Chinese typically does not use morphological changes to express plural. Chinese uses numerals and classifiers to specify quantity, and relies on context to convey a generic plural.

In Chinese, classifiers are often placed before nouns to indicate unit or category. The basic structure is quantity + classifier + noun; different nouns are commonly paired with fixed classifiers.

High-frequency classifiers cover most everyday descriptions. “个” is general-purpose, “只” refers to small animals or parts of objects, “本” refers to books, “张” refers to flat objects.

Digits appear before classifiers to indicate specific quantities. 1 to 10 are most common; beyond 10 you can continue with direct numerals or common combinations.

“Liǎng” is used before a classifier to indicate “two”; “Èr” is used in counting, ordinals, or numeric expressions. In Chinese you say “liǎng gè,” not “èr gè.”

When exact numbers are not specified, nouns can refer to multiple items in a general sense, inferred from context. Words like “some” and “many” can clarify an indefinite quantity.

“们” added after personal nouns indicates plurality; it is commonly used with people. It is not normally added to ordinary inanimate nouns to express “things” plural.

“们” is generally not used with non-human nouns, such as animals or objects. To express multiple animals or multiple items, you still use the numeral + noun structure.

Some fixed phrases or English-like borrowings may omit the measure word, but formal expression tends to retain measure words. In everyday speech there can be simplification, but written and formal expression prioritizes the measure word.

The core structure is “number + measure word + noun,” complemented by “们” to indicate people plural. Plural meaning is mainly expressed through quantity and context, not noun inflection.