- Measure words, or 量词 (liàngcí), sit between a number and a noun in almost every Chinese sentence.
- English uses measure words too (“a pair of pants,” “a piece of bread”), which makes the concept easier to grasp than it first appears.
- 个 (gè) is the generic, catch-all measure word, but relying on it too heavily can become a hard habit to break.
- Different measure words pair with different categories of nouns based on shape, function, or type.
- Mastering measure words takes both memorization and real exposure to spoken and written Chinese.
As a student of Chinese, measure words (量词, or liàngcí in pīnyīn) are one of the first aspects of Chinese grammar you'll encounter. Almost every Chinese noun must be preceded by a measure word, which makes these small classifiers hard to avoid.
Luckily, Chinese measure words are one of the easier aspects of the language once the logic clicks. Read on to get an idea of what they are and how to use them correctly.
01 What are measure words?
Measure words are words used to quantify nouns. That might sound complicated at first, but the function of these words becomes clear once we look at how they work in English.
Measure words in English
Although most English speakers may not have heard the term "measure words," these words are actually common in English. In fact, most people use them intuitively without ever thinking about the grammar behind them.
Words like "pair" and "piece" are English measure words. Whenever you say phrases like "a pair of pants" or "three pieces of bread," you're using an English measure word.
Nouns like "pants" and "bread" sound odd without a measure word attached. We wouldn't normally say "three breads" or "a pants." However, many other English nouns, like "house" or "cat," don't need a measure word at all, so "a house" or "three cats" sound perfectly natural on their own.
Measure words in Chinese
Measure words in Chinese work similarly to English, except the rule is far more consistent. English speakers must decide, noun by noun, whether a measure word is needed. In Chinese, there's usually no such question.
Chinese proper nouns, such as names of people or names of countries, don't need measure words. Every other Chinese noun, however, needs one.
In Chinese, simple phrases like "a car," "two cats," or "three buildings" must all be paired with a measure word. If you're ever unsure which classifier to use, online Chinese dictionaries often show the common measure-word pairing right alongside the noun.
02 How are Chinese measure words used?
Use the following structure to build a correct measure-word phrase in Chinese:
Number + Measure Word + Noun
The basics of Chinese measure words
Imagine you want to say "a person" in Chinese. "Person" is 人 (rén), and the measure word that pairs with it is 个 (gè). Since you're talking about a single person, you also need the number one, 一 (yī).
Putting it together, your phrase reads 一个人 (yī gè rén; one person). Now imagine you want to make the phrase plural.
In English, you'd either add an "s" or use an irregular plural, turning "person" into "people." Chinese nouns, however, don't have a separate plural form at all, which is one of the most common surprises for beginners working through Chinese grammar for the first time.
To say "two people," you simply swap the number one (一 yī) for the number two (两 liǎng), forming 两个人 (liǎng gè rén; two people).
Different types of nouns, different types of measure words
What happens if you want to translate a phrase that contains an English measure word, like "a piece of cake"? First, identify the noun: "cake," or 蛋糕 (dàngāo) in Chinese.
Next, find the measure word that pairs with 蛋糕, which is 块 (kuài). For one piece, you'd also need the number one, giving you 一块蛋糕 (yī kuài dàngāo; one piece of cake).
For two pieces, the phrase becomes 两块蛋糕 (liǎng kuài dàngāo; two pieces of cake). Note that English measure words are usually paired with articles like "a" and the preposition "of," while Chinese needs neither.
Chinese Measure Word Finder
Use the interactive tool below to instantly locate the correct Chinese classifier for thousands of nouns. Just type a word in English or Chinese to get started.
100 most common Chinese measure words
In the table below, the number in the example column can be swapped for a larger value while the rest of the phrase stays the same. For instance, 一个人 (yī gè rén; one person), 两个人 (liǎng gè rén; two people), and 三个人 (sān gè rén; three people) all keep the same measure word and noun.
Unlike English and other Romance languages, Chinese has no separate "plural" construction. The one exception in the table below is 点 (diǎn; a little; a bit; some), which can only pair with the number one, as in 一点纸 (yìdiǎn zhǐ; a little bit of paper).
| Hànzì | Pīnyīn | Used for | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 个 | People or objects | 一个人 (yī gè rén) | A person | |
| 块 | Pieces of cloth, cake, soap, etc.; money and currency units (colloquial) | 一块蛋糕 (yī kuài dàngāo) | A piece of cake | |
| 只 | Birds and certain animals, one of a pair, some utensils, boats, etc. | 一只鸟 (yī zhī niǎo) | A bird | |
| 本 | Books, parts of a serial, etc. | 一本书 (yī běn shū) | A book | |
| 辆 | Vehicles | 一辆车 (yī liàng chē) | A car | |
| 瓶 | Quantity contained in a bottle, vase, jar, or flask | 一瓶啤酒 (yī píng píjiǔ) | A bottle of beer | |
| 杯 | Certain containers of liquids: glass, cup | 一杯水 (yī bēi shuǐ) | A glass of water | |
| 双 | Pairs (of shoes, socks, chopsticks, etc.) | 一双袜子 (yī shuāng wàzi) | A pair of socks | |
| 件 | Clothes, events, things, etc. | 一件衣服 (yī jiàn yīfú) | A piece of clothing | |
| 张 | Flat objects and sheets (bed, desk, paper, etc.); certain body parts (face, mouth) | 一张纸 (yī zhāng zhǐ) | A piece of paper | |
| 碗 | Measurement of food and drink (bowl) | 一碗饭 (yī wǎn fàn) | A bowl of rice | |
| 种 | Types, kinds, sorts | 一种动物 (yī zhǒng dòngwù) | A type of animal | |
| 匹 | Horses, mules; bolts of cloth | 一匹马 (yī pǐ mǎ) | A horse | |
| 头 | Certain domestic animals (cattle, mules, pigs, etc.); garlic | 一头猪 (yī tóu zhū) | A pig | |
| 条 | Long, narrow, or thin objects (ribbon, river, road, trousers, etc.) | 一条鱼 (yī tiáo yú) | A fish | |
| 位 | People (courteous) | 一位女士 (yī wèi nǚshì) | A lady | |
| 项 | Itemized things (clauses, tasks, research projects, etc.) | 一项项目 (yī xiàng xiàngmù) | A project | |
| 名 | People | 一名学生 (yī míng xuéshēng) | A student | |
| 些 | A small amount or small number (greater than one) | 一些东西 (yī xiē dōngxī) | Some things | |
| 家 | Families or business establishments | 一家公司 (yī jiā gōngsī) | A company | |
| 点(儿) | A little; a bit; some | 一点(儿)纸 (yī diǎn(er)zhǐ) | Some paper | |
| 场 | Recreational, sports, or other activities | 一场球赛 (yī chǎng qiúsài) | A ball game; a match | |
| 句 | Sentences | 一句话 (yī jù huà) | A sentence | |
| 段 | Stories, periods of time, lengths of thread, etc. (a section, segment, or part) | 一段时间 (yī duàn shíjiān) | A period of time | |
| 分 | Spoken form of fractions and percentages; minutes; various units of measure | 三分之一 (sān fēn zhī yī) | One-third | |
| 处 | Places, occurrences, or activities in different places; items of damage (spot, point) | 两处错误 (liǎng chù cuòwù) | Two mistakes | |
| 片 | Slices, tablets, tracts of land, areas of water; CDs, movies, DVDs; scenes, feelings, atmospheres, etc. | 一片土地 (yī piàn tǔdì) | A stretch of land | |
| 套 | Books, furniture, rooms, methods, remarks (a set, suit, or suite) | 一套书 (yī tào shū) | A set of books | |
| 座 | Mountains, buildings, and other immovable objects | 一座山 (yī zuò shān) | A mountain | |
| 部 | Works of literature, films, machines, etc. | 一部电影 (yī bù diànyǐng) | A film | |
| 则 | Written items | 一则广告 (yī zé guǎnggào) | An advertisement | |
| 层 | Layers, stratums (a storey, a floor) | 一层灰尘 (yī céng huīchén) | A layer of dust | |
| 样 | Kind, type | 两样点心 (liǎng yàng diǎnxīn) | Two types of pastries | |
| 群 | People or animals (a group, herd, flock, or pack) | 一群人 (yī qún rén) | A crowd of people | |
| 届 | Events, meetings, elections, sporting fixtures, years (of graduation) | 一届论坛 (yī jiè lùntán) | A forum (for discussion) | |
| 支 | Long, thin, inflexible objects (pens, guns); rods; army divisions; songs or compositions | 一支笔 (yī zhī bǐ) | A pen | |
| 批 | Batches, lots, groups | 一批学生 (yī pī xuéshēng) | A group of students | |
| 篇 | Paper, book leaves, written items, articles, etc. (sheet, leaf, piece) | 一篇文章 (yī piān wénzhāng) | An article | |
| 番 | Actions, deeds; occurrences (of an event, action, or speech utterance); situations (kind, sort) | 一番功夫 (yī fān gōngfū) | A lot of effort | |
| 股 | Smells, smoke, etc. (puff, whiff); sudden, forceful actions; long winding things (ropes, rivers); bands of people | 一股香味 (yī gǔ xiāngwèi) | A whiff of fragrance | |
| 首 | Songs and poems | 一首歌 (yī shǒu gē) | A song | |
| 声 | Sounds | 一声炮响 (yī shēng pào xiǎng) | The sound of a canon | |
| 颗 | Roundish objects (small spheres, pearls, corn grains, teeth, hearts, satellites, etc.) | 一颗星星 (yī kē xīngxīng) | A star | |
| 组 | Sets, series, groups of people, batteries | 一组学生 (yī zǔ xuéshēng) | A group of students | |
| 盏 | Lamps | 一盏灯 (yī zhǎn dēng) | A lamp | |
| 口 | Things with mouths (people, domestic animals, cannons, wells, etc.) | 一家三口人 (yī jiā sān kǒu rén) | A family of three | |
| 把 | Objects with handles; small objects (a handful); certain abstract concepts | 一把刀 (yī bǎ dāo) | A knife | |
| 间 | Rooms; sections of rooms | 一间卧室 (yī jiàn wòshì) | A bedroom | |
| 笔 | Sums of money, financial accounts, debts, deals, etc. | 一笔钱 (yī bǐ qián) | A sum of money | |
| 所 | Houses, small buildings, institutions, etc. (schools, hospitals, etc.) | 一所学校 (yī suǒ xuéxiào) | A school | |
| 对 | Pair, couple | 一对夫妇 (yī duì fūfù) | A married couple | |
| 根 | Long, thin objects (cigarettes, guitar strings, etc.) | 一根头发 (yī gēn tóufǎ) | A strand of hair | |
| 幅 | Textiles or pictures | 一幅画 (yī fú huà) | A painting | |
| 出 | Dramas, plays, operas, etc. | 一出戏 (yī chū xì) | A play; an opera | |
| 道 | Long, narrow objects; doors, walls; orders, questions; courses in a meal, stages in a procedure, etc. | 一道题 (yī dào tí) | A question (on a test) | |
| 拨 | People (group; batch) | 一拨人 (yī bō rén) | A group of people | |
| 队 | Files, lines, or rows | 一队战士 (yī duì zhànshì) | A file of soldiers | |
| 堆 | Heaps or piles; crowds | 一堆垃圾 (yī duī lājī) | A pile of rubbish | |
| 阵 | Events or states of short duration | 一阵掌声 (yī zhèn zhǎngshēng) | A burst of applause | |
| 面 | Flat things or surfaces (drums, mirrors, flags); the number of times people meet each other | 一面镜子 (yī miàn jìngzi) | A mirror | |
| 台 | Machinery, apparatus, instruments, etc.; a complete stage performance | 一台电脑 (yī tái diànnǎo) | A computer | |
| 局 | Games (match, set, round, etc.) | 一局棋 (yī jú qí) | A game of chess | |
| 棵 | Plants | 一棵树 (yī kē shù) | A tree | |
| 盒 | Small box, case | 一盒糖果 (yī hé tángguǒ) | A box of candy | |
| 户 | Households or families | 一户人家 (yī hù rénjiā) | A household | |
| 栋 | Houses or buildings | 一栋楼 (yī dòng lóu) | A building | |
| 节 | Segments (lessons, train wagons, biblical verses, etc.) | 一节课 (yī jié kè) | A class (period) | |
| 封 | Sealed objects (letters or other things in envelopes) | 一封信 (yī fēng xìn) | A letter | |
| 班 | A group of people; a trip by bus, boat, etc. | 下一班火车 (xià yī bān huǒchē) | The next train | |
| 盘 | Food (dish, helping); coils of wire; games of chess | 一盘菜 (yī pán cài) | A plate of food | |
| 副 | Pairs, sets of things and facial expressions | 一副笑脸 (yī fù xiàoliǎn) | A smiling face | |
| 趟 | Times, round trips, or rows | 这趟火车 (zhè tàng huǒchē) | This train | |
| 款 | Versions or models (of a product) | 一款新鞋子 (yī kuǎn xīn xiézi) | A new style of shoe | |
| 团 | Lumps or soft masses (wad of paper, ball of wool, cloud, or smoke) | 一团面 (yī tuán miàn) | A lump of dough | |
| 束 | Bunches, bundles, beams of light, etc. | 一束花 (yī shù huā) | A bunch of flowers | |
| 门 | Subjects of study or fields of technical training | 一门外语 (yī mén wàiyǔ) | A foreign language | |
| 架 | Machines, airplanes, and instruments which rest on a tripod or stand | 一架飞机 (yī jià fēijī) | An airplane | |
| 顿 | Meals, beatings, scoldings, etc. (time, bout, spell, meal) | 一顿饭 (yī dùn fàn) | A meal | |
| 堵 | Walls | 一堵墙 (yī dǔ qiáng) | A wall | |
| 壶 | Bottled liquid (kettle, pot, bottle, flask) | 一壶茶 (yī hú chá) | A pot of tea | |
| 朵 | Flowers and clouds | 一朵花 (yī duǒ huā) | A flower | |
| 排 | Lines, rows | 一排椅子 (yī pái yǐzi) | A row of chairs | |
| 份 | Shares, parts, or portions (of a whole); copies (of documents, newspapers, periodicals, etc.) | 一份报纸 (yī fèn bàozhǐ) | A newspaper | |
| 具 | Devices, coffins, or dead bodies | 一具尸体 (yī jù shītǐ) | A corpse | |
| 包 | Packages, bundles, or sacks | 一包大米 (yī bāo dàmǐ) | A sack of rice | |
| 罐 | Jars, pots, or tins | 一罐葡萄酱 (yī guàn pútáo jiàng) | A jar of grape jam | |
| 粒 | Grainlike things; small round things (peas, bullets, peanuts, pills, grains, etc.) | 一粒米 (yī lì mǐ) | A grain of rice | |
| 卷 | Small rolled things (wad of paper money, movie reel, spool, etc.) | 一卷卫生纸 (yī juàn wèishēngzhǐ) | A roll of toilet paper | |
| 堂 | Classes, lectures, etc.; sets of furniture | 一堂课 (yī táng kè) | A class | |
| 起 | Occurrences or unpredictable events (case, instance); groups (batch, group) | 一起交通事故 (yī qǐ jiāotōng shìgù) | A car accident | |
| 枝 | Flowers with stems intact; sticks, rods, pencils, etc. | 一枝梅花 (yī zhī méihuā) | A spray of plum blossoms | |
| 株 | Plants and small trees; seedlings | 一株树苗 (yī zhū shùmiáo) | A sapling | |
| 轮 | Big round objects (disk, sun, moon); recurring events (round, turn) | 一轮会谈 (yī lún huìtán) | A round of talks | |
| 桌 | Tables of guests at a banquet; table; tableful | 两桌客人 (liǎng zhuō kèrén) | Two tables of guests | |
| 桶 | Buckets, pails, cans, barrels, tubs, kegs | 一桶油 (yī tǒng yóu) | A barrel of oil | |
| 滴 | Drops | 一滴水 (yī dī shuǐ) | A drop of water | |
| 串 | A string of things (string, bunch, cluster) | 一串珠子 (yī chuàn zhūzi) | A string of beads | |
| 列 | A series or row of things | 一列火车 (yī liè huǒchē) | A train | |
| 箱 | Large boxes, cases, trunks | 一箱纸 (yī xiāng zhǐ) | A box of paper | |
| 扇 | Doors and windows | 一扇门 (yī shàn mén) | A door |
Flashcard deck to practice common measure words
Cards are ordered by frequency, with the most common measure words first. Tap the shuffle icon to mix up the deck, or the reset icon to return to the original order.
03 Why measure words matter
There are several reasons why learning measure words is well worth your time.
Bad habits die hard: meet 个 (gè)
个 (gè) is the most common Chinese measure word and the easiest to use. It's a generic, catch-all classifier that works, at least loosely, with almost any noun.
Native speakers sometimes default to 个 after forgetting the correct measure word for something. That doesn't mean it's always the right choice, though.
Once beginners realize how common 个 is, many start overusing it. This habit can be hard to break later on if you don't pay attention to learning the correct pairings early.
Measure words are an integral part of Chinese
Measure words are a core part of the Chinese language. If you don't learn to use them correctly, it's difficult to claim real fluency, especially once you move from beginner materials into authentic content like our Chinese podcasts list.
Chinese speakers can usually understand what you mean even if you default to 个 instead of the correct measure word. That doesn't mean your speech sounds grammatically correct, and getting the details right matters if you want to be taken seriously.
Measure words help with understanding
Using measure words correctly can also help people understand you better. Chinese is full of homophones, or words with the same pronunciation but different meanings.
Since different nouns take different measure words, the right measure word and noun pairing helps clarify exactly what you mean.
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04 10 common measure words to learn today
In addition to 个 and 块 discussed above, here are 10 common Chinese measure words that every learner should know.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 只 | Birds, certain animals, one of a pair (eyes, hands) | 三只鸟 (sān zhī niǎo; three birds) | |
| 本 | Books, textbooks, photo albums | 一本书 (yī běn shū; a book) | |
| 辆 | Vehicles, such as cars and buses | 五辆车 (wǔ liàng chē; five cars) | |
| 瓶 | Bottles, jars, flasks, vases | 一瓶水 (yī píng shuǐ; a bottle of water) | |
| 杯 | Cups or glasses of liquid | 三杯啤酒 (sān bēi píjiǔ; three cups of beer) | |
| 碗 | Bowls of food, like rice or noodles | 两碗面条 (liǎng wǎn miàntiáo; two bowls of noodles) | |
| 双 | Things that come in pairs, like shoes or chopsticks | 一双筷子 (yī shuāng kuàizi; a pair of chopsticks) | |
| 件 | Clothing, furniture, luggage, abstract events | 一件衣服 (yī jiàn yīfú; a piece of clothing) | |
| 张 | Flat objects like paper, cards, tickets, tables | 两张票 (liǎng zhāng piào; two tickets) | |
| 种 | A sort, kind, or type of thing, object, or feeling | 一种动物 (yī zhǒng dòngwù; a type of animal) |
05 Chinese measure word learning strategies
So what's the best way to learn Chinese measure words? We've outlined two useful paths to measure word mastery below.
Memorization
Learning Chinese measure words requires a certain amount of rote memorization. Eventually, you'll need to memorize which measure words go with which nouns.
Luckily, the use of measure words in Chinese isn't random. There are patterns that can help learners memorize them more efficiently, since measure words often contain clues about the nouns they classify, such as whether the noun is an animal, an object, a person, or a concept.
For example, 张 (zhāng) usually describes flat objects. Next time you're talking about something flat, try using 张, and chances are you'll be correct.
Some students find it helpful to learn groups of measure words based on the qualities of the objects they classify. A student might list the most common measure words used for animals, including 只 (zhī), 匹 (pǐ), 头 (tóu), 条 (tiáo), and 峰 (fēng), and memorize them together.
This method narrows the field of choices, but you'll still need to know which measure word pairs with which animal. Knowing to use 匹 with horses, 只 with chickens, and 峰 with camels still requires memorization.
Chinese immersion
Even after a long time spent memorizing measure words, they won't come naturally unless you immerse yourself in a Chinese-speaking environment. Immersion helps you develop an almost subconscious understanding of which measure words go with which nouns.
One tricky aspect of Chinese measure words is that individual nouns can sometimes take more than one measure word, depending on which aspect of the noun the speaker wants to highlight. This kind of nuance is easiest to grasp through repeated exposure to the language in context.
Many learners find that they deepen this kind of practical grammar knowledge fastest when they Learn Chinese in China, surrounded by native speakers using measure words correctly every day. Full language immersion is one of the most effective ways to improve your understanding of measure words and your overall fluency.
If studying in China isn't possible right now, make every effort to listen to Chinese frequently, since even passive listening can be effective. Our list of Chinese podcasts is a good place to start, and pairing it with a broader Chinese study plan will keep your progress structured.
You should also seek out native Chinese speakers to practice with, whether in your community or online. If you want a more structured progression alongside immersion, start with Chinese textbooks and reinforce your foundations with the most common Chinese characters.
With a bit of determination, you'll soon be using measure words like an old China hand.
06 FAQ
Do all Chinese nouns need a measure word?
Almost all common nouns need a measure word when paired with a number. Proper nouns, such as names of people or countries, are the main exception.
Can I just use 个 (gè) for everything?
Native speakers will usually understand you, but using the correct measure word makes your Chinese sound more natural and grammatically accurate.
How many measure words are there in Chinese?
There are well over 100 measure words in common use, though a much smaller core set covers the vast majority of everyday conversation.
What's the best way to memorize measure words?
Grouping measure words by the type of noun they describe, combined with regular listening and speaking practice, tends to work best.
Do measure words change based on singular or plural nouns?
No. Chinese nouns don't have separate plural forms, so the same measure word is used whether you're describing one item or many.
07 Final thoughts
Chinese measure words might seem like a small detail, but they touch nearly every sentence you'll ever speak or write in the language. Getting comfortable with them early pays off throughout your entire learning journey.
Start with the most common measure words, lean on tools like our pinyin converter and HSK vocabulary lists as you build your foundation, and don't be afraid to make mistakes along the way. If you're just getting started, our guide to basic Chinese words and our overview of why learn Chinese are both great next stops.