# Chinese (Mandarin)/Lesson 5

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# Lesson 5: Measure words

## Text

  Simplified Characters                                                                                                                                                                                                       Traditional Characters
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **山村咏怀**`</br>`{=html} `<small>`{=html}【宋】邵雍`</small>`{=html}`</br>`{=html} 一去二三里`</br>`{=html} 烟村四五家`</br>`{=html} 亭台六七座`</br>`{=html} 八九十枝花`</br>`{=html}                                    **山村詠懷**`</br>`{=html} `<small>`{=html}【宋】邵雍`</small>`{=html}`</br>`{=html} 一去二三里`</br>`{=html} 煙村四五家`</br>`{=html} 亭臺六七座`</br>`{=html} 八九十枝花`</br>`{=html}
  Pīnyīn                                                                                                                                                                                                                      English
  **Shāncun Yǒnghuái**`</br>`{=html} `<small>`{=html}【Sòng】Shàoyōng`</small>`{=html}`</br>`{=html} Yí qù èrsān lǐ`</br>`{=html} Yāncūn sìwǔjiā`</br>`{=html} Tíngtái liùqīzuò`</br>`{=html} Bājiǔshízhī huā`</br>`{=html}   **The sigh for a village**`</br>`{=html} `<small>`{=html}【Song】Shao Yong`</small>`{=html}`</br>`{=html} The distance is two or three miles,`</br>`{=html} and I can see four or five houses`</br>`{=html} with smoking chimneys.`</br>`{=html} There are six or seven pavilions,`</br>`{=html} and eight, nine or ten flowers.`</br>`{=html}

## Vocabulary

         Simplified (traditional in parentheses)     Pīnyīn                                Part of speech   English \‍[m.‍\]         notes
  ------ ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1\.    `<big>`{=html}一`</big>`{=html}             yī     (adj)                                                one                                                        
  2\.    `<big>`{=html}二`</big>`{=html}             èr      (adj)                                                two                                                        
  3\.    `<big>`{=html}三`</big>`{=html}             sān   (adj)                                                three                                                      
  4\.    `<big>`{=html}四`</big>`{=html}             sì      (adj)                                                four                                                       
  5\.    `<big>`{=html}五`</big>`{=html}             wǔ     (adj)                                                five                                                       
  6\.    `<big>`{=html}六`</big>`{=html}             liù   (adj)                                                six                                                        
  7\.    `<big>`{=html}七`</big>`{=html}             qī     (adj)                                                seven                                                      
  8\.    `<big>`{=html}八`</big>`{=html}             bā     (adj)                                                eight                                                      
  9\.    `<big>`{=html}九`</big>`{=html}             jiǔ   (adj)                                                nine                                                       
  10\.   `<big>`{=html}十`</big>`{=html}             shí   (adj)                                                ten                                                        
  11\.   `<big>`{=html}山村`</big>`{=html}           shāncūn                               \(n\)                                                mountain village                                           
  12\.   `<big>`{=html}宋`</big>`{=html}             sòng                                  \(n\)                                                song                                                       It\'s short for 宋朝（song dynasty,960--1279）.
  13\.   `<big>`{=html}邵雍`</big>`{=html}           shàoyōng                              \(n\)                                                A poetic name.                                             
  14\.   `<big>`{=html}去`</big>`{=html}             qù                                    \(v\)                                                be apart (away) from;`</br>`{=html}be at a distance from   This usage is only used classical Chinese.
  15\.   `<big>`{=html}里`</big>`{=html}             lǐ                                    ()                                                   mile                                                       Mile and 里 are not identical.In song dynasty,1里≈415.8m.Now China,1里=500m.
  16\.   `<big>`{=html}烟村（煙村）`</big>`{=html}   yāncūn                                \(n\)                                                The village with smoking chimneys                          This usage is only literary works.
  17\.   `<big>`{=html}家`</big>`{=html}             jiā                                   (ms)                                                 the measure Words of family                                
  18\.   `<big>`{=html}亭`</big>`{=html}             tíng                                  \(n\)                                                pavilions                                                  
  19\.   `<big>`{=html}台（臺）`</big>`{=html}       tái                                   \(n\)                                                platform                                                   
  20\.   `<big>`{=html}座`</big>`{=html}             zuò                                   (ms)                                                 the measure Words of building                              
  21\.   `<big>`{=html}枝`</big>`{=html}             zhī                                   (ms)                                                 the measure Words of flower                                
  22\.   `<big>`{=html}花`</big>`{=html}             huā                                   \(n\)                                                flower                                                     
                                                                                                                                                                                                           

## Measure Words/量词(liàngcí)

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  In Chinese, most specified or numbered nouns must be preceded by measure words, also known as classifiers, according to the type of object. Consider the English phrase, \"two pairs of pants.\" Like the word \"pair,\" Chinese measure words are placed between the noun and the preceding number.
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1\. 这本书里没有一个汉字。

:   Zhè bĕn shū lǐ méi yŏu yí gè Hànzì.
:   *This book doesn't contain one Chinese character.*

2\. 那间宿舍有六十个学生。

:   Nà jiān sùshè yŏu liùshí ge xuésheng.
:   *That dorm has sixty students.*

The phrase 一朵花 (yī duǒ huā) means \"one flower,\" but how would you
say \"a pile of flowers?\" It\'s simple: just change the classifier. The
phrase 一堆花 (yī duī huā) means \"a pile of flowers.\" You could also
say 一把花 (yī bǎ huā; a handful of flowers), 一桶花 (yī tǒng huā; a
bucket of flowers), or 一种花 (yī zhǒng huā; a kind of flower). You can
see that measure words act as adjectives.

In Chinese, like in English, you can omit the noun if it\'s already
known, leaving only the classifier. 你看到那种（花）吗？ (Nǐ kàn dào nà
zhǒng (huā) ma?) means \"Did you see that kind (of flower)?\" You can
see that measure words also act as nouns.

Measure words are also used with demonstrative
pronouns (this, that). For example, 这朵花
means \"this flower,\" and 那朵花 means \"that flower.\"

You might also encounter something like this: 书架上有书本。 (Shūjià
shàng yǒu shūběn.) which means \"The bookshelf has books on it.\" Note
that the classifier is after the noun. This signifies multiple books
where the exact number is not important, here translated \"books.\" The
sentence 书架上有书。, means the same as above, but is without the
classifier.

### Some Common Measure Words

Column key: Trad. is Traditional, Simp. shows changes made for the
simplified variant (if any).

  Trad.   Simp.   Pinyin   Main uses                                                                                                                                                      Example
  ------- ------- -------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  個      个      ge       individual things, people --- usage of this classifier in conjunction with any noun is generally accepted if the person does not know the proper classifier.   一个书包 yí ge shūbāo, a schoolbag
  把              bǎ       \"handful\", \"fistful\" --- objects that can be held or grabbed (knives, scissors, keys; also chairs)                                                         一把刀 yì bă dāo. One knife. 一把盐 yì bă yán. A handful of salt.
  包              bāo      \"package\", \"bundle\"                                                                                                                                        一包纸巾 yì bāo zhǐ jīn. A package of paper towels.
  杯              bēi      \"cup\" --- drinks                                                                                                                                             一杯水 yì bēi shuǐ. A cup of water.
  本              běn      \"volume\" --- any bound print or written matter (books, etc.)                                                                                                 一本书 yì běn shū. A book.
  册              cè       slimmer volumes of books                                                                                                                                       
  次              cì       \"time\" --- opportunities, accidents                                                                                                                          两次 liǎng cì. Twice. 三次 sān cì. Three times.
  滴              dī       \"droplet\" --- water, blood, and other such fluids                                                                                                            一滴水 yì dī shuǐ. A drop of water.
  點      点      diǎn     ideas, suggestions, can also mean \"a bit\"                                                                                                                    你睡一点。 Nǐ shuì yīdiǎn. Sleep a bit.
  堆              duī      \"pile\" --- anything in a pile                                                                                                                                一堆书 yī duī shū. A pile of books.
  朵              duǒ      flowers, clouds                                                                                                                                                一朵花 yì duŏ huā. One flower.
  份              fèn      newspapers, jobs                                                                                                                                               一份报 yì fèn bào. A newspaper
  根              gēn      thin, slender objects, lit. \"a root of a\...\" (needles, pillars, grass, vegetable roots etc.)                                                                一根针 yì gēn zhēn. A needle
  家              jiā      gathering of people (families, companies, etc.)                                                                                                                一家人 yī jiā rén. A family of people.
  架              jià      objects with a \"frame\" or structure; generally used for machines or mechanical objects (esp. cars, planes, etc.)                                             一架飞机 yī jià fēijī. One plane.
  件              jiàn     matters, clothing, etc.                                                                                                                                        一件衣服 yí jiàn yī fù. An article of clothing.
  節      节      jié      \"a section\" --- of bamboo, tutorials and classes, etc.                                                                                                       
  輛      辆      liàng    automobiles, bicycles, vehicles, etc.                                                                                                                          一辆车 yí liàng chē. One car.
  面              miàn     any flat and smooth objects, lit. \"a surface of a\...\" (mirrors, flags, walls, etc.)                                                                         一面镜子 yí miàn jìng zi. One mirror
  匹              pǐ       horses and other mounts, or rolls/bolts of cloth                                                                                                               一匹马 yì pǐ mă. One horse.
  片              piàn     \"slice\" --- any flat object, like cards, slices of bread, tree leaves, etc.                                                                                  一片叶子 yì piàn yè zi. One leaf.
  瓶              píng     \"bottle\" --- drinks                                                                                                                                          
  扇              shàn     objects that open and close (doors, windows)                                                                                                                   一扇门 yì shàn mén. One door
  艘              sōu      ships                                                                                                                                                          一艘船 yì sōu chuán. One ship.
  所              suǒ      any buildings, apartment                                                                                                                                       
  台              tái      heavy objects (TVs, computers, etc.) and performances (esp. in theatre, etc.)                                                                                  一台电脑 yī tái diànnǎo. One computer.
  條      条      tiáo     long, narrow, flexible objects (fish, trousers, etc.)                                                                                                          一条鱼 yì tiáo yú. One fish.
  頭      头      tóu      \"head\" --- herd animals (pigs, cows, sheep etc., *never* for fowls or birds), hair                                                                           一头牛 yì tóu niú. One head of cattle (Literally translated into English, \"头\" means head).
  位              wèi      polite classifier for people (e.g. gentlemen, professors, customers)                                                                                           几位？Jǐ wèi? How many (people)?
  些              xiē      \"some\" --- anything that\'s plural                                                                                                                           一些书 yī xiē shū. Some books. *Never* 两些书
  張      张      zhāng    \"sheet\" --- squarish or rectangular flat objects (paper, tables, etc.), faces, bows, paintings, tickets, constellations                                      一张纸 yì zhāng zhǐ. One piece of paper.
  支              zhī      stick-like objects (pens, chopsticks, etc.)                                                                                                                    一支笔 yì zhī bǐ. One pen.
  隻      只      zhī      one of a pair (e.g. hands, limbs), animals (birds, cats, etc.)                                                                                                 一只狗 yì zhī gŏu. One dog.
  種      种      zhǒng    types or kinds of objects, ideas, etc.                                                                                                                         一种书 yì zhǒng shū. One type of book.
  棟      栋      dǒng     building object                                                                                                                                                一栋房子 yí dòng fáng zí. One house

See Chinese measure words on
Wikipedia for a more complete reference.

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