16
votes
Accepted
What's the difference between classifiers and measure words?
Yes, there is a slight difference (although it appears there's no complete consensus on this).
A classifier, in linguistics (not just in Mandarin), is a word or morpheme used to express that a ...
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12
votes
8
votes
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Why is a measure word not required in 一年有三百六十五天?
Some nouns need a classifier, some don't; 月(month) needs one but 天(day) doesn't.
一年有十二個月 - 月(month) needs a classifier
一年有十二個月份 - 月份(month) needs a classifier
一年有五十二週 - 週(week) doesn't need a ...
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7
votes
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Why is 挺 used as measure word for machine guns?
挺，表数量，用于条状物。
As a measure word, 挺 refers to something that is long.
In《太平御览》卷八三五，it says 壶中大钱一千，以通九泉之路，蜡烛一挺，以照七尺之尸。
In modern Chinese, 一挺蜡烛 is no longer commonly used.
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7
votes
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What does 回 do in 这回事?
回
[6] (measure) time (as used to indicate number of occurrence)
[7] (measure) piece (as used for happenings or events)
回 is a measure word for event or occurrence ; 这回事 means "this (piece of) ...
- 80.6k
7
votes
Accepted
Use of 成 / 乘 number quantifiers in Cantonese
成: one tenth; 10 per cent
乘: multiply; multiplication
一成熟：rare (10% cooked) 三成熟：medium rare (30% cooked) 五成熟：medium (50% cooked) 七成熟：medium well (70% cooked) 全熟：Well done (100% cooked)
It is always &...
- 80.6k
6
votes
Why are measure words sometimes omitted?
Your first two examples are not proper ones, since Chinese grammar do not usually use plural or singular form, 我有房子 could mean "I have a house" or "I have houses" ; 我有孩子 could mean " I have a child" ...
- 80.6k
6
votes
Accepted
What does the second 幅 mean in 真是一幅幅美丽的山水画?
"一幅幅" in "一幅幅美丽的山水画" mainly means 'one after another', (indicates plural by extended logic)
一幅幅 is short for 一幅又一幅 or 一幅接一幅 (one after another)
"一幅幅美丽的山水画" means "...
- 80.6k
6
votes
Accepted
Is it permissible to use 个 in any nouns as a measure word?
I would say somehow it's true in informal circumstances.
But I don't quite agree with the definition of 个化 above in which 个 as a classifier is going with nouns. When you say 一个车 or 一个房子 alone, it ...
- 24k
6
votes
What's the difference between 顿 and 道 as a measure word for meals?
一頓饭 is one meal whereas 一道菜 is one course or one dish.
這頓豐富的晚餐共有十二道菜。
This sumptuous dinner is made up of twelve courses.
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6
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Why did my teacher mark down 一把 as a classifier for 手機?
To me, 部 is a formal classifier for 手机. 台 is usually used for a bigger machine, like computer & TV 一台电脑 & 一台电视. 一台手机 doesn't sound quite right to me.
一把手机 is not used in practice for ...
- 24k
6
votes
Why do you say 個 in 我接個電話?
In the situation that you are talking with someone when your phone rings, saying that 我接個電話 = Excuse me, let me take a phone call.
Many textbooks say that 個 (个） equals the English indefinite article &...
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5
votes
Accepted
How to correctly use "多" to say "more than"?
In my opinion, all the measure words, including 年，小时，and etc, work the same way. Let's take 年 for example.
多年 should be used only after numbers x10, like 10, 20, 30, .... For
example, 十多年：teens; 20多年：...
- 24k
5
votes
The use of 地 after multiple, related nouns (e.g. “鸡”，“猫”，“狗”地)
跟着她“鸡”，“猫”，“狗”地念起来。
“鸡”，“猫”，“狗”地 here works as an adverbial phrase modifying the verb 念.
“鸡”，“猫”，“狗” are basic noun words learnt by a beginner. Imagine the scene her 丈夫 following her reading these ...
- 24k
5
votes
Accepted
Use 個 if the correct measure word is unknown
You should learn those measure word one by one because most of native speakers don't use "個" for every nouns. But sometimes if you forget or don't know the word you should use, most people still know ...
- 460
5
votes
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Difference between 一顿饭 and 一碗饭
Your intuition is correct.「頓」and also「餐」are measure word for meals, while「碗」is a measure word for bowls (of rice).
Since「飯」refers to both meal and cooked rice, the statement of how much you ate is ...
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5
votes
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是个[adj + noun] vs 是[adj + noun]
For apps like Duolingo, the correct answer is the best translation, not necessary any correct equivalent translation. In this case, the authors of the app have decided that Beijing is a big place is ...
- 16.9k
5
votes
Why do you say 個 in 我接個電話?
"我接個電話" (I'll take a phone call) is normal, You need the classifier 個 to indicate it is a single phone call.
"我接電話" (I'll take phone call) is weird. Sounds like you just take up ...
- 80.6k
5
votes
Accepted
Meanings of the various measure words for 房子
房子 can be a detached house or an apartment unit
一棟新房子 - 棟(a pillar/ a stack of) is a classifier for something tall and stationary, suitable for describing a detached house
一幢新房子 - 幢(a block of) is a ...
- 80.6k
4
votes
Accepted
Are 根 (gēn) and 条 (tiáo) both measure words for 油条 (yóutiáo)?
I think the main reason is that 油条 already includes the character 条, so to avoid double use, we say 一根油条.
This is the same as we say 一根面条，一根薯条，一根木条，...
- 24k
4
votes
Accepted
Is it OK to use 只 (only) when it already uses 只 as a measure word?
"只有20-30万只蜜蜂" is a valid sentence in simplified Chinese. You just have to read the two 只 differently, because they have different meanings.
The first "只" in the sentence means "only" in both ...
- 80.6k
4
votes
How to state fractions with units of measurement? (e.g. 0.75 lb, 1.5 lbs, 1.75 lbs, etc.)
1.5 lbs = 一磅半 (only when 'and a half') or 一點五磅
1.75 lbs = 一又四分之三磅 or 一點七五磅
Since 個 is actually a unit itself, there should not be 個 when there are units and should also be used after the number such ...
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4
votes
How to state fractions with units of measurement? (e.g. 0.75 lb, 1.5 lbs, 1.75 lbs, etc.)
在中文里他们正确的读法是下面这样：
3/4 lb = 四分之三磅
1.5 lbs = 一点五磅
1.75 lbs = 一点七五磅
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4
votes
Accepted
Why does 一幅幅图画, not 一幅图画?
From a previously asked question What does the second "幅” mean in the following sentence?
一幅幅 is short for 一幅又一幅 or 一幅接一幅 (one after another)
"一幅幅美丽的山水画" means "one beautiful landscape ...
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4
votes
Accepted
How many supplies did Liu Bei have at Dangyang?
Yes, 兩 used to have many more meanings.
In the details section of zdic, there's the following additional meanings:
(4) 匹(长四丈)
归夫人鱼轩,重锦三十两。——《左传·闵公二年》
(5) 通“辆”。车一乘 [used for buses,carts,etc.]
武王戎车三百两。—...
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4
votes
Differences between 条 and 根
條 can be a measure word for huge things. For example, 一条河, 一条烟囱, 一条船(all long and thin but huge) - you can't use 根 for huge things
条 can be a measure word for living things. For example, 一条蚯蚓, 一条蛇, ...
- 80.6k
4
votes
Is 身 commonly used as a measure word?
身 as a classifier means 'a suits of' or "a body full of" but it usually only use '一' (one) as counting word
Example:
他一身白色衣褲鞋帽 = He in a suits of white clothing, shoes and hat.
他兩身白色衣褲鞋帽 is ...
- 80.6k
4
votes
Use of 成 / 乘 number quantifiers in Cantonese
Tang Ho makes a clear explanation on the difference between 成/乘, but I would like to elaborate a bit more on the 2nd question.
Chinese people feel that odd numbers are “lucky numbers”, and tend to ...
- 1,658
4
votes
Accepted
Are there other examples of 一辆车 ("a car") vs. 车辆 ("vehicle") and 一匹马 ("a horse") vs. 马匹 ("horse")?
一匹马 --> 马匹
一疋布 --> 布疋
一只猪； 一只牛；一只狗 --> 猪只；牛只；狗只
一块石；一块铅；一块肉 --> 石块；铅块；肉块
一枝枪；一枝竹 --> 枪枝；竹枝
一锭银 --> 银锭
一层楼 --> 楼层
一堆沙 --> 沙堆
一式菜 --> 菜式
一朶花 --> 花朶
一本书 --> 书本
一间房 --> ...
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