Language/Mandarin-chinese/Grammar/Plurals

Mandarin Chinese Grammar - Plurals

Hi Mandarin Chinese learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about plurals in Mandarin Chinese. Plurals are important because they indicate that there are more than one of a particular noun. Knowing how to use them correctly will allow you to communicate more effectively in Chinese. Let's get started!

Introduction

In English, we add "-s" or "-es" to the end of most nouns to indicate plurality. For example, we say "one apple" and "two apples." In Mandarin Chinese, there is no plural form for nouns. Instead, context is used to indicate whether a noun is singular or plural. This means that, unlike in English, there are no spelling changes or additional particles to indicate plurality.

In this lesson, we will discuss how context is used to indicate plurals in Mandarin Chinese.

Ways to indicate plurals in Mandarin Chinese

In Mandarin Chinese, there are multiple ways to indicate plurality. Here are some common ways:

Using numerals (一, 两, 三, 四, 五...)

Using numerals is one of the most common ways to indicate plurality. For example:

Mandarin Chinese	Pronunciation	English
一个苹果	yī ge píng guǒ	one apple
两个苹果	liǎng ge píng guǒ	two apples
三块蛋糕	sān kuài dàn gāo	three cakes
四只猫	sì zhī māo	four cats

As you can see, the numeral before the noun indicates that there is more than one of the noun.

Using quantifiers (些, 几, 多少, 许多...)

Quantifiers are words that indicate the amount of something. They are often used with nouns to indicate plurality. Here are some examples:

Mandarin Chinese	Pronunciation	English
一些书	yī xiē shū	some books
几个朋友	jǐ ge péng yǒu	a few friends
多少人	duō shǎo rén	how many people
许多花	xǔ duō huā	many flowers

Again, the context and the quantifier used indicate plurality.

Using collective nouns (们, 等...)

Collective nouns indicate plurality by referring to a group of people or things as a whole. Here are some examples:

Mandarin Chinese	Pronunciation	English
我们	wǒ men	we
他们	tā men	they (male or mixed gender)
她们	tā men	they (female only)
等人	děng rén	etc. (literally "and people")

Using collective nouns allows the speaker to refer to a group of people or things in the plural form.

Using context

Sometimes, context alone is enough to indicate plurality. For example:

Mandarin Chinese	Pronunciation	English
我今天吃了很多蛋糕	wǒ jīn tiān chī le hěn duō dàn gāo	I ate a lot of cakes today
他送我三束花	tā sòng wǒ sān shù huā	He gave me three bouquets of flowers

In these examples, the context (the use of "a lot," "three," and "bouquets") make it clear that there is more than one of the noun.

Plurals with measure words

In Mandarin Chinese, measure words are used with most nouns. They indicate the quantity of the noun being referred to. Measure words must be used whenever a noun is preceded by a numeral. A measure word can also give context for whether a noun is plural or singular. For example:

Mandarin Chinese	Pronunciation	English
两个苹果	liǎng ge píng guǒ	two apples
三个人	sān gè rén	three people

In these examples, "ge" (个) is a measure word that is used with both "apple" and "person" to indicate the quantity. Without "ge," the sentences would be grammatically incorrect.

Sometimes, the measure word itself can indicate whether a noun is singular or plural. For example:

Mandarin Chinese	Pronunciation	English
一束花	yī shù huā	one bouquet of flowers
五把椅子	wǔ bǎ yǐ zǐ	five chairs

In these examples, "shu" (束) and "ba" (把) are both measure words. The use of "shu" indicates that there is one bouquet of flowers, while the use of "ba" indicates that there are five chairs.

Summary

In Mandarin Chinese, plurals are indicated through context. Using numerals, quantifiers, collective nouns, and measure words can help indicate whether a noun is singular or plural. Remember that measure words are required whenever a noun is preceded by a numeral.

To further improve your Mandarin Chinese find native speakers and ask them any questions you may have. You can also check out the Polyglot Club website to practice your Mandarin Chinese skills with other language learners from around the world.

Don't forget to check out our other Mandarin Chinese Grammar lessons as well! Happy learning! 😄

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Sources

• Chinese grammar
• Mandarin Chinese
• Measure word