Difference between revisions of "Measure words with "this" and "that""
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* <em>这</em> <strong>瓶</strong> 啤酒 <span class="pinyin"> <em>zhè</em> <strong>píng</strong> píjiǔ</span><span class="trans">this bottle of beer</span> | * <em>这</em> <strong>瓶</strong> 啤酒 <span class="pinyin"> <em>zhè</em> <strong>píng</strong> píjiǔ</span><span class="trans">this bottle of beer</span> | ||
* <em>那</em> <strong>个</strong> 房间 <span class="pinyin"> <em>nà</em><strong>ge</strong> fángjiān</span><span class="trans">that room</span> | * <em>那</em> <strong>个</strong> 房间 <span class="pinyin"> <em>nà</em><strong>ge</strong> fángjiān</span><span class="trans">that room</span> | ||
| − | + | * <em>那</em> <strong>台</strong> 电脑 <span class="pinyin"> <em>nà</em> <strong>tái</strong> diànnǎo</span><span class="trans">that new computer</span> | |
| − | * <em>那</em> <strong>台</strong> | + | * <em>这</em> <strong>只</strong> 猫 <span class="pinyin"> <em>zhè</em> <strong>zhī</strong> māo</span><span class="trans">that cat</span> |
| − | * <em>这</em> <strong>只</strong> | ||
* <em>那</em> <strong>条</strong> 河 <span class="pinyin"> <em>nà</em> <strong>tiáo</strong> hé </span><span class="trans">that river</span> | * <em>那</em> <strong>条</strong> 河 <span class="pinyin"> <em>nà</em> <strong>tiáo</strong> hé </span><span class="trans">that river</span> | ||
* <em>这</em> <strong>件</strong> 衣服 <span class="pinyin"><em>zhè</em> <strong>jiàn</strong> yīfu </span><span class="trans">this piece of clothing</span> | * <em>这</em> <strong>件</strong> 衣服 <span class="pinyin"><em>zhè</em> <strong>jiàn</strong> yīfu </span><span class="trans">this piece of clothing</span> | ||
Revision as of 07:01, 20 June 2017
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Level
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Used for
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Keywords
In English, when you refer to "this table" or "that girl" you only need two words: "this" or "that" plus the noun you're referring to. In Chinese, though, you also need a measure word in the middle between the two. In the very beginning you can get away with using 个 (gè) for everything, but pretty soon you're going to have to start using other measure words in these simple phrases.
Structure
If you use 这 (zhè) or 那 (nà) before a noun, you also need to include a measure word before the noun.
这 / 那 + Measure Word + Noun
Examples
Note: In this usage, the tone of 个 (gè) tends to soften, so it's represented below as a neutral tone.
- 那 个 人 that person
- 这 本 书 this book
- 那 件 事 that matter (in the sense of business, affair, or thing)
- 这 瓶 啤酒 this bottle of beer
- 那 个 房间 that room
- 那 台 电脑 that new computer
- 这 只 猫 that cat
- 那 条 河 that river
- 这 件 衣服 this piece of clothing
Although we didn't get into it here, the same pattern holds true when you use 哪 (nǎ) to ask "which?"
