Difference between revisions of "Measure words for counting"
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| − | * 一 <em>个</em> 人<span class="trans">a person</span> | + | * 一 <em>个</em> 人 <span class="pinyin">yī <em>gè</em> rén</span><span class="trans">a person</span> |
| − | * 两 <em>只</em> 猫<span class="trans">two cats</span> | + | * 两 <em>只</em> 猫 <span class="pinyin">liǎng <em>zhī</em> māo</span><span class="trans">two cats</span> |
| − | * 三 <em>条</em> 鱼<span class="trans">three fish</span> | + | * 三 <em>条</em> 鱼 <span class="pinyin">sān <em>tiáo</em> yú</span><span class="trans">three fish</span> |
| − | * 四 <em>杯</em> 啤酒<span class="trans">four glasses of beer</span> | + | * 四 <em>杯</em> 啤酒 <span class="pinyin">sì <em>bēi</em> píjiǔ</span><span class="trans">four glasses of beer</span> |
| − | * 五 <em>瓶</em> 水<span class="trans">five bottles of water</span> | + | * 五 <em>瓶</em> 水 <span class="pinyin">wǔ <em>píng</em> shuǐ</span><span class="trans">five bottles of water</span> |
| − | * 六 <em>块</em> 巧克力<span class="trans">six pieces of chocolate</span> | + | * 六 <em>块</em> 巧克力 <span class="pinyin">liù <em>kuài</em> qiǎokèlì</span><span class="trans">six pieces of chocolate</span> |
| − | * 七 <em>盒</em> 茶叶<span class="trans">seven boxes of tea leaves</span> | + | * 七 <em>盒</em> 茶叶 <span class="pinyin">qī <em>hé</em> cháyè</span><span class="trans">seven boxes of tea leaves</span> |
| − | * 八 <em>台</em> 电脑<span class="trans">eight computers</span> | + | * 八 <em>台</em> 电脑 <span class="pinyin">bā <em>tái</em> diànnǎo</span><span class="trans">eight computers</span> |
| − | * 九 <em>支</em> 玫瑰<span class="trans">nine roses</span> | + | * 九 <em>支</em> 玫瑰 <span class="pinyin">jiǔ <em>zhī</em> méiguī</span><span class="trans">nine roses</span> |
| − | * 十 <em>个</em> 美女<span class="trans">ten beautiful women</span> | + | * 十 <em>个</em> 美女 <span class="pinyin">shí <em>gè</em> měinǚ</span><span class="trans">ten beautiful women</span> |
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| − | * 一 <em>条</em> 狗<span class="trans">a dog</span> | + | * 一 <em>条</em> 狗 <span class="pinyin">yī<em>tiáo</em> gǒu</span><span class="trans">a dog</span> |
| − | * 一 <em>条</em> 河<span class="trans">a river</span> | + | * 一 <em>条</em> 河 <span class="pinyin">yī<em>tiáo</em> hé</span><span class="trans">a river</span> |
| − | * 一 <em>条</em> 路<span class="trans">a road</span> | + | * 一 <em>条</em> 路 <span class="pinyin">yī<em>tiáo</em> lù</span><span class="trans">a road</span> |
| − | * 一 <em>条</em> 龙<span class="trans">a dragon</span> | + | * 一 <em>条</em> 龙 <span class="pinyin">yī<em>tiáo</em> lóng</span><span class="trans">a dragon</span> |
| − | * 一 <em>条</em> 鱼<span class="trans">a fish</span> | + | * 一 <em>条</em> 鱼 <span class="pinyin">yī<em>tiáo</em> yú</span><span class="trans">a fish</span> |
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| − | * 一 <strong>块</strong> <em>巧克力</em><span class="trans">a piece of chocolate</span> | + | * 一 <strong>块</strong> <em>巧克力</em><span class="pinyin">yī <strong>kuài</strong> <em>qiǎokèlì</em></span><span class="trans">a piece of chocolate</span> |
| − | * 一 <strong>盒</strong> <em>巧克力</em><span class="trans">a box of chocolate</span> | + | * 一 <strong>盒</strong> <em>巧克力</em><span class="pinyin">yī <strong>hé</strong> <em>qiǎokèlì</em></span><span class="trans">a box of chocolate</span> |
| − | * 一 <strong>颗</strong> <em>巧克力</em><span class="trans">a small piece of chocolate</span> | + | * 一 <strong>颗</strong> <em>巧克力</em><span class="pinyin">yī <strong>kē</strong> <em>qiǎokèlì</em></span><span class="trans">a small piece of chocolate</span> |
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Revision as of 09:48, 30 October 2014
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Keywords
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The Chinese use of measure words, linguistically called classifiers, is very common in East Asian languages. Chinese learners should master them.
Structure
Whenever you talk about the quantity of something in Chinese, you need a measure word.
MW + Number + Noun
English does actually have measure words, it's just that most nouns don't need them. In English, most nouns are count nouns - they specify one instance of something. "An apple", for example. Some nouns are mass nouns, and refer to something without specifying how much of it there is. Examples are "furniture", "people", "chocolate" etc. You can't say "a furniture". You need a measure word: "a piece of furniture", "two groups of people", "three bars of chocolate" and so on.
In Chinese, all nouns are mass nouns, so they all need measure words. Just as in English, different nouns are associated with different measure words (e.g. it wouldn't make sense to talk about "a bar of furniture", unless something went badly wrong in the factory).
Examples
- 一 个 人 a person
- 两 只 猫 two cats
- 三 条 鱼 three fish
- 四 杯 啤酒 four glasses of beer
- 五 瓶 水 five bottles of water
- 六 块 巧克力 six pieces of chocolate
- 七 盒 茶叶 seven boxes of tea leaves
- 八 台 电脑 eight computers
- 九 支 玫瑰 nine roses
- 十 个 美女 ten beautiful women
Also remember that there isn't a one-to-one relationship between nouns and measure words. One measure word can be used with several different nouns:
- 一 条 狗 a dog
- 一 条 河 a river
- 一 条 路 a road
- 一 条 龙 a dragon
- 一 条 鱼 a fish
And one noun can take different measure words in different situations:
- 一 块 巧克力a piece of chocolate
- 一 盒 巧克力a box of chocolate
- 一 颗 巧克力a small piece of chocolate
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 33) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 232-3) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (pp. 104-5) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (p. 122) →buy
