Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/Measure-words

In Chinese, in order to specify a certain number of something, you combine a number with a measure word, followed by the noun.

You need to know the right measure word when asking a "how much/many?" question using "jǐ 几." For example,

Below is a comprehensive list of Chinese measure words and how to use them.

Character	Pinyin	Usage	Example
串	chuàn	string of the same things	一串葡萄 a bunch of grapes
册	cè	book	一册书 a book
丘	qiū	divided paddy field	一丘田 a paddy field
乘	shèng	chariot	千乘之国 country with a thousand chariots
下	xià	time of the same action	点击鼠标两下 click the mouse two times
丈	zhàng	unit of length, 10/3 metre for now	万丈深渊 ten thousand zhang depth abyss
丝	sī	magnitude, 1/10000	丝米 1/10000 metre
两	liǎng	unit of weight, 50 grams for now	半斤八两 half jin and eight liang (idiom, at the same level, derogatory)
具	jù	coffin, corpse, bracket clock	一具棺材 a coffin
包	bāo	pack	一包烟 a pack of cigarette
厘	lí	magnitude, 1/100; unit of length, weight, acreage or interest rate	厘米 1/100 metre
刀	dāo	time of cutting, 100 pieces of paper	切三刀 to cut 3 times, 一刀纸 100 pieces of paper
分	fēn	divided part	二分之一 1/2
列	liè	row of the same things	一列火车 a train
则	zé	article	一则公告 an annoncement
剂	jì	decoction of medicinal ingredients	一剂药 a dose of medicine
副	fù	set of thing, attitude	一副盔甲 a suit of armor, 一副笑脸 a smiling face
匝	zā	turn	绕树三匝 around the tree three turns
队	duì	team	一队士兵 a team of soldiers
部	bù	movie, novel, vehicle, phone, ...	一部电影 a movie
出	chū	drama	一出戏 a show
个	gè	universal measure word	一个人 a person, 一个场景 a scene
介	jiè	person with occupation	一介书生 a scholar
令	lǐng	500 piecses of paper	一令纸 500 pieces of paper
份	fèn	the integrated	一份牛排 a steak, 一份报纸 a newspaper
伙	huǒ	group of people	一伙强盗 a group of robbers
件	jiàn	affair, garment	一件事 an affair
任	rèn	term of office	一任总统 a president
倍	bèi	time of amount	两倍收入 twice income
亩	mǔ	unit of area, 1/15 hectare for now	一亩地 1 mu of land
记	jì	hit on body	一记耳光 a slap in the face
双	shuāng	pair	一双翅膀 a pair of wings
发	fā	cartridge	一发子弹 a bullet
叠	dié	stack	一叠盘子 a stack of plates
节	jié	section	一节比赛 a section of game, 一节竹子 a section of bamboo
茎	jīng	thin stick	一茎草 a stick of grass
莛	tíng	stalk	一莛草 a stick of grass
荮	zhòu	ware bundled with grass	一荮盘子 a bundle of plates
蓬	péng	the dishevelled	一蓬凤尾竹 a Bambusa Multiplex
蔸	dōu	plant	一蔸草 a stick of grass
巡	xún	urging guests to drink	酒过三巡 after three times of persuading to drink
遍	biàn	time of action	看一遍 look at it one time
道	dào	strip, door, meal, question, sight of intrest, ...	一道门 a door
遭	zāo	time of encounter	走一遭 go a time
对	duì	pair	一对情侣 a pair of lovers
尊	zūn	idol, cannon, cup of wine	一尊大炮 a cannon
头	tóu	animal	一头大象 an elephant
套	tào	set	一套餐具 a set of tableware
弓	gōng	outdated unit of length, 1/5 chǐ
引	yǐn	outdated unit of length, 10 zhàng
张	zhāng	piece of paper, table, mouth, bow	一张明信片 a postcard
弯	wān	curved moon	一弯明月 a curved bright moon
床	chuáng	bedding	一床被子 a quilt
座	zuò	big and not movable thing	一座山 a mountain
庹	tuǒ	outddated, length of stretched arms
帖	tiě	mixed decotion	一帖中药
帧	zhēn	piece of picture	一帧油画 an oil painting
席	xí	table of meal	一席酒 a table of wine
常
幅
幢
口
句
号
台
只
吊
合
名
吨
和
味
响
骑
门
间
阕
宗
客
家
彪
层
尾
届
声
扎
打
扣
把
抛
批
抔
抱
拨
担
拉
抬
拃
挂
挑
挺
捆
掬
排
捧
掐
搭
提
握
摊
摞
撇
撮
汪
泓
泡
注
浔
派
湾
溜
滩
滴
级
纸
线
组
绞
统
绺
综
缕
缗
场
块
坛
垛
堵
堆
堂
塔
墩
回
团
围
圈
孔
贴
点
煎
熟
车
轮
转
载
辆
料
卷
截
户
房
所
扇
炉
炷
觉
斤
笔
本
朵
杆
束
条
杯
枚
枝
柄
栋
架
根
桄
梃
样
株
桩
梭
桶
棵
榀
槽
犋
爿
片
版
歇
手
拳
段
沓
班
文
曲
替
股
肩
脬
腔
支
步
武
瓣
秒
秩
钟
钱
铢
锊
铺
锤
锭
锱
章
盆
盏
盘
眉
眼
石
码
砣
碗
磴
票
罗
畈
番
窝
联
缶
耦
粒
索
累
緉
般
艘
竿
筥
筒
筹
管
篇
箱
簇
角
重
身
躯
酲
起
趟
面
首
项
领
顶
颗
顷
袭
群
袋