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Chinese Measure Words 🤔 71 Frequently Used (With Free PDF, Video and Quiz)

Your Complete Guide to Chinese Measure Words

Chinese measure words can be one of the most intimidating and confusing things about learning Chinese for beginners.

Even for advanced learners it can be difficult to know which is the correct measure word to use because there are literally hundreds of them!

That’s why we’ve put together a complete guide to 12 of the most common and 59 of the most frequently used Chinese measure words.

Whether you’re a beginner or more advanced learner of Chinese you’ll be able to expand beyond just using 个 gè.

To make things easier, we’ve split up the measure words into different categories, starting with 12 of the most common Chinese measure words.

For any beginners you might want to get your head around the first 12 before trying to learn anymore.

You’ll notice that some measure words appear in more than one category as some can be used for a variety of objects.

Chinese Measure Words – 12 of the Most Common

Chinese Measure Words – People and Animals

Chinese Measure Words – Body Parts

Chinese Measure Words – Food

Chinese Measure Words – Plants, Fruit and Vegetables

Chinese Measure Words – Vehicles and Buildings

Chinese Measure Words – Household Items

Chinese Measure Words – Clothing and Jewellery

Chinese Measure Words – Time

Chinese Measure Words – Units of Measure

Chinese Measure Words – Pairs, Collections and Groups

FREE DOWNLOAD – Measure Words PDF

TEST YOURSELF – Chinese Measure Words Quiz

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Chinese Measure Words – 12 of The Most Common

Firstly, don’t let yourself be too overwhelmed by the concept of measure words. They do actually exist in other languages like English for certain nouns such as three glasses, or a bar of chocolate.

The only difference in Chinese is that all nouns must have a measure word before them

It may take a little bit of getting used to at first, but after a little while, including a measure word will just seem like second nature!

#1 – 个 gè

The king of all measure words!

个 gè can be used as a generic measure word if you’re not sure of the correct one. Although hopefully with our guide you’ll be able to up your Chinese game and start using some other measure words instead!

In general 个 gè should be used as a measure word for people and unspecified items:

• 一个朋友 yí gè péngyou – A friend
• 一个东西 yī gè dōngxī – A thing

#2 – 张 zhāng

This is an important measure word to learn for anyone living or travelling in China as it is used for flat things such as pieces of paper.

For instance it would be used when buying tickets:

• 两张火车票 liǎng zhāng huǒchē piào – Two train tickets
• 一张硬卧票 yī zhāng yìng wò piào – One soft sleeper ticket

This measure word is also used for other flat objects like certain furniture:

• 一张双人床 yī zhāng shuāngrén chuáng – A double bed
• 我想订一张桌子 wǒ xiǎng dìng yī zhāng zhuōzi – I want to book a table

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#3 – 本 běn

This is another important one to learn, because here 个 really can’t be used as a replacement, or you’re going to get some strange looks!

本 běn is used for when you are talking about books, magazines, notebooks etc.

• 一本杂志 yī běn zázhì – A magazine
• 一本笔记本 yī běn bǐjìběn – A notebook

#4 – 杯 bēi

If you want to advance your Chinese ordering beyond pointing at the menu and saying 这个 zhège, then this is a good word to start with.

杯 bēi is the measure word used for glasses or cups. This is an easy one to get used to as we use glass as a measure word in other languages.

• 两杯红酒 liǎng bēi hóngjiǔ – Two glasses of red wine
• 三杯啤酒 sān bēi píjiǔ – Three glasses of beer

To ask for a physical glass you need to add 子 zi at the end (杯子 bēizi).

#5 – 瓶 píng

Similar to 杯 bēi, 瓶 píng is a good measure word to learn for when ordering drinks in bars or restaurants.

瓶 píng is the quantifier for bottles, it’s helpful to learn so that you can distinguish between ordering a bottle or glass of something.

• 一瓶水 yī píng shuǐ – A bottle of water
• 一瓶白葡萄酒 yī píng bái pútáojiǔ – A bottle of white wine

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#6 – 条 tiáo

Now, we’ve come onto a slightly more tricky and obscure measure word because the connection between words it’s used for doesn’t seem immediately obvious.

• 两条鱼 liǎng tiáo yú – Two fish
• 一条路 yī tiáo lù – A road
• 这条河 zhè tiáo hé – This river
• 两条裤子 liǎng tiáo kù zi – Two pairs of trousers

It may seem strange to have the same measure word for fish and road. What do they have in common?

However, it actually makes sense, in general this measure word is used for long, narrow or skinny objects and animals.

You’ll see that this measure word appears in quite a few different categories.

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#7 – 件 jiàn

This is a measure word that has quite a few broad uses. 件 jiàn is used for some items of clothing, presents or problems/matters.

• 一件衬衫 yī jiàn chènshān- A shirt
• 一件事 – yī jiàn shì – One matter or problem

Unlike 条 tiáo, it isn’t clear how these words are all connected!

#8 – 块 kuài

Most people will be familiar with the measure word 块 kuài which is used as the colloquial classifier for 元 yuán. However, it is also used for big pieces of something, portions and wristwatches.

• 三块钱 sān kuài qián – Three yuan
• 一块石头 yī kuài shítou – A rock

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#9 – 家 jiā

This is another word that most people will be familiar with as it’s the word for home or family.

But, 家 jiā is also a measure word and is used for families or business establishments.

• 这家公司 zhè jiā gōng sī – This company
• 一家酒吧 – yī jiā jiǔ bā – A bar
• 两家人家 liǎng jiā rénjiā – Two families

#10 – 只 zhī

In general 只 zhī is the go to measure word for animals, although not all animals. (You can have a look at the animals section to see which).

It is also used for body parts that come in pairs, to mean “one of a pair”.

• 五只猫 – wǔ zhī māo – Five cats
• 四只鸡 sì zhī jī – Four chickens
• 一只耳朵 yì zhī ěr duo- An ear

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#11 – 辆 liàng

The measure word 辆 liàng is used for vehicles with wheels, although not for trains (check out the transport section).

• 一辆摩托车 yī liàng mótuō chē – A motorbike
• 三辆自行车 sān liàng zì xíng chē – Three bicycles
• 五辆车 wǔ liàng chē – Five cars

#12 – 双 shuāng

This is the measure word for pairs. However, 双 shuāng is not used for all things you would say pair for in English. For example as we saw earlier the measure word for a pair of trousers is actually 条 tiáo.

• 一双筷子 yī shuāng kuàizi – A pair of chopsticks
• 一双鞋 yī shuāng xié – A pair of shoes
• 两双手套 liǎng shuāng shǒutào – Two pairs of gloves

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PRO TIP: If you select a word in Pleco many words will have the appropriate measure word at the bottom of the page

Chinese Measure Words – People and Animals

First up in our categories is people and animals. Some of these measure words we’ve already covered in the most common measure words section.

People

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example Sentence
个	gè	Person, general measure word	一个人 yī gè rén A person
位	wèi	More respectful than 个, and used only for people	三位老师 sān wèi lǎoshī Three teachers
名	míng	People with status, typically used for a person’s occupation	一名医生 yī míng yīshēng A doctor
口	kǒu	Family members, household (rarely used in speech)	三口人 sān kǒu rén Three persons

Animals

There are four different measure words used for animals in Chinese.

• 只 zhī – Used for most animals including birds
  • 一只鸟 yī zhī niǎo – A bird
  • 一只狗 yī zhī gǒu – A dog
  • 一只大象 yī zhī dà xiàng – An elephant

• 头 tóu – Bigger animals, normally livestock
  • 一头猪 yī tóu zhū – A pig
  • 一头牛 yī tóu niú – A cow

• 匹 pǐ – Horses, mules etc.
  • 一匹马 yī pǐ mǎ – A horse

• 条 tiáo – Fish, snakes
  • 一条蛇 yì tiáo shé – A snake
  • 一条鱼 yì tiáo yú – A fish
  • 一条龙 yì tiáo lóng – A dragon

Chinese Measure Words – Body Parts

Here are the six Chinese measure words used for classifying body parts in Chinese.

张 zhāng – Measure word for face, mouth
一张脸 yì zhāng liǎn – A face
一张嘴 yì zhāng zuǐ – A mouth

根 gēn – Thin, slender body parts e.g. finger, a hair

• 一根手指 yì gēn shǒu zhǐ – A finger
• 一根头发 yì gēn tóu fa – A hair

只 zhī – For body parts, this means “one of a pair”.
一只耳朵 yì zhī ěr duo – An ear
一只手 yì zhī shǒu – A hand

条 tiáo – Long, narrow body parts

• 一条腿 yì tiáo tuǐ – A leg

双 shuāng – A pair of body parts
一双眼睛 yì shuāng yǎnjing – A pair of eyes
一双手 yì shuāng shǒu – A pair of hands

颗 kē – Small, normally round body parts

• 一颗牙齿 yì kē yá chǐ – A tooth
• 一颗心 yì kē xīn – A heart

Chinese Measure Words – Food

This is the must read category for anyone who wants to improve their restaurant ordering skills.

• 碗 wǎn – For food in bowl
  • 一碗面 yì wǎn miàn – A bowl of noodles
  • 一碗汤 yì wǎn tāng – A bowl of soup
• 份 fèn – For a meal of a fixed menu in a restaurant
  • 一份米饭 yí fèn mǐfàn – An order of rice
• 串 chuàn – Skewer
  • 一串肉 yī chuàn ròu – A skewer of meat
• 盘 pán – dish, and can be used for a plate of food
  • 一盘菜 yì pán cài – A dish
  • 一盘饺子 yì pán jiǎozi – A plate of dumplings

• 锅 guō – Pot, pan, boiler
  • 一锅粥 yì guō zhōu – A pot of porridge
  • 一锅汤 yì guō tāng – A pot of soup
• 笼 lóng – Bamboo or wooden utensil for steaming food
  • 一笼包子 yì lóng bāozi – An order of steamed stuffed buns
  • 一笼蒸饺 yì lóng zhēngjiǎo – An order of steamed dumplings
• 碟 dié – Small plate
  • 一碟醋 yì dié cù – A dish of vinegar
  • 一碟花生米 yì dié huāshēngmǐ – A dish of peanuts
• 顿 dùn – Meal
  • 一顿饭 yí dùn fàn – A meal
  • 一顿早餐 yí dùn zǎocān – A breakfast

• 片 piàn – Thin slice of food
  • 一片面包 yí piàn miànbāo – A slice of bread
  • 一片培根 yí piàn péigēn – A slice of bacon
• 块 kuài – A portion, piece or thick slice of food
  • 一块蛋糕 yí kuài dàngāo – A piece of cake
  • 一块西瓜 yí kuài xīguā – A slice of watermelon

• 包 bāo – Pack, packet or bag
  • 一包糖果 yì bāo tángguǒ – A pack of candies
  • 一包饼干 yì bāo bǐnggān – A pack of biscuits
• 盒 hé – Box or carton
  • 一盒牛奶 yì hé niúnǎi – A carton of milk
  • 一盒巧克力 yì hé qiǎokèlì – A box of chocolate

In our most common measure words we already saw the words for bottle (瓶 píng) and glass (杯 bēi), here are a couple more:

• 听 tīng – Can
  • 一听可乐 yì tīng kělè – A can of cola
• 罐 guàn – Jar, pot, tin
  • 一罐蜂蜜 yí guàn fēngmì – A jar of honey

Make sure to have a look at guide to reading a Chinese menu, for more tips on ordering food at restaurants.

We also have a handy menu cheat sheet, which you can save on Instagram.

Of course, if all else fails when trying to order food in a restaurant there is always the “这个 zhège” technique, which you can see Campbell using at the end of the video below.

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Chinese Measure Words – Plants, Fruit and Vegetables

Plants

There are three Chinese measure words used for plants.

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example Sentence
棵	kē	classifier for trees, grass etc. (also includes cabbages)	一棵树 yī kē shù A tree
株	zhū	smaller trees/plants, flower still in the ground	一株花 yī zhū huā A flower
朵	duǒ	for flowers, clouds or things similar to them	一朵玫瑰 yī duǒ méigu A stem of rose

Fruit and Vegetables

The measure words for fruit and vegetables tend to describe the size and shape of them. There are also some fruit or vegetables such as apples or aubergines, where you can just use 个 gè.

• 根 gēn – Long slender objects; thin, flexible strands
  • 一根胡萝卜 yì gēn húluóbo – A carrot
  • 一根黄瓜 yì gēn huángguā – A cucumber

• 颗 kē – Small objects, objects appearing small (hearts, pearls, diamonds, teeth, satellites, etc.)
  • 一颗葡萄 yì kē pú tao – A grape
  • 一颗樱桃 yì kē yīng táo – A cherry

• 粒 lì – Gain; classifier for small round things (seeds, peas, bullets, peanuts, pills, grains etc.)
  • 一粒大米 yí lì dà mǐ – A grain of rice
  • 一粒黄豆 yì lì huáng dòu – A soya bean

• 头 tóu – Bulb
  • 一头蒜 yì tóu suàn – A bulb of garlic
  • 一头洋葱 yì tóu yángcōng – An onion

• 瓣 bàn – For segment, section, clove (normally 儿 is added)
  • 一瓣儿蒜 yí bànr suàn – A clove of garlic
  • 一瓣儿橘子 yí bànr júzi – A slice of orange

• 把 bǎ – For a quantity of things that can be held in one hand
  • 一把香蕉 yì bǎ xiāngjiāo – A bunch of bananas
  • 一把青菜 yì bǎ qīngcài – A bunch of green vegetables

Chinese Measure Words – Vehicles and Buildings

Vehicles

We already saw the measure word for most wheeled vehicles in our most common measure words sections.

But what about the measure words for other modes of transport in Chinese?

Hanzi & Pinyin	Meaning	Example Sentence
辆 liàng	Used for most wheeled vehicles	一辆汽车 yí liàng qì chē A car
艘 sōu	Used for ships and vessels	一艘轮船 yì sōu lún chuán A steamer
列 liè	Used for trains etc. (列 is used for a series or row of things)	一列火车 yí liè huǒ chē A train
架 jià	Used for airplanes (also used for pianos and machines)	一架飞机 yí jià fēi jī An aeroplane

Buildings

If you’ve ever written put your address in Chinese for a food delivery app or Taobao, then you may have seen some of these measure words for buildings included in your address.

• 座 zuò – Measure word for big buildings, mountains, bridges
  • 一座大厦 yí zuò dà shà – A mansion
  • 一座桥 yí zuò qiáo – A bridge
  • 一座寺庙 yí zuò sìmiào – A temple

• 栋 dòng – Measure word for buildings
  • 一栋房子 yí dòng fángzi – A house
  • 一栋别墅 yí dòng biéshù – A villa

• 间 jiān – Room
  • 一间屋子 yì jiān wūzi – A room
  • 一间教室 yì jiān jiàoshì – A classroom

• 所 suǒ – For buildings whose purposes are explicitly stated
  • 一所学校 yì suǒ xuéxiào – A school
  • 一所医院 yì suǒ yīyuàn – A hospital

• 家 jiā – As seen in our most common words this is the measure word for families or businesses
  • 一家宾馆 yì jiā bīnguǎn – A hotel
  • 一家公司 yì jiā gōngsī – A company
  • 一家电影院 yì jiā diànyǐngyuàn – A cinema

Chinese Measure Words – Household Items

Appliances/Electronics

• 台 tái – Heavy objects (TVs, computers, etc.)
  • 一台电脑 yì tái diànnǎo – A computer
  • 一台电视 yì tái diànshì – A television
• 部 bù – Measure word for small devices, films, machines, dictionaries, etc.
  • 一部手机 yí bù shǒujī – A mobile phone
• 盏 zhǎn – Lamp
  • 一盏台灯 yī zhǎn táidēng – A standing lamp

Daily use items

• 把 bǎ – Most commonly used to quantify objects that can be grasped or objects with a handle
  • 一把椅子 yì bǎ yǐzi – A chair
  • 一把勺子 yì bǎ sháozi – A spoon
• 床 chuáng – Used for bedsheets (床 chuáng is also the word for bed)
  • 一床棉被 yī chuáng miánbèi – A cotton blanket
• 条 tiáo – Towel, tablecloth
  • 一条毯子 yī tiáo tǎnzi – A blanket

Furniture

• 张 zhāng – Rectangular or flat objects (we saw this one earlier in the most common Chinese measure words list)
  • 一张饭桌 yì zhāng fànzhuō – A dining table
  • 一张沙发 yì zhāng shāfā – A sofa
• 扇 shàn – Door or window: open and close on hinges
  • 一扇门 yí shàn mén – A door
  • 一扇窗 yí shàn chuāng – A window
• Some furniture uses the generic 个 as well
  • 一个衣柜 yí gè yīguì – A wardrobe
  • 一个书架 yí gè shūjià – A bookshelf

Chinese Measure Words – Clothing and Jewellery

In the most common measure word section we will have seen the word 件 jiàn which can be used for most articles of clothing. However, here are some other measure words also used for clothing.

Hanzi & Pinyin	Meaning	Example Sentence
件 jiàn	Article of clothing	一件衣服 yī jiàn yīfú An article of clothing
条 tiáo	A long article of clothing or jewellery	一条领带 yī tiáo lǐngdài A necktie
套 tào	A set/suit of clothing	一套西装 yī tào xīzhuāng A suit
双 shuāng	A pair	一双袜子 yī shuāng wàzi A pair of socks
只 zhī	One of a pair	一只手套 yī zhī shǒutào A glove
顶 dǐng	For things that have a top e.g. hats	一顶帽子 yī dǐng màozi A hat
枚 méi	Small objects e.g. rings, brooches	一枚戒指 yī méi jièzhǐ A ring
对 duì	For certain pairs of objects	一对耳环 yī duì ěrhuán A pair of earrings

If you have an interest in clothes or just want to know vocab for some online shopping, have a look at our guides to clothes in Chinese and jewellery in Chinese.

Clothes in Chinese 👗 The Complete Guide to 101 Different Clothing Items (with Quiz)

The Ultimate Guide For Talking About Clothes in Chinese Perhaps you’re just interested in knowing different types of clothes in Chinese, or maybe you want to know specific vocab to use when shopping for clothes on Taobao. Either way our…

Chinese Measure Words – Time

These are definitely some important measure words to learn. Be careful though, as some of them are only used in writing, and aren’t really used in spoken Chinese.

• 秒 miǎo – Second 一秒钟 yī miǎo zhōng – One second
• 分 fēn – Minute 一分钟 yī fēnzhōng – One minute
• 天 tiān – Day 一天 yī tiān – One day
• 日 rì – Day 一日 yī rì – One day (used in written form)
• 周 zhōu – Week 一周 yī zhōu – One week (used in written form)
• 年 nián – Year 一年 yī nián – One year
• 代 dài – Era, generation 上一代 shàng yīdài – The previous generation
• 次 cì – Time 一次 yī cì – Once

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Some words that indicate an amount of time can’t be used on their own and need to have the measure word 个 gè used as part of them:

• 一个小时 yī gè xiǎoshí – One hour
• 一个星期 yī gè xīngqí – One week
• 一个月 yī gè yuè – One month
• 一个年代 yī gè niándài – One decade
• 一个世纪 yī gè shìjì – One century

Chinese Measure Words – Units of Measure

Next, are some Chinese measure words for units of measure. The weight units of measure are especially helpful to learn for shopping for fresh ingredients such as fruit and vegetables.

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Weight

• 斤 jīn – 0.5 kg
• 吨 dūn – Ton
• 磅 bàng – Pound (lb)

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Length

• 寸 cùn – One inch (different length to western inch – 3.3333cm)
• 尺 chǐ – One foot (different length to western foot – 1/3 m)
• 里 lǐ – 0.5 km

As you can see a Chinese inch and a Chinese foot, is not the same length as those used in the west – so be careful you don’t get confused!

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Money

• 块 kuài – Colloquial measure word for 1 元 yuán
• 毛 máo – Colloquial measure word for 1 角 jiǎo (1/10 yuan)
• 笔 bǐ – An unspecified sum of money

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Volume and Degree

• 升 shēng – 1 litre
• 斗 dòu – 10 litres
• 度 dù – Degree, level (e.g. temperature, degree of angle etc.)

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More units of measurement can be found in our complete guide to measurements in Chinese.

Chinese Measure Words – Pairs, Collections and Groups

Pairs

We’ve already seen two of these in the clothes and jewellery section, but they can also be used as measure words in other situations.

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example Sentence
双	shuāng	Pair of identical objects	一双筷子 yī shuāng kuàizi
副	fù	Pair of complementary objects	一副碗筷 yī fù wǎnkuài Bowl and chopsticks
对	duì	For couples e.g. man and wife	一对情人 yī duì qíngrén Pair of lovers

Collections and Groups

In Chinese there are also quite a few different measure words for collections and groups of people or objects.

• 些 xiē – A few
  • 一些東西 yī xiē dōngxī – A few things
• 种 zhǒng – A kind
  • 一种动物 yī zhǒng dòngwù – A type of animal
• 群 qún – Group, flock
  • 一群人 yī qún rén – A group of people
  • 一群羊 yī qún yáng – A flock of sheep
• 众 zhòng – A crowd
  • 一众人 yī zhòng rén – A crowd of people
• 组 zǔ – Set, series
  • 一组邮票 yī zǔ yóupiào – A set of stamps
• 帮 bāng – A group or a band
  • 一帮贼 yī bāng zéi – A group of thieves

• 班 bān – A class
  • 一班学生 yī bān xuéshēng – A class of students
• 排 pái – A row, queue
  • 一排电杆 yī pái diàn gān – A row of electrical posts
• 队 duì – A team, battalion
  • 一队军人 yī duì jūnrén – A battalion of soldiers
• 打 dá – A dozen
  • 一打鸡蛋 yī dá jīdàn – A dozen eggs
• 叠 dié – Stack
  • 一叠箱 yī dié xiāng – A stack of boxes/containers
  • 一叠钱 yī dié qián – A stack of money

If you made it this far, congratulations, you’ve officially mastered the measure words in Chinese!

Now let’s see how if you can hear them in conversation here. Watch this video and write down all the measure words you spot!

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So what did you think? Did you enjoy our guide? Did you learn anything new?

Drop us a comment below if you have any questions or even requests for further articles or videos – we are always all ears!

If you want to push your language skills even further, why not check out our guide to Vietnamese Measure Words as well – because learning more languages is just fun!

FREE DOWNLOAD – Measure Words PDF

As that might’ve been a lot to take in (don’t worry, it gets easier)… we thought it’d be a good thing to spend some hours creating the perfect PDF for you guys to download, FREE!

Yes indeed, there is no catch, no email to hand over, no donations – we create them out of sheer love for the language, and our readers!

It took us some time to make so we really hope you like it and use it.

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TEST YOURSELF – Our Measure Words Quiz

So we’ve done everything we can! We’ve held your hand until this far, but now it’s time to go it along and take on the Measure Words yourself!

Don’t worry, we believe in you!

This quiz is really simple to follow – every question has four options so just take a guess if you don’t know.

Results are immediate and if you like, why not share your score below?

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Chinese Radicals

The complete guide to all 214 Chinese radicals including FREE PDF, poster, video and quiz!

Chinese Numbers

Learn everything about Chinese numbers from the basic 1-20 to how you say big numbers and Chinese finger counting.

Chinese Punctuation

Confused by the differences and similarities between Chinese punctuation and Western punctuation? Then check out this blog to learn all about it.

Chinese Measure Words – FAQ’s

What are Chinese measure words?

Measure words are a word that is put before all nouns in Chinese. An English example would be a cup of tea or a stick of gum.

How many Chinese measure words are there?

There are hundreds of Chinese measure words, in our blog we’ve picked out 12 must know words and 59 of the other most frequently used.

Do I have to know the correct Chinese measure word for every word?

No so don’t worry if you are learning them. Many advanced speakers don’t even know all of the measure words in Chinese.

If in doubt you can always default to 个 gè.

What is the Chinese measure word for teacher?

When talking about teachers you normally used the polite measure word 位 wèi e.g. 三位老师 sān wèi lǎoshī (three teachers).

What is the Chinese measure word for sofa?

The Chinese measure word for sofa is 张 zhāng e.g. 一张沙发 yì zhāng shāfā – A sofa.

What is the Chinese measure word for animals?

The Chinese measure word used for most animals is 只 zhī, however this isn’t used for all animals.

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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.

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.

What Are Chinese Measure Words?

When I first started learning Chinese, one of the things I found most intimidating was measure words, or classifiers. But if you think about it, we actually use some measure words in English as well—take “a pair of pants” or “a glass of water,” for example. The difference is that in Mandarin Chinese, measure words are used before every noun. In total, there are around 150 measure words (in Chinese, 量词 (量詞) liàng cí). That seems like an insane amount of words to memorize just to qualify nouns. Thankfully though, if you learn just a fraction of these, you’ll be
set for most everyday conversations.

15 Must-Know Measure Words for Beginner Chinese Learners

Below is a list of 15 of the most common and useful measure words to get you started!

1- 个／個 (gè)

This is the most basic of all measure words, and the first one that Chinese learners and even Chinese children learn. It can be used for basically any noun, so you could scrape by with just this one measure word if you really wanted to, although you won’t sound very fluent if you do. Technically, this classifier should be used for people and non-specific items.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
三个人／三個人	sān gè rén	three people
两个蘋果／兩個蘋果	liǎng gè píngguǒ	two apples
一个想法／一個想法	yī gè xiǎngfǎ	an opinion

2- 位 (wèi)

This measure word is also used for people, but this one is more polite. It’s useful for more formal settings or when you want to show respect to someone.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
这位教授／這位教授	zhè wèi jiàoshòu	this professor
那位老太太	nà wèi lǎotàitai	that elderly woman

3- 只／隻 (zhī)

While the measure words 个 and 位 are used for people, the measure word 只 is used for most animals. It’s also used for arms, legs, hands, and feet.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
一只狗／一隻狗	yī zhī gǒu	a dog
两只腳／兩隻腳	liǎng zhī jiǎo	two feet

4- 支 (zhī)

This Chinese measure word is pronounced exactly the same as the last one (只) but it’s written and used differently! The measure word 支 is used for objects that are stick-like, such as a pen (笔 bǐ) or a chopstick (筷子 kuàizi).

Chinese	Pinyin	English
一支吸管	yī zhī xīguǎn	a drinking straw
这支手機／這支手機	zhè zhī shǒujī	this cellphone

5- 条／條 (tiáo)

Another measure word used for long items is 条. This one is used with items or things that you would think of as long, skinny, or narrow. Things like rivers (河 hé), roads (路 lù), and pants (裤子 kùzi) are all paired with this measure word. It’s also used for animals that would be considered to be long and slippery, such as fish and snakes.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
那条路／那條路	nà tiáo lù	that road
八条鱼／八條魚	bā tiáo yú	eight fish

6- 双／雙 (shuāng)

This measure word is used for items in pairs, in basically the same way that we use “pair” in English. Note that while we use “pair” for pants in English, 条 is used with pants in Chinese, as mentioned above.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
九双鞋子／九雙鞋子	jiǔ shuāng xiézi	nine pairs of shoes
一双眼睛／一雙眼睛	yī shuāng yǎnjīng	a pair of eyes
两双筷子／兩雙筷子	liǎng shuāng kuàizi	two pairs of chopsticks

7- 件 (jiàn)

We’ve already discussed how the measure words 条 and 双 can be used for certain items of clothing. However, the measure word that goes with most clothing is 件. It’s also used for some other things like matters/problems.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
一件衬衫／一件襯衫	yí jiàn chènshān	a shirt/blouse
一件事／一件事	yí jiàn shì	a matter

8- 张／張 (zhāng)

For flat objects like a ticket, a piece of paper, a table, or a CD, the measure word 张 is used. It’s also used for photos, whether physical or digital.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
三张电影票／三張電影票	sān zhāng diànyǐng piào	three movie tickets
这张照片／這張照片	zhè zhāng zhàopiàn	this photo

9- 本 (běn)

This measure word is used for books (书 shū) and other similar items like magazines, notebooks, and newspapers.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
六本书／六本書	liù běn shū	six books
一本杂志／一本雜誌	yì běn zázhì	a magazine

10- 家 (jiā)

You might already know that this Chinese word means “home” or “family,” but it’s also a measure word. It’s used for families, companies, and other business establishments.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
那家餐厅／那家餐廳	nà jiā cāntīng	that restaurant
这家公司／這家公司	zhè jiā gōngsī	this company

11- 瓶／缾 (píng) and 杯 (bēi)

If you’re going out to eat or drink, these two measure words are must-knows. 瓶 means bottle, and 杯 means cup. They’re used the same way in Chinese as they’re used in English!

Chinese	Pinyin	English
一杯水	yī bēi shuǐ	a glass of water
一缾啤酒／一瓶啤酒	yì píng píjiǔ	a bottle of beer

12- 份 (fèn)

Another measure word you may need when ordering food is 份. When it comes to food it basically means “portion.” It’s also used for bundles or batches of things, and multi-page documents.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
两份炸鸡／兩份炸雞	liǎng fèn zhájī Taiwan: ~ zhàjī	two orders of fried chicken
一份文件	yí fèn wénjiàn	a document

13- 块／塊 (kuài)

The measure word 块 will also come in handy when ordering food, as it’s most often used for foods that are cut into pieces, such as cake, bread, or pizza. It can also be used for other things that come in pieces or chunks, such as wood, as well as for money.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
一块蛋糕／一塊蛋糕	yí kuài dàngāo	a piece of cake
两块肉／兩塊肉	liǎng kuài ròu	two pieces of meat
十块钱／十塊錢	shí kuài qián	ten dollars

14- 辆／輛 (liàng)

This Chinese measure word is used for vehicles with wheels, like bicycles or cars. One exception to this is trains, which instead use the measure word 列 (liè).

Chinese	Pinyin	English
那辆车／那輛車	nà liàng chē	that car
五辆自行车／五輛自行車	wǔ liàng zìxíngchē	five bicycles

15- 台 (tái)

Our last measure word, 台, is mainly used for machines such as computers and televisions. In Taiwan, this classifier is also colloquially applied to wheeled vehicles in place of 辆.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
一台電腦	yì tái diànnǎo	a computer
那台车／那台車	nà tái chē	that car

There are many more measure words in Chinese beyond this list, but these 15 must-know measure words are a great start for beginner Mandarin Chinese learners. While measure words can seem a bit daunting at first, you’ll get the hang of them in no time!

For More Advanced Learners

Measure Words for Nouns

Individual Items: both 顆 kē and 粒 lì are used for small round objects: 球 ball, 珍珠 pearl, 心 heart, 星 star, 米 (grain of) rice, 種子 seed, 花生 peanut. Not to be confused with 棵 kē used for 樹 trees. 套 tào a set, used in much the same way as in English, for example a set meal: 套餐.

Units of length, weight, volume, and space are also considered measure words: 米 meter (Taiwan: 公尺), 釐米 centimeter (Taiwan: 公分), 里 kilometer (Taiwan: 公里), 公升 liter, 公斤 kilogram, 公克 gram, 噸 ton, 平方尺 square foot, 平方米 square meter (Taiwan: 坪 3.306 square meters), 公噸 metric ton.

Mass nouns: 一些 a few, 點兒 a little, 一點兒 a little bit

Nouns that Take No Measure Words

Nouns of time and jurisdiction typically do not take any other measure words. Instead, you can use a counter (a number) directly with the noun: 年 year, 星期 week, 天 day, 小時 hour, 分 minute, 分鐘 minute, 秒 second, 國 country, 省 province, 市 city, 縣 county. One exception is that 星期 and 小時 can take 個, optionally. 禮拜 always takes 個.

For example: 三年的時間 three years’ time, 五天的功夫 five days’ work.

Compound Measure Words

Advanced learners will need to learn how to put measure words together to create compound structures, such as: 架次 jiàcì frequency of flights, 人次 frequency of people, 秒立方米 cubic meters per second.

Measure Words for Verbs

You may have not realized it before, but many of the words you use to describe frequency of events are in fact measure words as well. And there are a variety of them, depending on the thing you’re describing. The most common one you have learned is 一下 after a verb, to do something “for a little bit”.

Other countable events: 次 cì how many times. 回 huí something that can re-occur (怎麼一回事), 頓 dùn frequency of meals/scorning/advising/yelling at (罵了一頓), 陣 zhèn short but continuous action (一陣雨 a downpour, 臺下爆發了一陣熱烈的掌聲 a roar of applause erupted below the stage), 場 chǎng used for arts performance or sports activity (and not surprisingly, crying can be considered a “performance”: 她大哭了一場 she cried a big “scene”), 趟 tàng frequency of round-trip, 遍 biàn the course of an action from beginning to end as a single unit, for example watching the complete movie: 每遍都很感動 it’s so moving every “time” or reading something to completion 從頭到尾念了一遍, 番 fān only used with single instances such as something said: 一番話, 個 ge used with actions that can be repeatable, but the number is often dropped: 洗了個澡 took one shower, 打了個電話 made a call.

Borrowed

It is quite common to borrow nouns as a measure word to count something else. We do this frequently in English, such as: 2 spoons of sugar. 三碗飯 3 bowls-(full) of rice, 兩壺酒 2 pots-(full) of liquor, 一身新衣服 1 full-body of new clothes, 一桌菜 1 table-full of food, 一盆花 1 pot-full of flowers, 一手泥 a handful of mud, 一臉汗 a face-full of sweat. In northern China, it is common to add the -r colored ending to these measure words.

For verbs, put your measure word after the action, as you would with 一下: 砍了一斧子 chopped one axe-full, 切了一刀 cut one knife-full, 放了一槍 let off one gunshot, 踢了一腳 kicked one foot-full, 咬了一口 bit off one mouth-full, 看了一眼 saw one eye-full, 打了一拳  hit one fist-full.

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You May Also Like:

1. Make the Right Word Choice When Speaking Chinese
2. How to Get The Chinese Word Order Right
3. How to Use Modal Particles in Mandarin Chinese
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There are many unique features of the Chinese language. One of the features is the Chinese measure words, which are used to measure words to count nouns. As you can see, the typical structure is “number + measure word + noun.” Since there are no changes in the noun, no matter it’s singular or plural, the Chinese use the number to specify the quantity. And the use of the measure words is often based on the noun’s shape, characteristic, container, or common use. Many Chinese learners, especially the beginners, often use “个” as their preference. It is indeed a general measure word, but not for everything. Here is a list for you to learn more about the use of the very commonly used Chinese measure words.

Chinese	Pinyin	Usage	Example
个	gè	individual person or object	一个人 (yī gè   rén) “a person” or 三个苹果 (sān gè píngguǒ) “three apples”
位	wèi	person	三位老师 (sān wèi lǎoshī) “three teachers”
名	míng	person, professional	一名医生 (yī míng yīshēng) “a doctor”
口	kǒu	dependent	六口家眷 (liù kǒu jiājuàn) “six dependents”
具	jù	corpse	一具尸体 (yījù shītǐ) “a corpse”
户	hù	household	十戶人家 (shí hù rénjiā) “ten households”
只	zhī	animal	一只鸟 (yī zhī niǎo) “a bird”
头	tóu	livestock	一头牛 (yī tóu niú) “a cow”
匹	pǐ	horse	一匹马 (yī pǐ mǎ) “a horse”
条	tiáo	fish, snakes	一条鱼 (yītiáo yú) “a fish”
棵	kē	tree	一棵树 (yī kē shù) “a tree”
株	zhū	plant, flower still in the ground	一株花 (yī zhū huā) “a flower”
朵	duǒ	flower bulb or stem	一朵玫瑰 (yī duǒ méiguī) “a stem of rose”
把	bǎ	handful	一把花 (yī bǎ huā) “a bunch of flowers”
支	zhī	long (and straight)	一支笔 (yī zhī bǐ) “a pen”
条	tiáo	long (and winding)	一条河 (yī tiáo hé) “a river”
根	gēn	long (and thin)	一根头发 (yī gēn tóufǎ) “a strand of hair”
张	zhāng	flat	一张票 (yī zhāng piào) “a ticket”
团	tuán	pile	一团乱 (yī tuán luàn) “a mess (lit. a pile of junk)”
堆	duī	big pile	一堆瓦砾 (yī duī wǎlì) “a pile of rubble”
颗	kē	small, compact	一颗珠 (yī kē zhū) “a perl”
粒	lì	tiny	一粒药 (yī lì yào) “a pill”
扇	shàn	leaf, something that turns on a hinge	一扇门(yī shàn mén) “a door”
包	bāo	a pack	一包面纸 (yī bāo miàn zhǐ) “a pack of tissues”
卷	juǎn	a roll	一卷卫生纸 (yī juǎn wèishēngzhǐ) “a roll of toilet paper”
封	fēng	an envelope	一封信 (yī fēng xìn) “a letter”
桶	tǒng	tube, bucket	一桶油漆 (yī tǒng yóuqī) “a bucket of paint”
盒	hé	box	一盒巧克力 (yī hé qiǎokèlì) “a box of chocolates”
束	shù	boquet	一束花 (yī shù huā) “a boquet of flowers”
本	běn	book	一本书 (yī běn shū) “a book”
份	fèn	newspaper	一份报纸 (yī fèn bàozhǐ) “a newspaper”
件	jiàn	incident	一件事 (yī jiàn shì) “an incident, a circumstance, a thing”
节	jié	event, episode	一节课 (yī jié kè) “one class” from a series or a course
门	mén	a subject or series of classes	你在修几门课­n  (nǐ zài xiū jǐ mén kè) “How many subjects are you taking?”
次	cì	time, occurrence	三次 (sān cì) “three times”
场	chǎng	large event	一场大雨 (yī chǎng dàyǔ) “a heavy rain”
段	duàn	a period of time	一段往事 (yī duàn wáng shì) “a past event”
阵	zhèn	sudden, passing event	一阵雨 (yī zhèn yǔ) “a quick rain shower”
刻	kè	a moment	一刻疯狂 (yīkè fēngkuáng) “a moment of madness”
番	fān	a long period of time, or an activity that requires significant effort	一番好气象 (yī fān hǎo qìxiàng) “a stretch of good weather”
席	xí	banquet	一席宴会 (yīxí yànhuì) “a banquet”
趟	tàng	a trip	一趟旅行 (yī tàng lǚxíng) “a tour”
间	jiān	room, house	一间屋子 (yī jiān wūzi) “a room”
栋	dòng	tall building	一栋大楼 (yī dòng dàlóu) “a tall building”
层	céng	floor	五层大楼 (wǔ céng dàlóu) “a five story building”, literally “five floors of building”
堵	dǔ	wall	一堵墙 (yī dǔ qiáng) “a wall”
面	miàn	wall	一面墙 (yīmiàn qiáng) “a wall”
所	suǒ	multi building complex	一所医院 (yī suǒ yīyuàn) “a hospital”
场	chǎng	field, open public space	一场宴会 (yī chǎng yànhuì) “a party”
家	jiā	place of work	一家公司 (yī jiā gōngsī) “a company”
座	zuò	large structure	一座桥 (yī zuò qiáo) “a bridge”
份	fèn	portion	一份面 (yī fèn miàn) “an order of noodles”
片	piàn	piece	一片饼干 (yīpiàn bǐnggān) “a piece of cookie”
块	kuài	piece, slice	一块蛋糕 (yīkuài dàngāo) “a slice of cake”
口	kǒu	sip, mouthful	口 means “mouth”.
道	dào	dish	一道名菜 (yīdào míng cài) “a famous dish”
顿	dùn	meal	一顿早餐 (yī dùn zǎocān) “a breakfast”
碗	wǎn	bowl	一碗饭 (yī wǎn fàn) “a bowl of (cooked) rice”
盘	pán	plate	一盘水果 (yī pán shuǐguǒ) “a plate of fruit”
笼	lóng	bamboo drum	一笼蒸饺(yī lóng zhēng jiǎo) “an order of steamed dumplings”
滴	dī	drop	一滴水 (yī dīshuǐ) “a drop of water”
杯	bēi	cup	一杯茶 (yī bēi chá) “a cup of tea”
瓶	píng	bottle	一瓶啤酒 (yī píng píjiǔ) “a bottle of beer”
壶	hú	teapot	一壶茶 (yī hú chá) “a pot of tea”
罐	guàn	can, jar	一罐蜂蜜 (yī guàn fēngmì) “a jar of honey”
股	gǔ	whiff, smell	一股香味 (yī gǔ xiāngwèi) “a pleasant aroma”
床	chuáng	bedsheets	一床棉被 (yī chuáng mián bèi) “a cotton blanket”
条	tiáo	towel, tablecloth	一条毯子 (yī tiáo tǎnzi) “a blanket”
盏	zhǎn	lamp	一盏台灯 (yī zhǎn táidēng) “a standing lamp”
幅	fú	painting or drawing	一幅画 (yī fú huà) “a painting or drawing”
帧	zhēn	printed picture	一帧照片 (yī zhēn zhàopiàn) “a photograph”
件	jiàn	article of clothing	一件衣服 (yī jiàn yīfú) “an article of clothing”
条	tiáo	a long article of clothing	一条领带 (yī tiáo lǐngdài) “a necktie”
套	tào	costume	一套西装 (yī tào xīzhuāng) “a (Western) suit”
顶	dǐng	hat	一顶帽子 (yī dǐng màozi) “a hat”
双	shuāng	pair of identical objects	一双眼睛 (yī shuāng yǎnjīng) “pair of eyes”
副	fù	pair of complementary objects	一副碗筷 (yī fù wǎn kuài) “bowl and chopsticks”
对	duì	matching pair	一对夫妻 (yī duì fūqī) “a married couple”, literally “one pair husband-wife” ; 一对耳环 (yī duì ěrhuán) “a pair of earrings”
些	xiē	a few	一些東西 (yī xiē dōngxī) “a few things”
种	zhǒng	a kind	一种动物 (yī zhǒng dòngwù) “a type of animal”
群	qún	group, flock	一群人 (yī qún rén)  “a group of people”
众	zhòng	a crowd	一众人 (yī zhòng rén) “a crowd of people”
组	zǔ	an organization	一组用戶 (yī zǔ yòng hù) “consumers’ organization”
帮	bāng	a group or a band	一帮贼 (yī bāng zéi) “a group of thieves”
班	bān	a class	一班学生 (yī bān xuéshēng) “a class of students”
排	pái	a row, queue	一排电杆 (yī pái diàn gān) “a row of electrical posts”
队	duì	a team, battalion	一队军人 (yī duì jūnrén) “a battalion of soldiers”
列	liè	a chain, exhibited items	一列火车 (yī liè huǒchē) “a train”, literally “a chain of cars”
项	xiàng	item in a list, headline	一项标题 (yī xiàng biāotí) “a headline”
串	chuàn	skewer	一串肉 (yī chuàn ròu) “a skewer of meat”
打	dá	dozen	一打鸡蛋 (yī dá jīdàn) “a dozen eggs”
叠	dié	stack	一叠箱 (yī dié xiāng) “a stack of boxes/containers”
句	jù	sentence	一句话 (yī jù huà) “a spoken sentence”
首	shǒu	poem, song	一首诗 (yī shǒu shī) “a poem”
场	chǎng	speech	一场演说 (yī chǎng yǎnshuō) “a speech”
通	tōng	phone call	接到三通电话 (jiē dào sān tōng diànhuà) “receive three phone calls”
篇	piān	written piece	一篇文章 (yī piān wénzhāng) “a newspaper article”
则	zé	AD, news report, story	一则广告 (yī zé guǎnggào) “an AD”
出	chū	a play	一出戏 (yī chū xì) “a play, a drama”
部	bù	a movie	一部电影 (yī bù diànyǐng) “a movie”
台	tái	machine	一台电视 (yī tái diànshì) “a television”
辆	liàng	road vehicle	一辆汽车 (yī liàng qìchē) “a car”
架	jià	airplane	一架飞机  (yī jià fēijī) “an airplane”
艘	sōu	ship	一艘帆船 (yī sōu fānchuán) “a sailboat”
秒	miǎo	second	一秒钟 (yī miǎo zhōng) “one second”
分	fēn	minute	一分钟 (yī fēnzhōng) “one minute”
天	tiān	day	一天 (yī tiān) “one day”
日	rì	day	一日 (yī rì) “one day” (used in literature and journalism)
周	zhōu	week	一周 (yī zhōu) “one week” (used in literature and journalism)
年	nián	year	一年 (yī nián) “one year”
代	dài	era, generation	上一代 (shàng yīdài) “the previous generation”
个	gè	unit	一个小时 (yīgè xiǎoshí) “one hour”
斤	jīn	unit of weight (~0.5 kg)
吨	dūn	unit of weight (ton)
磅	bàng	unit of weight (pound)
坪	píng	unit of area (~0.6 m2)
块	kuài	monetary unit (1 yuan)
毛	máo	monetary unit (1/10 yuan)
笔	bǐ	an unspecified amount of money
寸	cùn	one inch (~1/30 m)
尺	chǐ	one foot (~1/3 m)
里	lǐ	unit of distance (~0.5 km)
升	shēng	unit of volume (1 liter)
斗	dòu	unit of volume (10 liter)
度	dù	degree, level

One of the distinguishing features of the Chinese language is the importance and variety of measure words.  It is true that measure words can be found in English as well: for example, when we say a strand of hair or a head of cattle, these are considered measure words. But for the most part, they are needed only to specify a collection of things, such as a flock of sheep, or an uncountable quantity, such as a gust of wind.  But in Chinese, even single, countable objects require measure words, so that you cannot simply say “a flower”, “two people” or “five houses”.

The reason why measure words are so important in Chinese (and other Southeast Asian languages like Thai or Vietnamese) is because names of simple objects are typically words with one or two syllables, and so there are many homophone word pairs which are pronounced the same but having different meanings. The measure word serves as a kind of context that helps us to identify the meaning of the word that follows. Without measure words, the chance of misunderstanding what someone is saying becomes higher.

Chinese measure words can categorize the noun that follows it according to its function, shape, or some other property related to that noun.  In some cases, more than one measure word may be used for the same noun, and our choice depends on which characteristic we wish to emphasize.  With this in mind, “measure word” may not be the best label; we could also call them “specifiers”.

It’s difficult to count exactly how many there are — partly because most measure words also serve as other parts of speech.  Chinese often uses simple object or action names to count other objects with similar properties.  This construct can be observed in English as well, as with phrases like a slice of bread or a handful of salt. The Measure Word Dictionary, published by China Daily in Taiwan, contains over 420 measure words, and mentions that there are over 500 currently in use. (You can also check the measure words comparisons as well as more HSK4 related grammar tutorial videos at here.)

Since I am a big fan of learning by recognizing patterns, I compiled 115 frequently used measure words, grouped into sixteen logical categories.  There are seven that appear in two categories each. There is one, 场/場 (chǎng), which appears in three, and another one, 条/條(tiáo), which appears in four.  These categories will be presented in seven parts: