Chinese Measure Words: How Not to Get Confused and Start Using Them Correctly
What Is a Measure Word in Chinese?
A measure word is a word that stands between a number and a noun.
The structure looks like this:
number + measure word + noun
For example:
一个人
yí gè rén
one person
三本书
sān běn shū
three books
两杯咖啡
liǎng bēi kāfēi
two cups of coffee
In English, we can simply say “three books.” But in Chinese, between “three” and “books,” we need to add a measure word: 三本书.
The Most Universal Measure Word: 个 gè
个 gè is the most common and universal measure word in Chinese. It is used with people, many objects, and abstract ideas.
Examples:
一个学生
yí gè xuésheng
one student
两个朋友
liǎng gè péngyou
two friends
三个苹果
sān gè píngguǒ
three apples
这个问题
zhè ge wèntí
this question
If you are just starting to learn Chinese and do not know which measure word to choose, 个 can often help. But over time, it is better to learn more specific measure words — this will make your speech sound more natural.
An Important Point: 两 liǎng, Not 二 èr
In Chinese, there are two words that can be translated as “two”: 二 èr and 两 liǎng.
When we count objects, people, or animals, 两 liǎng is usually used before a measure word.
Correct:
两个人
liǎng gè rén
two people
两本书
liǎng běn shū
two books
两杯茶
liǎng bēi chá
two cups of tea
But 二个人 sounds unnatural. So it is useful to remember a simple rule: if there is a measure word after “two,” in most cases you need 两.
The Most Common Measure Words in Chinese
本 běn — for books, magazines, and notebooks
The measure word 本 is used with things that have pages: books, magazines, dictionaries, and notebooks.
一本书
yì běn shū
one book
两本杂志
liǎng běn zázhì
two magazines
三本词典
sān běn cídiǎn
three dictionaries
Mini tip: if you can flip through the object, 本 is very likely to be the right measure word.
张 zhāng — for flat objects
张 is used with flat objects: paper, tickets, photos, and maps. It is also used with tables and beds.
一张纸
yì zhāng zhǐ
one sheet of paper
两张票
liǎng zhāng piào
two tickets
一张照片
yì zhāng zhàopiàn
one photo
一张桌子
yì zhāng zhuōzi
one table
Mini tip: if an object is flat or has a surface, 张 is often used.
杯 bēi — for drinks in cups and glasses
杯 is connected with a cup or a glass. This measure word is used when we talk about drinks in cups, glasses, or similar containers.
一杯水
yì bēi shuǐ
a glass of water
两杯咖啡
liǎng bēi kāfēi
two cups of coffee
三杯茶
sān bēi chá
three cups of tea
Important: 一杯咖啡 does not just mean “one coffee,” but specifically “one cup of coffee.”
瓶 píng — for drinks and liquids in bottles
If a drink or liquid is in a bottle, the measure word 瓶 is used.
一瓶水
yì píng shuǐ
one bottle of water
两瓶牛奶
liǎng píng niúnǎi
two bottles of milk
一瓶可乐
yì píng kělè
one bottle of cola
Compare:
一杯水 — a glass of water
一瓶水 — a bottle of water
A measure word can change the meaning, so it is important to pay attention to it.
只 zhī — for animals and some body parts
只 is often used with animals, birds, and some paired body parts.
一只猫
yì zhī māo
one cat
两只狗
liǎng zhī gǒu
two dogs
一只鸟
yì zhī niǎo
one bird
一只手
yì zhī shǒu
one hand
Mini tip: at the beginner level, for many animals, you can remember the pattern 一只 + animal.
条 tiáo — for long and flexible objects
条 is used with long, stretched, or flexible objects. For example, roads, rivers, fish, and trousers.
一条路
yì tiáo lù
one road
一条河
yì tiáo hé
one river
两条鱼
liǎng tiáo yú
two fish
一条裤子
yì tiáo kùzi
one pair of trousers
Mini tip: if an object is long, stretches out, or looks like a line, 条 is often the right choice.
件 jiàn — for clothes and matters
件 is often used with clothing, as well as with the word 事 shì — “matter,” “thing,” “event,” or “case.”
一件衣服
yí jiàn yīfu
one piece of clothing
两件衬衫
liǎng jiàn chènshān
two shirts
一件事
yí jiàn shì
one matter / one thing
This is one of the most useful measure words for everyday speech.
辆 liàng — for transport
For cars, bicycles, buses, and other vehicles, we use 辆.
一辆车
yí liàng chē
one car
两辆自行车
liǎng liàng zìxíngchē
two bicycles
三辆公共汽车
sān liàng gōnggòng qìchē
three buses
Pay attention: 辆 liàng and 两 liǎng sound similar, but they are different words. In the phrase 两辆车, the first word means “two,” and the second one is the measure word for vehicles.
家 jiā — for organizations and places
家 is used when we talk about places, organizations, companies, shops, restaurants, and schools.
一家商店
yì jiā shāngdiàn
one shop
两家饭店
liǎng jiā fàndiàn
two restaurants
一家学校
yì jiā xuéxiào
one school
This measure word often appears when we talk about the city: where we go, where we study, or what is nearby.
位 wèi — a polite measure word for people
For people, you can use 个, but in more polite or formal speech, 位 is often used.
一位老师
yí wèi lǎoshī
one teacher
两位客人
liǎng wèi kèrén
two guests
三位先生
sān wèi xiānsheng
three gentlemen
Compare:
一个老师 — one teacher
一位老师 — one teacher, more polite and respectful
If you want to sound polite, especially when talking about a teacher, guest, or client, choose 位.
Measure Words Are Not Used Only with Numbers
Measure words are used not only after numbers. They are also needed after the demonstratives 这 zhè — “this” and 那 nà — “that.”
The structure is:
这 / 那 + measure word + noun
Examples:
这本书
zhè běn shū
this book
那个学生
nà ge xuésheng
that student
这杯咖啡
zhè bēi kāfēi
this coffee / this cup of coffee
那家饭店
nà jiā fàndiàn
that restaurant
That is why it is important to remember measure words not separately, but together with nouns.
Remember: before a measure word, 两 is usually used.
The Main Idea
Measure words are an important part of Chinese. They stand between a number and a noun and help name the quantity of objects correctly.
The most universal measure word is 个, but in everyday speech, many others are used too: 本, 张, 杯, 瓶, 只, 条, 件, 辆, 家, 位.
The main advice is: do not try to learn everything at once. Start with the most common measure words and remember them in fixed expressions. This will make Chinese clearer, and your speech more natural.