Chinese Measure Words Summary Table

The following table covers the most common Chinese measure words (classifiers). For detailed explanations regarding measure words, please refer to the following link: http://www.yoyochinese.com/common_Chinese_mistakes_made_by_English_speakers_03.pdf Measure words used in a similar way in English For example:
Measure Word bo bi h / kui pn qn / shun to / zhn

Used with Pack Cup of, glass of Box of Piece of (cake, soap, land) Bottle of something Crowd, group, herd, flock, pack of (cows, bees, sheep) Pair of (shoes, chopsticks, gloves) Set of (furniture, stamps) Types of, kind of One pack of cigarettes One cup of coffee A box of chocolate One piece of cake One beer One pack of herd One pair of shoes One set of furniture One type of fruit

Examples y bo yn y bi k fi y h qio k l y kui dn o y pn p ji y qn yn y shun xi y to ji j y zhn shu u

Measure words sometimes used or not required in English For example:

Measure Word b

Used with Objects with a handle such as Knife, umbrella, toothbrush and chair One knife

Examples

y b do

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Chinese Measure Words Summary Table bn chun / dn fn fn / ge / jin jin k / lin pin shu ti Things with volume, such as books, magazines Items joined together, e.g. by a string Hat Newspaper Letters, mail Generic measure word that can be used with anything Room (living room, bedroom, etc) / tio Long and winding objects (such as towel, street, pants, rope) One towel One (pair) pants y tio mo jn y tio k zi wi / zhn People (a polite measure word to replace -ge) Flat surfaces (table, sheet of paper, bed, photo) One guest One table y wi k rn y zhn zhu zi

One book One bunch of grapes One hat One newspaper One letter One person One bedroom One shirt One matter One tree One car One article One song One computer

y bn sh y chun p to y dn mo zi y fn bo zh y fn xn y e rn y jin w sh y jin chn shn y jin sh y k sh y lin ch y pin wn zhn y shu y ti din no

Items of clothing (generally for the upper body), matters, affairs,

Trees Wheeled vehicles (such as cars, bicycles, trucks) Essay, article, report Passage of text (such as poems, songs) Fairly large electrical items (such as computers, washing machines)

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Chinese Measure Words Summary Table zh Fairly long, stick-like objects such as pens, pencils, cigarettes

One pen One cat

y zh b y zh mo y zh shu

/ zh

Animals, birds and insects One of a pair

One hand

One shoe zu Large, relatively permanent thing One mountain

y zh xi z y zu shn

Have fun with measure words!

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