Questions tagged [measure-word]
For questions about measure words and classifiers (量詞 or 量词), e.g., 個/个, 雙/双, 張/张
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Why is a measure word not required in 一年有三百六十五天?
Consider the following two sentences:
A year has twelve months
一年有十二個月
yī nián yǒu shí’èr gè yuè
A year has three hundred and sixty-five days
一年有三百六十五天
yī nián yǒu sānbǎi liùshíwǔ tiān
Why is the ...
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Difference between 一顿饭 and 一碗饭
The measure word of 饭 is 顿 and 碗. But what is the difference between the two and how should I classify them?
At first I thought 一碗饭 means a plate of food, for example if you have rice and chicken, ...
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Why is 挺 used as measure word for machine guns?
I recently noticed that the word 挺 (which I know mainly as an intensifier) also is the measure word for 機槍, machine guns. Now machine guns are a fairly recent invention, so I am wondering: Is it known ...
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How many supplies did Liu Bei have at Dangyang?
I was attempting to translate this passage from the Records of the Three Kingdoms:
比到當陽，衆十餘萬，輜重數千兩，日行十餘里，別遣關羽乘船數百艘，使會江陵。
The background of this is: Cao Cao had invaded Jingzhou, Liu Bei was ...
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Use 個 if the correct measure word is unknown
How bad does it sound if I use 個 for everything if most measure words are just still unknown to me, or I don't want to end up using a wrong one?
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The use of 地 after multiple, related nouns (e.g. “鸡”，“猫”，“狗”地)
In the following sentence:
秀春决定自己教他。丈夫好像明白了秀春的意思，跟着她“鸡”，“猫”，“狗”地念起来。
It seems that in this sentence, the meaning is something like the following, and it uses 地 coupled with animal nouns.
...
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Why does 一幅幅图画, not 一幅图画? [duplicate]
In the following sentence:
于是，每天晚上，秀春都拉着丈夫坐在灯下，指着识字课本的一幅幅图画问丈夫。
It means:
Therefore, on every night Xiuchun lets her husband sit under the light, points to the literacy book's 一幅幅图画 to ask him ...
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How to correctly use "多" to say "more than"?
I know a similar question has already been answered but I still have a lot of doubts.
To my understanding if a number is ≤9, you need to put "多" after the measure word (or after the name if it doesn'...
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Is 个 acceptable for all nouns? [duplicate]
My Chinese teacher says she doesn't care. But for future reference, is 个 acceptable as a measure word for all nouns?
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Why did my teacher mark down 一把 as a classifier for 手機?
My teacher detracted a few points for using 一把手機。It seems that 一台，一部, 一個 are better choices. However, I find many occurrences of 一把手機
Google search
Is it a dialectal phenomenon? Maybe in dialects ...
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How does the grammar of 拿把伞 work?
This sentence is taken from lesson 2 of HSK3 and apparently it means "get an umbrella".
The full sentence is 我下楼去给你拿把伞 which should mean "I will go downstairs to get you an umbrella".
My IME is ...
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In what cases should I use 条 for 猫?
I learned that the measure word for 猫 is 只.
However, my friend said 条 is the correct measure word for 猫.
The conversation with the friend is the following:
X: 你有养猫吗？
I: 哈哈 这只不是我的，我韩国旅游时的我的房东的。
X: ...
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When can a classifier be omitted? E.g. in 一女子跟着自己的包进了安检机
I know in Ancient Chinese there often was no classifier. But sometimes I notice the same phenomenon in modern Chinese. Today I heard the sentence:
一女子跟着自己的包进了安检机
For which words is such a usage ...
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Classifier choice for 荚谜
Cross-post notice
I usually wait for a week before cross-posting, but it's been 6 days, so I decided not to wait till tomorrow. Again, asked on Quora, no response, marked as needing editing.
...
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What's wrong with 一个年?
From what I can tell, 一个年 is completely wrong because you can never use a classifier together with 年. The situation is different from a phrase like 一个朋友.
My question is: why? Is there a reason why 年 ...
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What does 这一 mean in 在追求这一目标的过程中?
In the following sentence:
在追求这一目标的过程中，赛事转播和媒体是基本要素，国际足联与央视的合作伙伴关系发挥着至关重要的作用。
What does the 这一 here mean? I understand it modifies 目标, but does that mean 一 here works as a measure word for 目标？If ...
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Are 根 (gēn) and 条 (tiáo) both measure words for 油条 (yóutiáo)?
I asked a Chinese friend if the measure word for 油条 (yóutiáo) is 条 (tiáo). They said I should use 根 (gēn), but I'm unsure why. It might be because it's plain wrong, or perhaps just that 根 is better.
...
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Is it OK to use 只 (only) when it already uses 只 as a measure word?
In the following sentence:
”银座养蜂项目“始于2006年，目前在银座的三个大厦屋顶都设有养蜂场，各有20-30万只蜜蜂。
The sentence means:
"Ginza Bees Project" started in 2016. Now the roof of all three buildings in Ginza have the bees ...
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What's the difference between 顿 and 道 as a measure word for meals?
What's the difference between 顿 and 道 as a measure word for meals? What each measure word stresses?
吃了一顿饭
吃了一道饭
Looks like 顿 used to mean 点头 diǎntóu or 鞠躬 jūgōng. If it's so, then presenting "a dish"...
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Is it permissible to use 个 in any nouns as a measure word?
In the book titled "Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide", the author writes the following:
In mainland China, in informal speech, 个 can be used as the classifier for almost ...
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The abbreviation rule of a measure word
In the following sentence:
昨天晚上买了张彩票，结果中奖了。
If I understand it correctly, 张 means 一张 but 一 is omitted here.
Also, if you want to mean it in plural (i.e. buy multiple lottery tickets), the ...
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消费 coupled with the MW: 个
I noticed that dictionaries cite 消费 as having the MW: 个 。 Is there a reason that this this particular noun has a measure word? It doesn't seem as if it were to be a word that uses a measure word.
...
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How to state fractions with units of measurement? (e.g. 0.75 lb, 1.5 lbs, 1.75 lbs, etc.)
"1 lb" is 一磅 and "half-pound" is 半磅. And "3/4" is 四分之三. So far, so good.
But I'm not clear on how to read measurements like 3/4 lb, 1.5 lbs and 1.75 lbs in Chinese. My guesses below would be:
3/4 lb ...
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Measure word and vocabulary for internet posts
If I want to say "There are 100 Facebook posts" or "There are 100 Tweets", how do I do so?
From Pleco, I got:
帖子 = post (forum),
推特 = Twitter,
脸书 = Facebook.
So is it something like: "这是百个脸书(推特)帖子。...
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Is classifier/measure word required after demonstrative?
I have been reading into this topic and found a bit conflicting information - some say it is mandatory to put a classifier after demonstrative (e.g. zhè), while some say it actually is not mandatory.
...
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Why are measure words sometimes omitted?
For example, "我有房子", but why not "我有一栋房子"? Why "我有孩子" and not "我有一个孩子"?
Why "我不是坏人" and not "我不是一个坏人"?
Thanks
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Where to put the adjective when asking for something that comes in multiple sizes?
This morning in Taipei I went to buy a coffee.
I knew how to say 我要一杯咖啡 and I knew the word for big is 大.
But I didn't know where in the sentence to put the 大. Does it go before 杯 to mean "big cup"? ...
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I'd like to know any resource to check the Measure Word for a given word
There are many resources that offer a list of Measure Words, but I'm interested in finding a resource where I can type a word and get its Measure Word back.
Thank you very much in advance to anyone ...
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Measure words for music
I'm aware of the construct: 一首歌曲。
However, what's the difference between the following 声音 constructs?
一张音乐
一曲音乐
一段音乐
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个 ge usage plus 每 mei
Anybody can explain me the reason why:
-we don't say 每个年 but 每年? and, on the contrary,
we must say 每个月 and not 每月?
-Is there somethig to do with the fact that sometimes we must use 全 (全身)instead of 整个 ...
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Why does the order of 人口 change?
One of the first questions in my book is 你家有几口人？ But the book highlights the word "人口" as people. Why does it change? Is it because 口 is the measure word for 人? Could you say 三口人口? When do you use ...
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What classifier imply a volume?
I know that you can use 盒 to suggest that there is a collection of the following noun, such as 一盒麻将牌 (a box of mahjong tiles) and I was wondering which other classifiers I can use for a similar effect,...
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What's the correct classifier for `房子`?
In my little bit of Mandarin experience, I have got that the classifier for 房子 is 座, and also felt that 座 is usually used to refer to a building. However, I have just read that someone here over ...
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Is there a difference in meaning between 那年夏天 and 那个夏天
I asked a native speaker whether these phrases were equivalent in meaning and she said no (although agreeing that they both ultimately do "point" to the same concept). I asked if 年 here is basically a ...
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Chinese countable/uncountable nouns (How do they work? Examples?)
I recall in Mandarin class, my teacher would often discuss an idea about countable nouns. I never really understood how one would easily determine when one is faced with a countable vs uncountable ...
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Combining noun and measure word
I have read an article which shows this sentence 一本书, and then if want to make it plural, it becomes 书本, so my question is it for all noun and measure word?
Example:
一首歌 becomes 歌首
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Do you use 个 when describing distances/weights？
I'm trying to figure out if you ever use 个 when describing distances or weight. For example, people say "十公里“ NOT "十个公里“ － right？ does the same apply for weights? like 公斤？
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List of classifiers for Cantonese?
There are many resources listing classifiers for Mandarin, but do any pages exist that document classifiers for Cantonese?
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條 or 個 as classifier for road (路) in Cantonese?
I usually hear 路 used with 條 as the classifier, but sometimes people also use 個. in cantonese, which is the correct classifier? are both correct?
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Purpose of duplicating measure words?
I came across the following sentence in New Practical Chinese Reader 2, lesson 21, paraphrasing:
南方的花园
中国人常说： “上有天堂，下有苏杭。”意思是苏州和杭州这两个城市跟天堂一样美。它们都在中国的南方，是中国南方的“花园”。它们的美在哪儿呢？－－杭州的山水和苏州的园林。苏州的园林非常有名。...
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When to use "下一个" and when just "下一" to translate English "next"?
When I looked up how to say "next" some time in the last couple of months I found "下一个".
So I was using that and seemed to be mostly understood. But then I started noticing that just "下一" was used by ...
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Which term and which counter to use when ordering simple meals?
When ordering food at a cheap simple eatery in China, which words with which counters should I use that would be something vaguely like English "serve", "serving", "helping", "plate", "bowl".
For ...
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Why is 汉子 measured in 条?
汉子 (son/person of Han) was - in ancient China - a term used by various people north of China to refer to the Chinese, but over time has been used by the Chinese to refer to themselves, and by the Qing ...
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Is there any authoritative works related to measure words?
I know that the Chinese ministry of education did release a lot of authoritative books on how characters should be simplified, how their stroke orders should be, and other similar stuff.
But it doesn'...
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Measure words for disrespect
I know certain measure words convey respect, for example:
一位客人
Is there something similar I could use to emphatically disrespect someone, as in:
他是一?饭桶
Or is just using 个 disrespectful enough?
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When referring to a previously mentioned object, such as a computer 一台电脑, do you say 这个/那个 or 这台/那台?
When referring to a previously mentioned object, such as a computer (一台电脑）, do you say 这个/那个 or 这台/那台?
i.e. does the measure word used in 这个/那个 depend on the object, or is it always the generic 个?
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What is the correct measure word for 问题 (question)?
I'm not sure if I should say 一件问题 or 一项问题. I know I can get away with 一个问题, but I'd like to know the "correct" measure word.
Note: I would like to use the tag measure-word, but I can't. I used "...
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Classifiers for rooms
What is the best classifier to use for rooms?
一 _____ 卧室
两 _____客厅
三 _____洗衣房
What about houses or buildings?
I know there is 一层楼 for a floor / level / story of a building, what about ...
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Which classifier for window (窗户) is regularly used?
The dictionary lists two classifiers for window (窗户) 个 and 扇. Are both of these in common usage? If so is there any difference in the register? Does one sound more formal, etc?
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Syntax of 'Number Number MeasureWord'
What are the rules governing expressions such as 七八成 (seventy or eighty percent) or 一两个 (one or two)? Must the numerals be monosyllables? What are the restrictions on the measure words? Can there be ...
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