中文量词 2 - Measure Words/Classifiers

把

bǎ "handful" — objects that can be held, relatively long and flat objects (knives 刀, scissors 剪刀, swords 劍/剑, keys 鑰匙/钥匙; also chairs 椅子)

本

běn "volume" — bound print matter (books 書/书, etc.)

部

bù novels 小說/小说, movies 電影/电影, TV dramas etc ; Cantonese only: machines, vehicles

冊/册

冊/册 cè volumes of books (冊 is more common in Traditional Chinese, 册 vice versa)

層

层 céng "story", "layer" — buildings 樓/楼, etc

場

场 chǎng public spectacles, games 比賽/比赛, drama 戲/戏, film 電影/电影, etc

處

处 chù "location", "site" — ruins 廢墟/废墟, construction site 工地

齣

出 chū acts in a play, "performance" — plays 戲/戏, circus 馬戲/马戏, etc

道

dào linear projections (light rays 亮光, etc.), orders given by an authority figure 命令, courses (of food) 點心/点心, walls and doors 門/门, questions 題/题, number of times (for certain procedures) 工序

頂

顶 dǐng objects with protruding top (hats 帽子, etc.)

棟

栋 dòng lit. pillars, used for buildings 房子

堵

dǔ walls and encompassing fixtures 牆/墙

朵

duǒ flowers 花, clouds 雲/云

發

发 fā Military projectiles, such as bullets 子彈/子弹, artillery shells 炮彈/炮弹, rockets, guided missiles etc.

封

fēng letters 信, mail, fax 傳真/传真

幅

fú works of art (paintings 畫兒/画儿, etc.)

個

个 ge (gè) individual things, people — general, catch-all measure word (usage of this classifier in conjunction with any noun is generally accepted if the person does not know the proper classifier)

根

gēn thin, slender objects (needles 針/针, pillars 支柱, etc.); strands 絲/丝(e.g. hair 頭髮/头发)

架

jià aircraft 飛機/飞机, pianos 琴, machines 儀器/仪器

間

间 jiān rooms 屋子, 房; Cantonese only: stores, companies

件

jiàn matters (affairs 事情), clothing 衣裳, etc.

屆

届 jiè regularly scheduled sessions or meetings 會/会, year-groups in a school (e.g. Class of 2006) 畢業生/毕业生

卷

juǎn "roll" scrolls - film 膠卷/胶卷, toilet paper 手紙/手纸

棵

kē trees (樹/树) and other such flora

顆

颗 kē small objects (hearts 心, pearls 珠子, teeth 牙齒/牙齿, diamonds 鑽石/钻石, etc.) and also objects appearing to be small (distant stars 星星 and planets 星球)

口

kǒu people in villages 人, family members; wells 井; blade 刀

類

类 lèi objects of the same type or category — affair 事情, circumstance 情況/情况

粒

lì "grain", small objects such as a grain of rice 米

輛

辆 liàng wheeled vehicles: automobiles 汽車/汽车, bicycles 自行車/自行车, etc.

列

liè trains 火車/火车

輪

轮 lún round — competition 比賽/比赛, discussions 會談/会谈

枚

méi medals 獎章/奖章, small flat things like stamps 郵票/邮票 or coins 硬幣/硬币, banana peels, bomb shells 大砲/大炮, also for rings 戒指

門

门 mén objects pertaining to academics (courses 課/课, majors 專業/专业, etc.), also for artillery pieces 大砲/大炮.

面

miàn "surface" — flat and smooth objects (mirrors 鏡子/镜子, flags 旗子, etc.)

名

míng honorific, or persons with perceived higher social rank (doctors 醫生/医生, lawyers 律師/律师, politicians, royalty, etc.); in formal language, can also be used for any type of person (not necessarily high-ranking, e.g. mother 母親)

盤

盘 pán flat objects (video cassettes 錄影帶/录影带, etc.); literally means "dishes" and can be used for a plate of food

泡

pào classifiers for liquids which need preparation (tea 茶, urine 尿)

匹

pǐ horses 馬/马 and other mounts; also rolls/bolts of cloth 布

坺

(Cantonese only) puddle of shapeless mass — mud, feces, etc.

篇

piān written work: papers 論文/论文, articles 文章, novels etc.

片

piàn "slice" — flat objects, cards, slices of bread 麵包/面包, etc.

瓶

píng "bottle" — drinks 飲料/饮料

扇

shàn doors 門/门, windows 窗戶/窗户.

首

shǒu songs 歌, poems 詩/诗, music 曲子, etc.

艘

sōu ships 船

所

suǒ for buildings whose purposes are explicitly stated, ex. hospitals 醫院/医院. Otherwise can use "座"

臺/台

台 tái heavy objects, esp. machines (TVs 電視機/电视机, computers 電腦/电脑, etc.); performances (theatre 話劇/话剧, etc.)

堂

táng periods of classes 課/课 (e.g. "I have two classes today"), suites of furniture

趟

tàng trips (usually repetitive), scheduled transportation services — flights 班機/班机

題

题 tí classifier for questions

條

条 tiáo long, narrow, flexible objects (fish 魚/鱼, dogs 狗, trousers 褲子/裤子, etc.), also for roads 路 and rivers 河, pertaining to human lives, eg. "兩條人命" two (human) lives, "一條心", lit. "one heart" (to work as one), classifiers for certain things like counter-measures, etc.

頭

头 tóu "head" — domesticated animals 家畜 (pigs 豬/猪, cows 牛, etc.), hair

團

团 tuán "ball" — rotund and wound objects (balls of yarn 毛線/毛线, etc.)

坨

tuó "lump" — mud 泥, feces 糞便

尾

wěi "tail" — fish 魚/鱼 (ancient)

位

wèi polite classifier for people (attached to positions, not names) — workers 工人, director 主任

項

项 xiàng items, projects — initiative 倡議/倡议, ordinances 法令, statements 聲明/声明

樣

样 yàng general items of differing attributes

𠹻

(Cantonese only) odor 味

則

zé sections of text — notice 消息, jokes 笑話/笑话, news 新聞/新闻, etc.

盞

盏 zhǎn light fixtures (usually lamps 燈/灯), pot of tea etc.

張

张 zhāng "sheet" — flat objects (paper 紙/纸, tables 桌子, etc.), faces 臉/脸, bows, paintings 圖畫/图画, tickets 票, constellations, blankets, bedsheets 床單/床单; Cantonese only: chairs 凳

支

zhī fairly long, stick-like objects (pens 筆/笔, chopsticks, roses, rifles 槍/枪, etc.), fleets 舰队/艦隊

枝

zhī alternative form of 支 ("stalk"): can be used for rifles 槍/枪 and flowers

種

种 zhǒng types or kinds of objects

株

zhū trees 树

注

zhù incense 香

尊

zūn statues 像

座

zuò large structures/buildings 樓/楼, mountains 山

班

bān scheduled services (trains 火車/火车, etc.), group of people 人, a class as in pupils 學生/学生

幫

帮 bāng "group", "gang" (bandits 匪徒, children 孩子 )

包

bāo "package", "bundle" (cookies 餅乾/饼干, cigarettes 香煙/香烟)

杯

bēi "cup" — liquids (water 水)

輩

辈 bèi "generation", "lifetime" (people 人)

筆

笔 bǐ large quantities of money (money 錢/钱, funds 資金/资金)

串

chuàn sets of numbers; or something that comes in a string (e.g. 號碼/号码: "a string of numbers"; 珍珠頸鏈/项链: "pearl necklace"; 葡萄: "a bunch of grapes"), objects on a skewer/stick (kebabs, satays)

床

chuáng "bed" — blankets 毯子, sheets

次

cì "time" — opportunities 機會/机会, accidents 事故

袋

dài "bag" — sackfuls, pouchfuls, bagfuls, pocketfuls — flour 麵粉/面粉

道

dào linear projections (light rays 亮光, etc.), orders given by an authority figure 命令, courses (of food) 點心/点心, walls and doors 門/门, questions 題/题, number of times (for certain procedures) 工序

滴

dī "droplet" water 水, blood 鮮血/鲜血, other such fluids

點

点 diǎn ideas 意見/意见, suggestions, can also mean "a bit" (often used to denote amount) — courage 膽量/胆量

段

duàn "adjoining length" — cables 電線/电线, roadways 路, a part in a drama, play etc. 臺詞/台词

堆

duī "pile", "mass" — trash 垃圾, sand 沙子

對

对 duì "couple" — people 人, "pair" (for certain things only) earrings 耳環/耳环, couplets; Cantonese only: pair of objects which naturally come in pairs (e.g. chopsticks 筷子, shoes 鞋, etc.)

頓

顿 dùn meals 飯/饭

份

fèn portions, copies — newspapers 報紙/报纸, notarized document 公證/公证, contract 合同

服

fú "dose" — (Chinese) medicine

副

fù objects which come in pairs (gloves 手套, etc.) also for spectacles/glasses 眼鏡/眼镜, a pack of cards 牌, mahjong 麻將/麻将

股

gǔ flows (of air 氣/气, smell 香味, influence 潮流)....

嚿

(Cantonese only) "piece of", "chunk of" — rock, soap, ginger, charcoal, rice, etc.

管

guǎn "tube" — toothpaste and things that comes in tubes — toothpaste 牙膏

罐

guàn Small to medium cans of soda, of juice, bottles of water, cans of food...

行

háng "row" — objects which form lines (words 詞/词, etc.). — 行 is also read xíng, see below.

盒

hé "small box" — e.g. tape, foods

戶/户

户 hù households (户 is common in handwritten Traditional Chinese) — household 人家

壺/壶

hú pot — tea 茶

伙

huǒ generally derogatory classifier for bands of people such as gangs or hoodlums (匪徒)

劑

剂 jì dose (medicine 藥/药)

家

jiā gathering of people (families 人家, companies 公司, etc.), establishments (shops 商店, restaurants 酒店, hotels 飯店/饭店)