Difference between revisions of "Measure word"

Latest revision as of 04:51, 9 March 2019

Also known as: 量词 (liàngcí) and classifier.

Measure words are used together with numerals to indicate the quantity of a noun, and sometimes even of an action. The general term for "measure word" in linguistics is "classifier," because measure words involve some kind of classification of the noun (or action) being counted.

Notes

Measure words can be reduplicated to act as a sentence element. This has the meaning of 'every'.
Used after numerals or demonstrative pronouns.
If the number is just one, it can be omitted; just the measure word is OK.
半 before measure word means "half of." 半 after measure word means .".. and a half"
多 and measure words
- 多 in between numeral and measure word e.g. 十多个 means more than the number given but less than the next whole number. Like 'odd' in English e.g. "thirty-odd."
- 多 after the measure word simply means more than the number given
Most measure words are single characters, but not all (need list of two-character measure words)

Subcategories

Noun measure words

List

个
- 一个面包
- 两个会议
- 三个人
- 四个苹果
- 五个办法
- 六个词
只
- 一只小狗
- 两只鸡
- 三只鞋子
- 四只船
块
- 一块肉
- 两块蛋糕
- 三块钱
- 四块香皂
台
- 一台电视
- 两台电脑
条
- 一条鱼
- 两条腿
- 三条路
辆
- 一辆公交车
- 两辆地铁
- 三辆自行车
根
- 一根香肠
- 两根香蕉
头
- 一头猪
- 两头牛

Examples

我有一只小狗。I have one small dog.
我给了小狗一个半面包。I gave the small dog one and a half pieces of bread.
小狗吃了半根香肠。The small dog ate half of a sausage.
冰箱里只有两块奶酪。There are only two pieces of cheese in the refrigerator.
我很饿，吃了很大一条鱼。I'm hungry. I could eat a whole fish.
我看到一辆红色的法拉利。I saw a red Ferrari.

Verb measure words

List

遍
次
趟
场

Examples

请你再说一遍。Please say it one more time.
我到上海两次了。 I've come to Shanghai two times.
一个晚上去了三趟厕所。I went to the bathroom three times in one evening.
今天有两场比赛。There are two games today.

Monetary measure words

List

块
元
角
毛
分

Examples

每天给孩子一块钱。Give the children one kuai every day.
你应该再给我两元。 You should give me two yuan again.
我给你 10元，你应该找我 5 角。I gave you ten yuan, you should give me 5 five jiao in change.

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK Standard Course 4下 (pp. 90) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp. 73-95) →buy
Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 18) →buy
Chinese Grammar Without Tears (简明汉语语法学习手册) (pp. 198-208) →buy
Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 28-85) →buy
Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 43-8) →buy
Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) (pp. 1-30) →buy

Websites

Wikipedia: Chinese classifier
3000 Hànzì: Chinese Measure Words (Classifiers)
dhcca.org: 量词　(一)
Chinesegrammar.info - blog for Chinese grammar: The difference between 半 (bàn), 一半 (yí bàn) and 一个半 (yí ge bàn) in Chinese grammar

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{stub}}
+{{AKA|量词 (liàngcí)|classifier}}
+Measure words are used together with [[numeral]]s to indicate the quantity of a noun, and sometimes even of an action. The general term for "measure word" in linguistics is "classifier," because measure words involve some kind of classification of the noun (or action) being counted.
 == Notes ==
@@ Line 6: / Line 8: @@
 * Used after numerals or demonstrative pronouns.
 * If the number is just one, it can be omitted; just the measure word is OK.
-* 半 before measure word means "half of". 半 after measure word means "... and a half"
+* 半 before measure word means "half of." 半 after measure word means .".. and a half"
 * 多 and measure words
-** 多 in between numeral and measure word e.g. 十多个 means more than the number given but less than the next whole number. Like 'odd' in English e.g. "thirty-odd".
+** 多 in between numeral and measure word e.g. 十多个 means more than the number given but less than the next whole number. Like 'odd' in English e.g. "thirty-odd."
 ** 多 after the measure word simply means more than the number given
 * Most measure words are single characters, but not all (need list of two-character measure words)
@@ Line 20: / Line 22: @@
 == Noun measure words ==
-== List ==
+=== List ===
 <div class="jiegou">
@@ Line 59: / Line 61: @@
 </div>
-== Examples ==
+=== Examples ===
 <div class="liju">
-*我 有 一 <em>只</em> 小 狗。
+*我 有 一 <em>只</em> 小 狗。<span class="trans">I have one small dog.</span>
-*我 给 了 小 狗 一 <em>个</em> <strong>半</strong> 面包。
+*我 给 了 小 狗 一 <em>个</em> <strong>半</strong> 面包。<span class="trans">I gave the small dog one and a half pieces of bread.</span>
-*小狗 吃 了 <strong>半</strong> <em>根</em> 香肠。
+*小狗 吃 了 <strong>半</strong> <em>根</em> 香肠。<span class="trans">The small dog ate half of a sausage.</span>
-*冰箱 里 只 有 两 <em>块</em> 奶酪。
+*冰箱 里 只 有 两 <em>块</em> 奶酪。<span class="trans">There are only two pieces of cheese in the refrigerator.</span>
-*我 很 饿，吃 了 很 大 一 <em>条</em> 鱼。
+*我 很 饿，吃 了 很 大 一 <em>条</em> 鱼。<span class="trans">I'm hungry. I could eat a whole fish.</span>
-*我 看 到 一 <em>辆</em> 红色 的 法拉利。
+*我 看到 一 <em>辆</em> 红色 的 法拉利。<span class="trans">I saw a red Ferrari.</span>
 </div>
@@ Line 73: / Line 75: @@
 == Verb measure words ==
-== List ==
+=== List ===
 <div class="jiegou">
@@ Line 83: / Line 85: @@
 </div>
-== Examples ==
+=== Examples ===
 <div class="liju">
-*请 你 再 说 一 <em>遍</em>。
+*请 你 再 说 一 <em>遍</em>。<span class="trans">Please say it one more time.</span>
-*我 到 上海 两 <em>次</em> 了。
+*我 到 上海 两 <em>次</em> 了。 <span class="trans">I've come to Shanghai two times.</span>
-*一 个 晚上 去 了 三 <em>趟</em> 厕所。
+*一 个 晚上 去 了 三 <em>趟</em> 厕所。<span class="trans">I went to the bathroom three times in one evening.</span>
-*今天 有 两 <em>场</em> 比赛。
+*今天 有 两 <em>场</em> 比赛。<span class="trans">There are two games today.</span>
 </div>
@@ Line 95: / Line 97: @@
 == Monetary measure words ==
-== List ==
+=== List ===
 <div class="jiegou">
@@ Line 106: / Line 108: @@
 </div>
-== Examples ==
+=== Examples ===
 <div class="liju">
-*请 你 再 说 一 <em>遍</em>。
-*我 到 上海 两 <em>次</em> 了。
+*每天 给 孩子 一 <em>块</em> 钱。<span class="trans">Give the children one kuai every day.</span>
-*一 个 晚上 去 了 三 <em>趟</em> 厕所。
+*你 应该 再 给 我 两 <em>元</em> 。 <span class="trans">You should give me two yuan again.</span>
-*今天 有 两 <em>场</em> 比赛。
+*我 给 你 10元，你 应该 找 我 5 <em>角</em> 。<span class="trans">I gave you ten yuan, you should give me 5 five jiao in change.</span>
 </div>
@@ Line 119: / Line 121: @@
 === Books ===
+{{Source|HSK Standard Course 4下|90}}
 * [[A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) ]] (pp. 73-95) [http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA →buy]
 * [[Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition]] (pp. 18) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615 →buy]
@@ Line 125: / Line 128: @@
 * [[Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide]] (pp. 43-8) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415700108?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0415700108 →buy]
 * [[Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) ]] (pp. 1-30) [http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001N6R7DI&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001N6R7DI →buy]
-[[Category:Measure words]]
 === Websites ===
@@ Line 134: / Line 135: @@
 * dhcca.org: [http://www.dhcca.org/Chinese%20elements/liangci%20one.htm 量词　(一)]
 * Chinesegrammar.info - blog for Chinese grammar: [http://chinesegrammar.info/vocabulary/ban-yi-ban-yi-ge-ban-difference/ The difference between 半 (bàn), 一半 (yí bàn) and 一个半 (yí ge bàn) in Chinese grammar]
+[[Category:Measure words]]
+{{HSK|HSK4}}

Difference between revisions of "Measure word"

Latest revision as of 04:51, 9 March 2019

Contents

Notes

Subcategories

Noun measure words

List

Examples

Verb measure words

List

Examples

Monetary measure words

List

Examples

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites