How measure words work
The pattern is fixed: number + measure word + noun. With 這 'this', 那 'that', and 幾 'how many', same rule. One quirk: 'two' uses 兩, not 二, before measure words — 兩杯, 兩個人.
| Pattern | Example | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| number + MW + noun | 三個人 | sān ge rén | three people |
| number + MW + noun | 兩杯奶茶 | liǎng bēi nǎichá | two milk teas |
| 這/那 + MW + noun | 這個 | zhège | this one |
| 幾 + MW + noun | 幾個人 | jǐ ge rén | how many people? |
個 — the universal default
個 ge (neutral tone in counting) covers people, most objects, and abstract things. When you can't recall the proper measure word, 個 nearly always works:
| Mandarin | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 一個人 | yí ge rén | one person |
| 兩個 | liǎng ge | two (of them) |
| 這個多少錢 | zhège duōshǎo qián | how much is this? |
| 一個問題 | yí ge wèntí | one question |
| 幾個小時 | jǐ ge xiǎoshí | how many hours? |
The daily dozen
| MW | Pinyin | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 杯 | bēi | cups / glasses of drink — e.g. yì bēi zhēnnǎi 'one bubble tea' | 一杯珍奶 |
| 碗 | wǎn | bowls — e.g. yì wǎn niúròumiàn 'a bowl of beef noodle soup' | 一碗牛肉麵 |
| 份 | fèn | portions / orders of food — e.g. yí fèn yánsūjī 'an order of popcorn chicken' | 一份鹽酥雞 |
| 盤 | pán | plates — e.g. yì pán qīngcài 'a plate of greens' | 一盤青菜 |
| 瓶 | píng | bottles — e.g. yì píng shuǐ 'a bottle of water' | 一瓶水 |
| 張 | zhāng | flat things — tickets, tables, paper — e.g. yì zhāng chēpiào 'one ticket' | 一張車票 |
| 台 | tái | machines / vehicles — e.g. yì tái diànnǎo 'one computer' | 一台電腦 |
| 隻 | zhī | animals — e.g. yì zhī māo 'one cat' | 一隻貓 |
| 本 | běn | books — e.g. yì běn shū 'one book' | 一本書 |
| 家 | jiā | shops / companies — e.g. yì jiā cāntīng 'one restaurant' | 一家餐廳 |
| 件 | jiàn | clothes (tops) / matters — e.g. yí jiàn shì 'one matter' | 一件事 |
| 間 | jiān | rooms — e.g. yì jiān fángjiān 'one room' | 一間房間 |
Money and time count too
| Mandarin | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 一百塊 | yìbǎi kuài | 100 dollars (colloquial 塊 for 元) |
| 一分鐘 | yì fēnzhōng | one minute |
| 一小時 | yì xiǎoshí | one hour |
| 等一下 | děng yíxià | wait a moment (一下 = 'a bit') |
Mini practice
What is the default measure word when you're unsure?
個 (ge) — 一個人, 這個, 一個問題. It covers people and most things.
How do you say 'two bubble teas'?
兩杯珍奶 (liǎng bēi zhēnnǎi) — 兩 for 'two of things', 杯 for drinks.
Which measure word do tickets use?
張 (zhāng) — for flat things: 一張車票, 一張門票.
Why 兩杯 and not 二杯?
'Two of something' before a measure word is 兩 — 兩杯, 兩個人. But inside bigger numbers it stays 二: 十二個, 二十二個人.
