15 Most Common Chinese Measure Words for Beginners (+Examples)

Many learners find measure words to be one of the most difficult aspects of the Chinese language. And no wonder: to use them correctly, you need to pay attention to a bunch of features that do not even exist in English. And whenever you learn a new noun in Chinese, you have to memorize the corresponding measure word that agrees with it.

But don’t worry. We are here to help you!

We’ll make them less scary by analyzing some of their defining features and teaching you the simple rules to use them. To make things easier for you, we’ll start by discussing just the 15 most common measure words in Chinese you’ll hear every day when you begin studying. Later on, we’ll look at how to learn the remaining measure words effectively.

How Measure Words Work in Chinese

In Chinese, a measure word is called 量词 (liàng cí). The way measure words work in Mandarin Chinese might not seem too intuitive to an English speaker. After all, English measure words are only used in very specific contexts.

On a basic level, measure words are used to specify a certain quantity of a given noun. If that doesn’t sound too clear, here are a few examples from English:

a bar of chocolate
a party of friends
two pieces of news
three rolls of toilet paper
several drops of mud

While English uses measure words rather sparingly, Chinese sentences are just full of them. Chinese measure words are indispensable when counting nouns – in many contexts which wouldn’t require a measure word in English.

The big difference with measure words between Chinese and English is that usually, only mass nouns (uncountable nouns) require one in English, while every noun – even single and countable, requires one in Chinese, that is, every time a number or a demonstrative pronoun like “this” or “that” is used with a noun, you must slip a measure word in the middle.

For example, you wouldn’t just say “a car”, “two cats”, “this cake” in Chinese, you would say “a [measure word] car” and “two [measure word] cats”, “this [measure word] cake”. (there is no additional linking particle like “of” in English)

Different measure words are used for different nouns. In total, there are about 150 measure words in Chinese that are frequently used in day-to-day conversations. Measure words in Chinese can speak to the shape or feature of the object, the category to which it belongs, the type of container it comes in, or are simply arbitrary and you must just know them. (In some cases, more than one measure word may be used for the same noun, and the choice depends on which characteristic you wish to emphasize)

Don’t let the measure word system freak you out, though.

There are some simple rules that you can learn to master this aspect of Chinese. To help you kickstart your growing vocabulary, we’ll start you off with the 15 most common measure words in Chinese that capture the most value for beginners. These core, simple measure words are easy to remember because you’ll hear them everywhere, all the time!

Let’s dive in!

15 Most Common Measure Words in Chinese You Must Know

Here’s a rundown of the 15 most commonly used measure words in daily Chinese to get you going. If your goal is to become conversationally fluent in Chinese, these are the top measure words you must know.

1. Generic Measure Word: 个 (gè)

个 (gè) is the most commonly used measure word in Chinese amongst all.

It’s mostly used with nouns for people. The typical construct to use with 个 (gè), and most measure words, is “number [measure word] noun”.

For example,

• 一个老人
  yí gè lǎorén
  an old man

• 两个孩子
  liǎng gè háizi
  two kids

• 三个学生
  sān gè xuésheng
  three students

When the number “two” is used before a measure word, you must read it as 两 (liǎng) instead of 二 (èr). Read here for further explanations.

Many non-human items, abstract objects, and words can go with this measure word as well. For instance,

• 两个字
  liǎng gè zì
  two characters

• 三个橙子
  sān gè chéngzi
  three oranges

• 五个会
  wǔ gè huì
  five meetings

• 七个月
  qī gè yuè
  seven months

• 十个问题
  shí gè wèntí
  ten questions

Additionally, 个 (gè) can be used as a generic, all-purpose measure word, which means that you can use it as a substitute if you don’t know or can’t remember the more proper measure word for the noun you’re trying to quantify. It may not be technically correct (works like 30% of the time), but you’ll be understood by native speakers most of the time. And as a bonus, they may even offer up the right measure word so that you can file it away for future reference.

If the noun you are referring to is singular in the sentence, you can omit the number 一 (yī) before the measure word. For example,

• 你是一个好人。Nǐ shì yí gè hǎo rén.
  → 你是个好人。Nǐ shì gè hǎo rén.
  You are a good guy.

This rule applies to all measure words.

2. 位 (wèi)

This is another commonly used measure word to count people. Compared with 个 (gè), the word 位 (wèi) is more formal. It’s a good idea to use 位 (wèi) instead of 个 (gè) when you want to show politeness or respect to the people you are talking about.

For instance,

• 一位老师
  yí wèi lǎoshī
  a teacher

• 两位同事
  liǎng wèi tóngshì
  two colleagues

• 三位客人
  sān wèi kèrén
  three guests

And when you go to a restaurant in China, you are bound to hear the waiter say this to you as part of the Chinese courtesy.

• 几位?
  Jǐ wèi?
  How many (people)?

3. 只 (zhī)

Just like 个 (gè) is the generic measure word for people, 只 (zhī) is the generic measure word for animals. 

Here’s this common measure word in action,

• 一只猫
  yì zhī māo
  a cat

• 两只兔子
  liǎng zhī tùzi
  two bunnies

• 三只虫子
  sān zhī chóngzi
  three bugs

• 四只鸟
  sì zhī niǎo
  four birds

• 五只鸡
  wǔ zhī jī
  five chickens

Note that the measure word 只 (zhī) normally sticks with smaller animals. For larger animals (pigs, cows, or elephants, for example), another measure word is used in Chinese – we’ll get there in a minute.

Now, 只 (zhī) can also be used to talk about items that come in pairs (one of a pair) such as some body parts, shoes, etc.

For example:

• 一只手
  yì zhī shǒu
  a hand

• 一只脚
  yì zhī jiǎo
  a foot

• 两只眼睛
  liǎng zhī yǎnjīng
  two eyes

• 两只耳朵
  liǎng zhī ěrduo
  two ears

• 一只鞋
  yì zhī xié
  a shoe

Note that 只 (zhī) is pronounced “zhī” here, and not “zhǐ” like in other contexts.

4. 头 (tóu)

The Chinese measure word 头 (tóu) refers to a head of something. If 个 (gè) is the go-to measure word for small animals, then 头 (tóu) is used for big animals such as livestock as well as some wild animals.

• 一头猪
  yì tóu zhū
  a pig

• 两头驴
  liǎng tóu lǘ
  two donkeys

• 三头牛
  sān tóu niú
  three cows

• 四头狮子
  sì tóu shīzi
  four lions

• 五头大象
  wǔ tóu dàxiàng
  five elephants

5. 条 (tiáo)

条 (tiáo) is the measure word for things with a long, narrow shape – fish, snakes, ropes, ties, rivers, roads, pants, etc.

Check these examples:

• 一条鱼
  yì tiáo yú
  a fish

• 两条蛇
  liǎng tiáo shé
  two snakes

• 三条领带
  sān tiáo lǐngdài
  three ties

• 四条河
  sì tiáo hé
  four rivers

• 十条裤子
  shí tiáo kùzi
  ten pants

Well, you may argue that some fish doesn’t look long at all, but you still have to use the measure word 条 (tiáo) for it, since it’s the catch-all measure word for all types of fish.

6. 双 (shuāng)

When you talk about pairs of things in Chinese, the measure word 双 (shuāng) is used. The character, as you can probably guess from its structure, means “double” originally.

Here are some examples:

• 一双鞋
  yì shuāng xié
  a pair of shoes

• 一双袜子
  yì shuāng wàzi
  a pair of socks

• 一双筷子
  yì shuāng kuàizi
  a pair of chopsticks

• 一双手
  yì shuāng shǒu
  a pair of hands

• 一双眼睛
  yì shuāng yǎnjīng
  a pair of eyes

Note that 双 (shuāng) is typically used for pairs of things that can be separated. Unlike in English, it is not used to talk about items such as pants, glasses, or scissors which are viewed as one entity in Chinese. Other measure words are used for those nouns.

7. 张 (zhāng)

It should be quite easy to remember how to use the measure word 张 (zhāng) in Chinese, as it refers to flat things – paper, tickets, menus, tables, chairs, beds, and so on. You’ll find that you use this measure word frequently traveling or living in China, as you’ll always be buying bus, train, or subway tickets.

Let’s see it in action.

• 一张纸
  yì zhāng zhǐ
  a piece of paper

• 两张票
  liǎng zhāng piào
  two tickets

• 三张桌子
  sān zhāng zhuōzi
  three tables

• 四张椅子
  sì zhāng yǐzi
  four chairs

• 五张床
  wǔ zhāng chuáng
  five beds

8. 本 (běn)

While 张 (zhāng) is used for a single sheet of paper, you need to use a different measure word when you are talking about bound stuff such as books, or magazines. That’s where 本 (běn) comes in handy!

Let’s see some examples!

• 一本书
  yì běn shū
  a book

• 一本词典
  yì běn cídiǎn
  a dictionary

• 两本杂志
  liǎng běn zázhì
  two magazines

• 五本笔记本
  wǔ běn bǐjìběn
  five notebooks

9. 把 (bǎ)

The measure word 把 (bǎ) literally means “handful”. It’s commonly used for objects that can be held and implements with handles.

Examples:

• 一把刀
  yì bǎ dāo
  a knife

• 一把叉子
  yì bǎ chāzi
  a fork

• 一把剪刀
  yì bǎ jiǎndāo
  a pair of scissors

• 一把伞
  yì bǎ sǎn
  an umbrella

• 一把吉他
  yì bǎ jítā
  a guitar

• 一把椅子
  yì bǎ yǐzi
  a chair

10. 件 (jiàn)

The measure word 件 (jiàn) is used commonly in a few ways – with things, matters, clothes (top half), gifts, furniture, luggage, etc, even though they have nothing in common.

Here are some examples:

• 一件事
  yí jiàn shì
  a thing

• 一件汗衫
  yí jiàn hànshān
  a T-shirt

• 一件大衣
  yí jiàn dàyī
  a coat

• 一件礼物
  yí jiàn lǐwù
  a gift

• 一件行李
  yí jiàn xíngli
  a piece of luggage

11. 辆 (liàng)

The measure word 辆 (liàng) is commonly used for vehicles with wheels (but not trains). You can use it to talk about cars, buses, bikes, scooters, and the like.

Let’s see how it’s used:

• 一辆汽车
  yí liàng qìchē
  a car

• 两辆大巴
  liǎng liàng dàbā
  two buses

• 三辆自行车
  sān liàng zìxíngchē
  three bicycles

• 四辆摩托车
  sì liàng mótuōchē
  four motorcycles

As you can see from the structure of the character 辆 (liàng), its radical “车” stands for vehicle and the right part “两” – meaning “two”, indicates the common ground between these vehicles: they all have at least two wheels.

12. 家 (jiā)

The word 家 (jiā) literally means “home” or “family”, but it can also be used as a measure word for business establishments such as companies, banks, shops, restaurants, etc.

Examples:

• 一家公司
  yì jiā gōngsī
  a company

• 两家银行
  liǎng jiā yínháng
  two banks

• 三家超市
  sān jiā chāoshì
  three supermarkets

• 这家餐厅
  zhè jiā cāntīng
  this restaurant

• 那家酒吧
  nà jiā jiǔbā
  that bar

13. 杯 (bēi)/瓶 (píng)

Speaking of “bar”, do you ever wonder how to count drinks in Chinese? It’s pretty simple. There are two common measure words for it: 杯 (bēi) and 瓶 (píng).

Learning how to use the measure words 杯 (bēi) and 瓶 (píng) in Chinese should be quite simple as they can be directly translated to the English words “cup/glass” and “bottle”.

Let’s take a look at how they are used in action.

• 一杯冰水
  yì bēi bīng shuǐ
  a glass of iced water

• 一杯绿茶
  yì bēi lǜ chá
  a cup of green tea

• 两杯咖啡
  liǎng bēi kāfēi
  two cups of coffee

• 三瓶可乐
  sān píng kělè
  three bottles of coke

• 十瓶啤酒
  shí píng píjiǔ
  ten bottles of beer

14. 份 (fèn)

Now let’s move on to food. You can use the measure word 份 (fèn) to talk about a portion or serving of food.

For example:

• 一份米饭
  yí fèn mǐfàn
  a serving of rice

• 一份快餐
  yí fèn kuài cān
  a serving of fast food

• 一份点心
  yí fèn diǎnxin
  a serving of Dim Sum

This measure word is also widely used for documents, copies, newspapers, shares, packages, and so on.

Examples:

• 一份表格
  yí fèn biǎogé
  a form

• 一份报纸
  yí fèn bàozhǐ
  a newspaper

• 一份外卖
  yí fèn wàimài
  a portion of delivered food

15. 元 (yuán)/块 (kuài)

Finally, we’ll learn how to count money in Chinese.

We’re going to put these two measure words together, as both of them are the basic monetary unit of China. 元 (yuán) and 块 (kuài) are essentially the same, it’s just that 块 (kuài) is more colloquial. If it helps, think of 元 (yuán) as the Chinese “dollars” and 块 (kuài) as the Chinese “bucks”.

• 五十元钱
  wǔ shí yuán qián
  50 RMB

• 一百块钱
  yì bǎi kuài qián
  100 RMB

How to Memorize Common Measure Words in Chinese

As we’ve mentioned, there are about 150 commonly used measure words in Chinese, but if you can master the 15 most important ones we’ve covered in this article, you’ll be well on your way to being a measure word expert!

Since Chinese measure words are used to express the quantity of literally everything, you cannot expect to learn them all by memorizing a list of rules, that’s why we don’t suggest learning them through traditional methods like flashcards or grammar drills. (Doing this will take quite some time, and in result, it’s not effective)

Instead, the most effective way to master Chinese measure words is to keep using them in real contexts until they all sink in. The more you practice, the more each measure word will stick with the noun. Whenever you learn a new noun, make sure to simultaneously connect it with its measure word.

And don’t be afraid of making mistakes. If you can’t think of the appropriate measure word, you can always fall back on 个 (gè). Chances are, people will still understand what you are talking about and gently correct you. The way native speakers respond to your shaky, early uses of measure words will reinforce the usage of these words like nothing else!

If you’d like to learn more Chinese measure words, we’ve got you covered! We’ve written a more detailed post on this topic with a complete list of all 150 common measure words you need to speak fluent Chinese. Get it here.