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During my studies, I came across these sentences:

a) 这课容易吗？

b) 请问去王府井是不是坐这路车?

It seems that in these examples, the words 课 and 路 act as measure-words. Because the measure-word for 课 is 堂. So, I guess the first sentence should be 这堂课容易吗？

As for the second sentence, I don't find 路 as a measure-word for 车. But here, it is used in place of the measure word.

Are these sentences grammatically correct?

Also, how does it mean to say: 二位小姐别着急.

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3 Answers 3

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a) 课 in 这课容易吗 is a noun, with measure word omitted. You are correct that 堂 is one measure word for 课, so 这堂课容易吗(Is this class easy) is also correct. Another measure word for 课 is 门，so 这课容易吗 may also mean 这门课容易吗 (is this course easy).

b) As you may know, the common measure word of 车 is 辆。However, here the sentence is not asking about any one specific 车, but rather bus route（路）. I'm not sure if this usage is considered a measure word. It may be easier to think 这路车 as a shorthand for 这条路线的车。

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容易 is not a noun and does not require a 量词。

这课容易吗？
Is this class easy?

You could write:
这门课容易吗？
Is this class easy?

If you want to make clear what bus you are talking about,

请问去王府井是不是坐这路车?

is good!

Imagine two young ladies waiting at their hotel door for a taxi. The taxi is taking a long time to arrive. The hotel doorman might say this:

二位小姐别着急.
Don't worry you two. (I'm sure the taxi will get here before you are both grandmothers!)

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Yes, they are correct.

a) 这课容易吗？= 这课程容易吗？- Is the course easy?

课 acts as a "measure word" if you ask this way:

  • 这一课容易吗？- Is this course easy?

b) 请问去王府井是不是坐这路车? = 请问去王府井是不是坐这路線的车? In here, 路 is short for 路線 (route).

Similar to the above, 路 acts as a "measure word" if you ask:

  • 请问去王府井是不是坐这一路车?

I don't quite understand the last question. Please clarify.

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  • Are you suggesting that 课 is a noun in 这课 but a measure word in 这一课? If so, would you also be prepared to say that 天 is a noun in 那天 but a measure word in 那一天? Or that 人 is a noun in 这人 but a measure word in 这一人?
    – Sanchuan
    Aug 2, 2022 at 16:32
  • Yes, "这一课" = "这一课(课文)", "一课" quantifies the noun "课文". "天" is not a classifier in "那一天", but 天 is a classifier in "一天假". "人" is not a classifier in "这一人", but can be considered a classifier in "一人吃全家飽".
    – r13
    Aug 2, 2022 at 18:37
  • That's interesting, thank you. Traditional grammars actually treat 天, and a few others, as special measure words that always go without a noun when the noun in question is their primary one (so you can say 一天假, but 一天[时间] must always be reduced to just 一天 because the general noun is always dropped and left implicit). These words are never considered nouns as no measure word can ever occur before them (ie *一X天). These are established grammatical facts for words like 天.
    – Sanchuan
    Aug 2, 2022 at 22:38
  • But you say 这天, 这课 and 这人 are all nouns. So I wonder if you really perceive them as nouns (and hence with a missing/implicit measure word) or if you would agree with the fact that they are all in fact "nominalised" measure words (and hence with a missing/implicit noun). In other words: do you perceive 这课 and 这人 as skipping a measure word (ie 这[门]课 and 这[个]人) or as lacking an implicit noun (ie 这课[课程] and 这人[人物])? Your answer above suggests the latter, so perhaps we should describe 课 as a (nominalised) measure word.
    – Sanchuan
    Aug 2, 2022 at 22:42
  • 1. Note the pattern in my examples - numeral + measure word + noun. 2. " do you perceive 这课 and 这人 as skipping a measure word (ie 这[门]课 and 这[个]人)?". Yes, could be, but now 门 & 个 are measure words, and 课 & 人 are nouns.
    – r13
    Aug 2, 2022 at 22:55

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