Measure words with "this" and "that"

Revision as of 09:35, 30 October 2014 by Nataliek (talk | contribs) (→‎Examples)

In English, when you refer to "that girl" or "this table" 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 (ge) 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 need to include a measure word (MW).

这 / 那 + MW + Noun

Examples

  • 个 人 gè rénthat person
  • 瓶 啤酒 zhè píng píjiǔthis bottle of beer
  • 块 巧克力 kuài qiǎokèlìthat piece of chocolate
  • 张 桌子 zhè zhāng zhuōzithis table
  • 本 书 zhè běn shūthis book
  • 个 手机 zhège shǒujīthis cell phone
  • 只 小 狗 zhè zhǐ xiǎo gǒuthis small dog
  • 只 小 猫 zhǐ xiǎo māothat small cat
  • 杯 咖啡 bēi kāfēithat cup of coffee
  • 条 鱼 tiáo yúthat fish

See also

Sources and further reading

Books