Measure words, also known as classifier words, are an integral part of the Chinese language. They are used to count or quantify nouns and indicate the relationship between the noun and the number or quantity being referred to. Each noun in Chinese is typically paired with a specific measure word, which is placed between the number and the noun.

Here are some common measure words along with their pinyin and translations:

1. 个 (gè) – general measure word
2. Example: 一个人 (yī gè rén) – one person
3. 本 (běn) – used for books
4. Example: 一本书 (yī běn shū) – one book
5. 杯 (bēi) – used for cups or glasses
6. Example: 三杯咖啡 (sān bēi kāfēi) – three cups of coffee
7. 张 (zhāng) – used for flat objects (paper, pictures, tables)
8. Example: 一张纸 (yī zhāng zhǐ) – one sheet of paper
9. 只 (zhī) – used for animals or one of a pair
10. Example: 一只猫 (yī zhī māo) – one cat

Dialogue

Person A: 你有几本书？(Nǐ yǒu jǐ běn shū?)

How many books do you have?

Person B: 我有五本书。(Wǒ yǒu wǔ běn shū.)

I have five books.

Explanation

In this dialogue, the measure word 本 (běn) is used to count books. It is placed between the number and the noun. Person A asks about the quantity of books using the measure word 几 (jǐ), which means “how many.” Person B responds by using the measure word 本 (běn) to indicate that they have five books.

Exercise

• Create your own sentence(s) using each of the measure words.