒 会议将在五分钟后开始。 | The meeting will start in five minutes. |
| 小时 | xiǎoshí | hour | 🌇 我们工作了八小时。 | We worked for eight hours. |
| 天 | tiān | day | 📅 饭店春节期间天天爆满。 | The restaurant is packed every day during Spring Festival. |
| 周 | zhōu | week | 🗓️ 我们预约了下周的晚餐。 | We made a reservation for next week’s dinner. |
| 个月 | gè yuè | month | 🌙 他一个月吃了三次那里。 | He ate there three times in one month. |
| 年 | nián | year | 🎉 餐厅开业一年庆典很热闹。 | The restaurant’s one-year anniversary was lively. |
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Containers and Portions
Some measure words describe containers or portions, useful for food and drink. They tell you whether you're counting bottles, cups, servings, etc.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 瓶 | píng | bottle | container |
| 杯 | bēi | cup / glass | container |
| 份 | fèn | portion / serving | part or set |
| 包 | bāo | bag / packet | container |
| 盒 | hé | box | container |
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Example Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 碗 | wǎn | bowl | 🍜 我吃了一碗面。 | I ate a bowl of noodles. |
| 盘 | pán | plate | 🥗 她点了一盘沙拉。 | She ordered a plate of salad. |
| 杯 | bēi | cup | 🧃 他喝了一杯果汁。 | He drank a cup of juice. |
| 瓶 | píng | bottle | 🍾 服务员送来一瓶红酒。 | The waiter brought a bottle of red wine. |
| 盒 | hé | box | 🍱 我买了一盒便当。 | I bought a box of bento. |
| 袋 | dài | bag | 🥖 他们带了一袋面包。 | They brought a bag of bread. |
| 夹 | jiá | pair (of chopsticks) | 🥢 请给我一双筷子。 | Please give me a pair of chopsticks. |
| 份 | fèn | portion | 🍛 我要一份咖喱饭。 | I want a portion of curry rice. |
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Summary
Measure words are small but essential: they link numbers to nouns and signal what kind of thing you're counting. Learn a few common ones like 个 / gè, 本 / běn, and 张 / zhāng, and practice inserting them between numbers and nouns.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025