Chinese word for big

dà

Chinese Definition

Translations for big and their definitions

大
1. too; so (modifying adjectives; often used with了 at the end of the sentence for emphasis)
2. big; large; huge
太 熱 了！ — It’s so hot!
3. big; great; deep
別 吃 太 多 派。 — Don’t eat too much pie.
4. main; major
5. (usually in negative sentences) very; quite
6. loud; heavy
他 不 太 舒服。 — He’s not very well.
7. mature; grown up
8. most; utmost
9. greatly; very much
10. highest; greatest
11. (dialectal) father
12. senior; noble
13. (dialectal) father’s elder or younger brother
14. wife; Miss; Mrs
15. Used only in the abbreviation of the name.
太太tai — wife
北Běi 大Dà — Peking University
16. Only used in 大夫 (doctor)
17. Only used in 大城 (Daicheng, Hebei)
18. Only used in 大王 ((in operas, old novels) king; ringleader)

大人
1. n. adult; grown-up
2. n. Your Excellency; His Excellency
3. n. (Taiwanese Min Nan, dated) sir (form of address used by ordinary citizens to address police officers during Taiwan’s Japanese era)

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A closer look at the character Da («big»), its meanings and usages

On a list of the 3000 most common Chinese characters, 大 is ranked 13. It’s not only a common character in its own right, used to mean «big», but it also appears in many common words (remember, words in Chinese often consist of two characters, but not always).

In this article, we’re going to look closer at the character, including how it’s pronounced and how it’s used.

Basic meaning and pronunciation of 大

The basic meaning of this character is «big» and it is pronounced «dà» (fourth tone). It is a pictograph of a man with outstretched arms. The word is mostly used for physical size, as can be seen in the following sentences:

他的房子不大
tā de fángzi bú dà
His house is not big.

地球很大
dìqiú hěn dà
The earth is big.

Note that simply translating 大 into «big» isn’t going to work in all cases. This is why speaking Mandarin accurately can be a challenge.

Here are some examples where you can use 大 in Chinese, but where we wouldn’t use «big» in English.

你多大？
nǐ duō dà?
How old are you? (literally: how big are you?)

今天太陽很大
jīntiān tàiyang hěn dà
It’s sunny today (literally: the sun is big today)

In other words, you need to learn in which cases you can and should use 大 to indicate a high degree. Other weather phenomenons are also okay, so the wind is «big» and rain can be «big» too in Chinese.

Common words with 大 (dà) «big»

Here are a few common words that contain 大:

• 大家 (dàjiā ) «everybody» (lit: «big» + «home»)
• 大人 (dàrén) «adult; grown up» (lit: «big» + «person»)
• 大学 (dàxué) «university» (lit: «big» + «study», compare 小学)
• 大陆 (dàlù) «continent; Mainland (China)» (lit: «big» + «land»)

These are good examples of why words are actually not that difficult to learn in Chinese. If you know what the component characters mean, you might not be able to guess the meaning if you’ve never seen the word before, but it’s certainly easier to remember!

Alternative pronunciation: 大 (dài)

Many Chinese characters have multiple pronunciations and 大 is one of them. The pronunciation and meaning given above is by far the most common one, but there is a second reading «dài», mostly seen in the word 大夫 (dàifu) «doctor».  Instead of learning this particular pronunciation for 大, I suggest that you learn this word for «doctor»; you can safely assume that all other cases of 大 are pronounced «dà»!

Many learners find measure words to be one of the most difficult aspects of the Chinese language. And no wonder: to use them correctly, you need to pay attention to a bunch of features that do not even exist in English. And whenever you learn a new noun in Chinese, you have to memorize the corresponding measure word that agrees with it.

But don’t worry. We are here to help you!

We’ll make them less scary by analyzing some of their defining features and teaching you the simple rules to use them. To make things easier for you, we’ll start by discussing just the 15 most common measure words in Chinese you’ll hear every day when you begin studying. Later on, we’ll look at how to learn the remaining measure words effectively.

How Measure Words Work in Chinese

In Chinese, a measure word is called 量词 (liàng cí). The way measure words work in Mandarin Chinese might not seem too intuitive to an English speaker. After all, English measure words are only used in very specific contexts.

On a basic level, measure words are used to specify a certain quantity of a given noun. If that doesn’t sound too clear, here are a few examples from English:

a bar of chocolate
a party of friends
two pieces of news
three rolls of toilet paper
several drops of mud

While English uses measure words rather sparingly, Chinese sentences are just full of them. Chinese measure words are indispensable when counting nouns – in many contexts which wouldn’t require a measure word in English.

The big difference with measure words between Chinese and English is that usually, only mass nouns (uncountable nouns) require one in English, while every noun – even single and countable, requires one in Chinese, that is, every time a number or a demonstrative pronoun like “this” or “that” is used with a noun, you must slip a measure word in the middle.

For example, you wouldn’t just say “a car”, “two cats”, “this cake” in Chinese, you would say “a [measure word] car” and “two [measure word] cats”, “this [measure word] cake”. (there is no additional linking particle like “of” in English)

Different measure words are used for different nouns. In total, there are about 150 measure words in Chinese that are frequently used in day-to-day conversations. Measure words in Chinese can speak to the shape or feature of the object, the category to which it belongs, the type of container it comes in, or are simply arbitrary and you must just know them. (In some cases, more than one measure word may be used for the same noun, and the choice depends on which characteristic you wish to emphasize)

Don’t let the measure word system freak you out, though.

There are some simple rules that you can learn to master this aspect of Chinese. To help you kickstart your growing vocabulary, we’ll start you off with the 15 most common measure words in Chinese that capture the most value for beginners. These core, simple measure words are easy to remember because you’ll hear them everywhere, all the time!

Let’s dive in!

15 Most Common Measure Words in Chinese You Must Know

Here’s a rundown of the 15 most commonly used measure words in daily Chinese to get you going. If your goal is to become conversationally fluent in Chinese, these are the top measure words you must know.

1. Generic Measure Word: 个 (gè)

个 (gè) is the most commonly used measure word in Chinese amongst all.

It’s mostly used with nouns for people. The typical construct to use with 个 (gè), and most measure words, is “number [measure word] noun”.

For example,

• 一个老人
  yí gè lǎorén
  an old man

• 两个孩子
  liǎng gè háizi
  two kids

• 三个学生
  sān gè xuésheng
  three students

When the number “two” is used before a measure word, you must read it as 两 (liǎng) instead of 二 (èr). Read here for further explanations.

Many non-human items, abstract objects, and words can go with this measure word as well. For instance,

• 两个字
  liǎng gè zì
  two characters

• 三个橙子
  sān gè chéngzi
  three oranges

• 五个会
  wǔ gè huì
  five meetings

• 七个月
  qī gè yuè
  seven months

• 十个问题
  shí gè wèntí
  ten questions

Additionally, 个 (gè) can be used as a generic, all-purpose measure word, which means that you can use it as a substitute if you don’t know or can’t remember the more proper measure word for the noun you’re trying to quantify. It may not be technically correct (works like 30% of the time), but you’ll be understood by native speakers most of the time. And as a bonus, they may even offer up the right measure word so that you can file it away for future reference.

If the noun you are referring to is singular in the sentence, you can omit the number 一 (yī) before the measure word. For example,

• 你是一个好人。Nǐ shì yí gè hǎo rén.
  → 你是个好人。Nǐ shì gè hǎo rén.
  You are a good guy.

This rule applies to all measure words.

2. 位 (wèi)

This is another commonly used measure word to count people. Compared with 个 (gè), the word 位 (wèi) is more formal. It’s a good idea to use 位 (wèi) instead of 个 (gè) when you want to show politeness or respect to the people you are talking about.

For instance,

• 一位老师
  yí wèi lǎoshī
  a teacher

• 两位同事
  liǎng wèi tóngshì
  two colleagues

• 三位客人
  sān wèi kèrén
  three guests

And when you go to a restaurant in China, you are bound to hear the waiter say this to you as part of the Chinese courtesy.

• 几位?
  Jǐ wèi?
  How many (people)?

3. 只 (zhī)

Just like 个 (gè) is the generic measure word for people, 只 (zhī) is the generic measure word for animals. 

Here’s this common measure word in action,

• 一只猫
  yì zhī māo
  a cat

• 两只兔子
  liǎng zhī tùzi
  two bunnies

• 三只虫子
  sān zhī chóngzi
  three bugs

• 四只鸟
  sì zhī niǎo
  four birds

• 五只鸡
  wǔ zhī jī
  five chickens

Note that the measure word 只 (zhī) normally sticks with smaller animals. For larger animals (pigs, cows, or elephants, for example), another measure word is used in Chinese – we’ll get there in a minute.

Now, 只 (zhī) can also be used to talk about items that come in pairs (one of a pair) such as some body parts, shoes, etc.

For example:

• 一只手
  yì zhī shǒu
  a hand

• 一只脚
  yì zhī jiǎo
  a foot

• 两只眼睛
  liǎng zhī yǎnjīng
  two eyes

• 两只耳朵
  liǎng zhī ěrduo
  two ears

• 一只鞋
  yì zhī xié
  a shoe

Note that 只 (zhī) is pronounced “zhī” here, and not “zhǐ” like in other contexts.

4. 头 (tóu)

The Chinese measure word 头 (tóu) refers to a head of something. If 个 (gè) is the go-to measure word for small animals, then 头 (tóu) is used for big animals such as livestock as well as some wild animals.

• 一头猪
  yì tóu zhū
  a pig

• 两头驴
  liǎng tóu lǘ
  two donkeys

• 三头牛
  sān tóu niú
  three cows

• 四头狮子
  sì tóu shīzi
  four lions

• 五头大象
  wǔ tóu dàxiàng
  five elephants

5. 条 (tiáo)

条 (tiáo) is the measure word for things with a long, narrow shape – fish, snakes, ropes, ties, rivers, roads, pants, etc.

Check these examples:

• 一条鱼
  yì tiáo yú
  a fish

• 两条蛇
  liǎng tiáo shé
  two snakes

• 三条领带
  sān tiáo lǐngdài
  three ties

• 四条河
  sì tiáo hé
  four rivers

• 十条裤子
  shí tiáo kùzi
  ten pants

Well, you may argue that some fish doesn’t look long at all, but you still have to use the measure word 条 (tiáo) for it, since it’s the catch-all measure word for all types of fish.

6. 双 (shuāng)

When you talk about pairs of things in Chinese, the measure word 双 (shuāng) is used. The character, as you can probably guess from its structure, means “double” originally.

Here are some examples:

• 一双鞋
  yì shuāng xié
  a pair of shoes

• 一双袜子
  yì shuāng wàzi
  a pair of socks

• 一双筷子
  yì shuāng kuàizi
  a pair of chopsticks

• 一双手
  yì shuāng shǒu
  a pair of hands

• 一双眼睛
  yì shuāng yǎnjīng
  a pair of eyes

Note that 双 (shuāng) is typically used for pairs of things that can be separated. Unlike in English, it is not used to talk about items such as pants, glasses, or scissors which are viewed as one entity in Chinese. Other measure words are used for those nouns.

7. 张 (zhāng)

It should be quite easy to remember how to use the measure word 张 (zhāng) in Chinese, as it refers to flat things – paper, tickets, menus, tables, chairs, beds, and so on. You’ll find that you use this measure word frequently traveling or living in China, as you’ll always be buying bus, train, or subway tickets.

Let’s see it in action.

• 一张纸
  yì zhāng zhǐ
  a piece of paper

• 两张票
  liǎng zhāng piào
  two tickets

• 三张桌子
  sān zhāng zhuōzi
  three tables

• 四张椅子
  sì zhāng yǐzi
  four chairs

• 五张床
  wǔ zhāng chuáng
  five beds

8. 本 (běn)

While 张 (zhāng) is used for a single sheet of paper, you need to use a different measure word when you are talking about bound stuff such as books, or magazines. That’s where 本 (běn) comes in handy!

Let’s see some examples!

• 一本书
  yì běn shū
  a book

• 一本词典
  yì běn cídiǎn
  a dictionary

• 两本杂志
  liǎng běn zázhì
  two magazines

• 五本笔记本
  wǔ běn bǐjìběn
  five notebooks

9. 把 (bǎ)

The measure word 把 (bǎ) literally means “handful”. It’s commonly used for objects that can be held and implements with handles.

Examples:

• 一把刀
  yì bǎ dāo
  a knife

• 一把叉子
  yì bǎ chāzi
  a fork

• 一把剪刀
  yì bǎ jiǎndāo
  a pair of scissors

• 一把伞
  yì bǎ sǎn
  an umbrella

• 一把吉他
  yì bǎ jítā
  a guitar

• 一把椅子
  yì bǎ yǐzi
  a chair

10. 件 (jiàn)

The measure word 件 (jiàn) is used commonly in a few ways – with things, matters, clothes (top half), gifts, furniture, luggage, etc, even though they have nothing in common.

Here are some examples:

• 一件事
  yí jiàn shì
  a thing

• 一件汗衫
  yí jiàn hànshān
  a T-shirt

• 一件大衣
  yí jiàn dàyī
  a coat

• 一件礼物
  yí jiàn lǐwù
  a gift

• 一件行李
  yí jiàn xíngli
  a piece of luggage

11. 辆 (liàng)

The measure word 辆 (liàng) is commonly used for vehicles with wheels (but not trains). You can use it to talk about cars, buses, bikes, scooters, and the like.

Let’s see how it’s used:

• 一辆汽车
  yí liàng qìchē
  a car

• 两辆大巴
  liǎng liàng dàbā
  two buses

• 三辆自行车
  sān liàng zìxíngchē
  three bicycles

• 四辆摩托车
  sì liàng mótuōchē
  four motorcycles

As you can see from the structure of the character 辆 (liàng), its radical “车” stands for vehicle and the right part “两” – meaning “two”, indicates the common ground between these vehicles: they all have at least two wheels.

12. 家 (jiā)

The word 家 (jiā) literally means “home” or “family”, but it can also be used as a measure word for business establishments such as companies, banks, shops, restaurants, etc.

Examples:

• 一家公司
  yì jiā gōngsī
  a company

• 两家银行
  liǎng jiā yínháng
  two banks

• 三家超市
  sān jiā chāoshì
  three supermarkets

• 这家餐厅
  zhè jiā cāntīng
  this restaurant

• 那家酒吧
  nà jiā jiǔbā
  that bar

13. 杯 (bēi)/瓶 (píng)

Speaking of “bar”, do you ever wonder how to count drinks in Chinese? It’s pretty simple. There are two common measure words for it: 杯 (bēi) and 瓶 (píng).

Learning how to use the measure words 杯 (bēi) and 瓶 (píng) in Chinese should be quite simple as they can be directly translated to the English words “cup/glass” and “bottle”.

Let’s take a look at how they are used in action.

• 一杯冰水
  yì bēi bīng shuǐ
  a glass of iced water

• 一杯绿茶
  yì bēi lǜ chá
  a cup of green tea

• 两杯咖啡
  liǎng bēi kāfēi
  two cups of coffee

• 三瓶可乐
  sān píng kělè
  three bottles of coke

• 十瓶啤酒
  shí píng píjiǔ
  ten bottles of beer

14. 份 (fèn)

Now let’s move on to food. You can use the measure word 份 (fèn) to talk about a portion or serving of food.

For example:

• 一份米饭
  yí fèn mǐfàn
  a serving of rice

• 一份快餐
  yí fèn kuài cān
  a serving of fast food

• 一份点心
  yí fèn diǎnxin
  a serving of Dim Sum

This measure word is also widely used for documents, copies, newspapers, shares, packages, and so on.

Examples:

• 一份表格
  yí fèn biǎogé
  a form

• 一份报纸
  yí fèn bàozhǐ
  a newspaper

• 一份外卖
  yí fèn wàimài
  a portion of delivered food

15. 元 (yuán)/块 (kuài)

Finally, we’ll learn how to count money in Chinese.

We’re going to put these two measure words together, as both of them are the basic monetary unit of China. 元 (yuán) and 块 (kuài) are essentially the same, it’s just that 块 (kuài) is more colloquial. If it helps, think of 元 (yuán) as the Chinese “dollars” and 块 (kuài) as the Chinese “bucks”.

• 五十元钱
  wǔ shí yuán qián
  50 RMB

• 一百块钱
  yì bǎi kuài qián
  100 RMB

How to Memorize Common Measure Words in Chinese

As we’ve mentioned, there are about 150 commonly used measure words in Chinese, but if you can master the 15 most important ones we’ve covered in this article, you’ll be well on your way to being a measure word expert!

Since Chinese measure words are used to express the quantity of literally everything, you cannot expect to learn them all by memorizing a list of rules, that’s why we don’t suggest learning them through traditional methods like flashcards or grammar drills. (Doing this will take quite some time, and in result, it’s not effective)

Instead, the most effective way to master Chinese measure words is to keep using them in real contexts until they all sink in. The more you practice, the more each measure word will stick with the noun. Whenever you learn a new noun, make sure to simultaneously connect it with its measure word.

And don’t be afraid of making mistakes. If you can’t think of the appropriate measure word, you can always fall back on 个 (gè). Chances are, people will still understand what you are talking about and gently correct you. The way native speakers respond to your shaky, early uses of measure words will reinforce the usage of these words like nothing else!

If you’d like to learn more Chinese measure words, we’ve got you covered! We’ve written a more detailed post on this topic with a complete list of all 150 common measure words you need to speak fluent Chinese. Get it here.

As a student of Chinese, measure words (量词 or liàngcí in pinyin) are one of the first aspects of Chinese grammar you’ll encounter. The fact that almost all Chinese nouns must be preceded by a measure word makes these pesky classifiers hard to avoid.

Luckily, Chinese measure words are one of the easier aspects of the language. Read on to get an idea of what they are and how to use them.

There are many different measure words in Chinese. Some are used more frequently than others. Check out our list of 100 of the most common measure words that you’re likely to encounter below.

Note that any value in the Example column below can be swapped for a larger number and the rest of the example phrase stays the exact same. For instance, 一个人、两个人、三个人 (yī gè rén, liǎng gè rén, sān gè rén, sì gè rén; one person, two people, three people), and so on. The sole exception in the below chart is 点 (diǎn; a little; a bit; some).

What are measure words?

Measure words are words used to quantify nouns. That might sound complicated at first, but the function of these words quickly becomes clear when we examine how they’re used in English.

Measure words in English

Although most English speakers may not have heard the term “measure words,” these words are actually relatively common in English. In fact, most people understand how to use them intuitively.

Words like “pair” and “piece” are English measure words. Whenever you say common phrases like “a pair of pants” or “three pieces of bread,” you’re employing English measure words like a pro!

Nouns like “pants” and “bread” sound odd without measure words. We wouldn’t normally say “three breads” or “a pants.” However, there are many other English nouns, like “house” or “cat,” that don’t take any measure words. Phrases like “a house” or “three cats” sound perfectly natural.

Measure words in Chinese

Measure words in Chinese are similar to those used in English, except easier! While English speakers have to decide whether or not it’s necessary to use a measure word with each noun they encounter, there’s usually no such question in Chinese.

Chinese proper nouns (think names of people or names of countries) don’t need measure words, but every other Chinese noun needs to be accompanied by one.

In Chinese, simple phrases like “a car,” “two cats” or “three buildings”  must be paired with a measure word.

How are Chinese measure words used?

Employ the following structure to use Chinese measure words correctly:

• Number + Measure Word + Noun

The basics of Chinese measure words

Imagine that you want to say “a person” in Chinese. To do so, you’ll need to utilize the correct vocabulary words and follow the above structure to create your phrase.

“Person” in Chinese is 人 (rén in pinyin). The measure word that goes with person is 个 (gè), and since you’re talking about a single person, you’ll need the Chinese word for one, which is 一 (yī). Thus, your phrase would read: 一个人 (yī gè rén; one person).

Now let’s say you want to make your phrase plural. In English, you’d either add an ‘s’ to the noun or use its irregular plural form, which in the case of “person” is “people.” Your correct plural English phrase would read, “two people.”

Luckily, Chinese nouns don’t have a special plural form. They stay the same no matter whether they’re plural or singular.

To create the Chinese equivalent of the English phrase “two people,” you simply need to replace the Chinese number one (一 yī) with the Chinese number two (两 liǎng) to form the phrase 两个人 (liǎng gè rén; two people).

Different types of nouns, different types of Chinese measure words

What happens if you want to translate a more complex English phrase that contains an English measure word, like “a piece of cake”?

In this sentence, the English measure word is “piece.” To translate it into Chinese, we must first identify the noun, which is “cake,” or 蛋糕 (dàngāo) in Chinese.

Next, we need to know the specific Chinese measure word that goes with 蛋糕 (dàngāo), which is 块 (kuài). If we want to talk about one piece, we’d also need the Chinese word for “one,” which is 一 yī. After plugging these words into the number + measure word + noun construction above, our Chinese phrase would read 一块蛋糕 (yī kuài dàngāo; one piece of cake).

If we had two pieces of cake, then we’d write 两块蛋糕 (liǎng kuài dàngāo; two pieces of cake).

Note that in English, measure words are generally used with articles like “a” and the preposition “of.” These are unnecessary in Chinese, however.

Why measure words matter

There are several reasons why learning measure words is well worth your time.

Bad habits die hard: Meet 个 (gè)

个 (gè) is the most common Chinese measure word and the easiest to use. It’s a generic, catch-all measure word.

It’s possible to use 个 (gè) with almost any Chinese noun and still be understood. Sometimes, native speakers even default to 个 (gè) after forgetting which measure word to use with a certain noun. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s always correct to use 个 (gè).

After realizing how common 个 (gè) is, many students quickly begin overusing it. This overuse of 个 (gè) as a beginner can lead to bad habits that will be hard to change later on. If you don’t pay attention to learning and using the correct measure words now, it may be difficult to remember to do so in the future.

Measure words are an integral part of Chinese

Measure words are an important part of the Chinese language. If you don’t learn to use them correctly, you won’t ever be able to claim real fluency.

Just because Chinese speakers can understand what you mean to say when you use 个 (gè) instead of the correct measure word doesn’t mean that your speech sounds grammatically correct. If you want to be taken seriously by Chinese speakers, you’ll need to get the details right.

Measure words help with understanding

Using measure words correctly can also help people understand you better. This is because Chinese is full of homophones, which are words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings.

Since different nouns take different measure words, using the right measure word-noun pairing can help clarify your meaning.

10 common measure words to learn today

In addition to the very commonly used 个 (gè) and 块 (kuài) discussed above, here are 10 common Chinese measure words that every Chinese language learner should know.

1. 只 (zhī)

只 (zhī) is a common measure word used for birds and certain animals. It can also be used for one of a pair, usually when referring to certain parts of the human body that come in pairs, like eyes and hands. Less commonly, it’s used with objects like boats and suitcases.

Example 1:

• 三只鸟
• sān zhī niǎo
• three birds

Example 2:

• 一只手
• yī zhī shǒu
• a hand

2. 本 (běn)

本 (běn) is used with books, textbooks and other similar book-like bound objects, such as photo albums.

Example 1:

• 一本书
• yī běn shū
• a book

Example 2:

• 两本词典
• liǎng běn cídiǎn
• a dictionary

3. 辆 (liàng)

辆 (liàng) is another common measure word you’ll need to use when talking about vehicles like cars and buses.

Example 1:

• 五辆车
• wǔ liàng chē
• five cars

Example 2:

• 一辆公交车
• yī liàng gōngjiāo chē
• a bus

4. 瓶 (píng)

瓶 (píng) is similar to the English measure word “bottle,” but can also be used to refer to jars, flasks and vases.

Example 1:

• 一瓶水
• yī píng shuǐ
• a bottle of water

Example 2:

• 两瓶葡萄酱
• liǎng píng pútáo jiàng
• two jars of grape jelly

5. 杯 (bēi)

Like 瓶 (píng), 杯 (bēi) is another Chinese measure word with a close English equivalent. It’s used as a classifier for containers of liquids, much like “glass” and “cup” in English.

Example 1:

• 一杯水
• yī bēi shuǐ
• a cup of water

Example 2:

• 三杯啤酒
• sān bēi píjiǔ
• three cups of beer

6. 碗 (wǎn)

碗 (wǎn) is used like the English measure word “bowl.” It comes in handy when ordering food that comes in bowls, such as rice or noodles.

Example 1:

• 一碗米饭
• yī wǎn mǐfàn
• a bowl of rice

Example 2:

• 两碗面条
• liǎng wǎn miàntiáo
• two bowls of noodles

7. 双 (shuāng)

双 (shuāng) is roughly equivalent to the English measure word “pair.” It’s used with words for things that come in pairs like shoes, socks and chopsticks.

Example 1:

• 一双筷子
• yī shuāng kuàizi
• a pair of chopsticks

Example 2:

• 一双鞋子
• yī shuāng xiézi
• a pair of shoes

8. 件 (jiàn)

件 (jiàn) is a super useful measure word that’s most commonly used with clothing. It also works with certain items of furniture and luggage, as well as with abstract events.

Example 1:

• 一件衣服
• yī jiàn yīfú
• a piece of clothing

Example 2:

• 一件事
• yī jiàn shì
• a matter (as in, a business matter, i.e. something that happened)

9. 张 (zhāng)

张 (zhāng) is a measure word that’s most commonly used with flat objects like paper, cards, tickets, desks and tables.

Example 1:

• 一张桌子
• yī zhāng zhuōzi
• a table

Example 2:

• 两张票
• liǎng zhāng piào
• two tickets

10. 种 (zhǒng)

种 (zhǒng) is used when talking about a sort, kind or type of thing. It can be used with nouns that refer to either objects or abstract concepts or feelings.

Example 1:

• 一种动物
• yī zhǒng dòngwù
• a type of animal

Example 2:

• 一种感觉
• yī zhǒng gǎnjué
• a kind of feeling (or, a type of feeling, a sort of feeling, etc.)

Chinese measure word learning strategies

So what’s the best way to learn Chinese measure words? We’ve outlined two useful paths to measure word mastery below.

Memorization

Unfortunately, learning Chinese measure words requires a certain amount of rote memorization. Eventually, you’ll need to memorize which measure words go with which nouns.

Luckily, the use of measure words in Chinese isn’t random. There are definitely some patterns which can help Chinese learners memorize them more efficiently.

When learning Chinese measure words, it helps to remember that they contain clues about the nouns they classify. Measure words can indicate whether the noun is an animal, an object, a person or a concept. They can also tell you something about the noun’s size and shape. Therefore, it’s helpful to memorize the types of things measure words usually describe.

For example, 张 (zhāng) is usually used to describe flat objects. If you memorize this fact, next time you’re talking about something flat, you can try using 张 (zhāng) as your measure word. Chances are, you’ll have used it correctly.

Some students find it helpful to learn groups of measure words based on the qualities of the objects they usually classify. For example, a student might make a list of the most common measure words used to describe animals, including 只 (zhī), 匹 (pǐ), 头 (tóu), 条 (tiáo) and 峰 (fēng). Then, they might memorize them all together. This makes it easier to make educated guesses about which measure words to use for animals.

This method certainly narrows the field of choices, but you’ll still need to know which measure word to use with which animal. Unfortunately, knowing to use 匹 (pǐ) with horses, 只 (zhī) with chickens and 峰 (fēng) with camels still requires memorization.

Chinese Immersion

Even if you’ve spent a long time memorizing measure words, they won’t come naturally unless you immerse yourself in a Chinese-speaking environment. Chinese immersion can help you develop an almost subconscious understanding of which measure words go with which nouns.

One tricky aspect of Chinese measure words is that individual nouns can sometimes be used with more than one measure word depending on which aspect of the noun the speaker wants to highlight. This sort of nuanced usage is easiest to grasp through repeat exposure to the language being used in context.

Full language immersion in China is definitely the most effective way to improve your understanding of measure words as well as your overall Chinese fluency.

If studying Chinese in China isn’t possible, however, you should still make every effort to listen to Chinese frequently. Even passive listening can be amazingly effective. Try checking out our list of excellent Chinese podcasts for some ideas on what to listen to. You should also seek out native Chinese speakers to practice with, whether in your community or online.

With a bit of determination, you’ll soon be using measure words like an old China hand.