Measure words: 个, 本, 杯, 张, 口, 只
三本书, 两杯咖啡: a number or 这/那 needs a measure word before the noun.
Part of the free A1 Chinese course (about HSK 1–2). Examples are in Simplified characters with pinyin; press the speaker to hear one with your device's Chinese voice.
A word between the number and the noun
In English you can say three books directly, but you can't say three waters: you say three glasses of water. Chinese does this with almost every noun. Between a number and a noun there is a measure word (also called a classifier):
| Number | Measure word | Noun | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 三 (sān) | 本 (běn) | 书 (shū) | three books |
| 两 (liǎng) | 杯 (bēi) | 咖啡 (kāfēi) | two cups of coffee |
| 一 (yí) | 个 (gè) | 人 (rén) | one person |
The six to learn first
| Measure word | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 个 (gè) | people and many everyday things; the general one | 一个人 (yí gè rén) |
| 本 (běn) | books, notebooks | 一本书 (yì běn shū) |
| 杯 (bēi) | a cup or glass of a drink | 一杯茶 (yì bēi chá) |
| 张 (zhāng) | flat things: paper, tickets, tables, beds, photos | 一张票 (yì zhāng piào) |
| 口 (kǒu) | the number of people in a family | 五口人 (wǔ kǒu rén) |
| 只 (zhī) | many animals: cats, birds; also one of a pair (a hand) | 一只猫 (yì zhī māo) |
A few nouns are units themselves and take no measure word: 一天 (yì tiān, one day), 两年 (liǎng nián, two years), 三岁 (sān suì, three years old).
个 is the most common measure word. If you forget the right one, 个 is the safest guess, but learn each noun with its own measure word.
- 我有一本书。(Wǒ yǒu yì běn shū.)I have a book.
- 我要两杯咖啡。(Wǒ yào liǎng bēi kāfēi.)I'd like two cups of coffee.
- 他家有五口人。(Tā jiā yǒu wǔ kǒu rén.)There are five people in his family.
- 我们有三只猫。(Wǒmen yǒu sān zhī māo.)We have three cats.
这 and 那 need one too
这 (zhè, this) and 那 (nà, that) also take a measure word before the noun: 这个人 (zhè gè rén) = this person, 那张桌子 (nà zhāng zhuōzi) = that table. So does the question word 几 (jǐ, how many): 几张票 = how many tickets (Question words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿, 几, 多少, 怎么).
- 这个人是我的老师。(Zhè gè rén shì wǒ de lǎoshī.)This person is my teacher.
- 那张桌子很大。(Nà zhāng zhuōzi hěn dà.)That table is big.
- 你要几张票？(Nǐ yào jǐ zhāng piào?)How many tickets do you want?
Two: 两, not 二
Before a measure word, "two" is 两 (liǎng), not 二 (èr): 两个人, 两本书. 二 is for counting and inside bigger numbers (十二, 二十). See Numbers 0–99 and your age.
The tone of 一
一 changes its tone before a measure word (Tone changes: 你好, 不 and 一): yí before a fourth tone (一个 yí gè), yì before the other tones (一本 yì běn, 一杯 yì bēi, 一张 yì zhāng).
Common mistakes
我有三书。→ 我有三本书。A number never goes straight onto a noun.二个人→ 两个人. "Two" before a measure word is 两.一本咖啡→ 一杯咖啡. 本 is for books; a drink is counted in cups, 杯.个三人→ 三个人. The order is always number, measure word, noun.
Practice
- 我有三_____书。(Wǒ yǒu sān ___ shū.)Options: 本 (běn) · 张 (zhāng) · 只 (zhī)
Show the answer
本 (běn) — 本 counts books.
- 我要一_____茶。(Wǒ yào yì ___ chá.)Options: 杯 (bēi) · 本 (běn) · 口 (kǒu)
Show the answer
杯 (bēi) — 杯 = a cup or glass of a drink.
- _____个学生 (___ gè xuésheng)Options: 两 (liǎng) · 二 (èr) · 双 (shuāng)
Show the answer
两 (liǎng) — Before a measure word, 'two' is 两.
- 她有一_____狗。(Tā yǒu yì ___ gǒu.)
Show the answer
只 — 只 counts most animals. For dogs, 条 (tiáo) is also very common.