Advanced Measure Words: Nominal and Verbal
Advanced measure words split into noun measures and verb measures. Noun measures sit between a number and a noun, such as 缕 in 一缕阳光 and 栋 in 一栋楼, while verb measures such as 阵, 顿 and 番 count how often or how long an action goes, as in 下了一阵雨.
In English
Advanced measure words fall into two groups. Noun measure words go between a number and a noun: 缕 for thin strands (sunlight, smoke, hair), 栋 for whole buildings, 丛 for clumps of plants. Verb measure words count an action and sit after the verb: 阵 for a short spell, 顿 for a meal or a scolding, 番 for an effortful act.
Each one is picky about what it can count, so 一阵书 or 一顿电影 is wrong. Learn each with its usual partners.
名量词修饰名词，放在'数词 + 量词 + 名词'的位置：
- 缕 = 细长的一条（丝状物）：一缕阳光、一缕香烟、一缕头发。
- 栋/幢 = 整座建筑：一栋楼、一幢别墅。
- 丛 = 聚在一起的植物：一丛花、一丛竹子。
动量词修饰动作，放在'动词 + 了 + 数词 + 量词'的位置，表示动作发生的'一阵/一次'：
- 阵 = 一段短暂持续的动作/现象：下了一阵雨、笑了一阵、疼了一阵。
- 顿 = 一次完整的（吃饭/责骂/打骂）：吃了一顿饭、骂了他一顿。
- 番 = 一次（付出努力/说话，带'认真、用心'的意味）：说了一番话、经过一番努力。
常见错误：'一阵'不能用来修饰名词（不能说'一阵书'）；'一顿'只能跟吃饭、责骂等特定动词搭配，不能泛指所有动作。
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 窗外飘来一缕香味，是妈妈在做饭。 | Chuāng wài piāo lái yī lǚ xiāng wèi, shì mā ma zài zuò fàn. | A wisp of fragrance drifted in from outside — Mom was cooking. | 缕 (nominal measure word) modifying 香味 — the minimal frame. |
| 他因为迟到，被老板狠狠骂了一顿。 | Tā yīn wèi chí dào, bèi lǎo bǎn hěn hěn mà le yī dùn. | Because he was late, he got a serious scolding from the boss. | 顿 (verbal measure word) counting one complete instance of scolding, placed after 骂了. |
| 外面突然下起了一阵大雨，他跑到那栋楼下躲雨，看到墙角有一丛野花，忍不住感叹了一番。 | Wài miàn tū rán xià qǐ le yī zhèn dà yǔ, tā pǎo dào nà dòng lóu xià duǒ yǔ, kàn dào qiáng jiǎo yǒu yī cóng yě huā, rěn bù zhù gǎn tàn le yī fān. | It suddenly started raining heavily outside; he ran to shelter under that building, saw a clump of wildflowers in the corner, and couldn't help but sigh with feeling for a while. | 阵, 栋, 丛, and 番 combined in one longer scene, mixing nominal and verbal measure words. |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
缕 (lǚ)
Counts thin, thread-like things: light, smoke, hair, a scent.
Structure: 一 + 缕 + 阳光/烟/头发/香味
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 清晨，一缕阳光照进了房间。 | Qīng chén, yì lǚ yáng guāng zhào jìn le fáng jiān. | In the early morning a ray of sunlight shone into the room. |
| 空气里飘着一缕淡淡的花香。 | Kōng qì lǐ piāo zhe yì lǚ dàn dàn de huā xiāng. | A faint trace of flower scent drifted in the air. |
| 烟囱里冒出一缕白烟。 | Yān cōng lǐ mào chū yì lǚ bái yān. | A wisp of white smoke came out of the chimney. |
Not: 桌子上放着一缕书。 缕 is only for thin, strand-like things; books take 本.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 7-9, measure words (名量词).
栋 (dòng)
Counts whole buildings, as opposed to single rooms.
Structure: 一 + 栋 + 楼/房子
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 河边新建了一栋高楼。 | Hé biān xīn jiàn le yí dòng gāo lóu. | A tall building has been built by the river. |
| 他们家住在那栋红色的楼里。 | Tā men jiā zhù zài nà dòng hóng sè de lóu lǐ. | Their family lives in that red building. |
| 这一栋楼里住着五十多户人家。 | Zhè yí dòng lóu lǐ zhù zhe wǔ shí duō hù rén jiā. | More than fifty households live in this building. |
Not: 我家有三栋卧室。 栋 counts whole buildings; rooms take 间.
丛 (cóng)
Counts plants growing together in a clump.
Structure: 一 + 丛 + 花/草/竹子
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 路边长着一丛野草。 | Lù biān zhǎng zhe yì cóng yě cǎo. | A clump of wild grass grows by the road. |
| 墙角有一丛竹子，风一吹就沙沙地响。 | Qiáng jiǎo yǒu yì cóng zhú zi, fēng yì chuī jiù shā shā de xiǎng. | There is a clump of bamboo in the corner that rustles whenever the wind blows. |
| 花园里开着一丛红色的玫瑰。 | Huā yuán lǐ kāi zhe yì cóng hóng sè de méi gui. | A cluster of red roses is blooming in the garden. |
Not: 窗台上放着一丛花瓶。 丛 is for plants growing together, not for objects.
阵 (zhèn)
Counts a short spell of an event or weather, such as rain, wind, laughter or pain.
Structure: V + 了 + 一阵 (+ noun)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 外面传来一阵笑声。 | Wài miàn chuán lái yí zhèn xiào shēng. | A burst of laughter came from outside. |
| 他咳嗽了一阵，才慢慢停下来。 | Tā ké sou le yí zhèn, cái màn màn tíng xià lái. | He coughed for a while before he slowly stopped. |
| 刮了一阵风，树叶落了一地。 | Guā le yí zhèn fēng, shù yè luò le yí dì. | A gust of wind blew and leaves covered the ground. |
Not: 桌子上有一阵书。 阵 counts short spells of events, never physical things.
顿 (dùn)
Counts a full meal, a scolding or a beating as one occasion.
Structure: V + 了 + 一顿 (+ noun)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 昨天我们在饭馆吃了一顿火锅。 | Zuó tiān wǒ men zài fàn guǎn chī le yí dùn huǒ guō. | Yesterday we had a hotpot meal at a restaurant. |
| 他迟到了，被老师批评了一顿。 | Tā chí dào le, bèi lǎo shī pī píng le yí dùn. | He was late and got a telling-off from the teacher. |
| 这顿饭花了我不少钱。 | Zhè dùn fàn huā le wǒ bù shǎo qián. | This meal cost me quite a lot. |
Not: 我看了一顿电影。 顿 only goes with eating, scolding and beating; a film is 一场 or 一部.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 4, measure words (动量词).
顿 is also explained in: Action measure words: 次/遍/趟/顿/场 (HSK 4).
番 (fān)
Counts an effortful act such as work, talk or tidying, and suggests care or seriousness.
Structure: V + 了 + 一番 (+ noun)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 经过一番努力，他终于考上了大学。 | Jīng guò yì fān nǔ lì, tā zhōng yú kǎo shàng le dà xué. | After a good deal of effort he finally got into university. |
| 老师对我们说了一番鼓励的话。 | Lǎo shī duì wǒ men shuō le yì fān gǔ lì de huà. | The teacher said some encouraging words to us. |
| 他把房间重新整理了一番。 | Tā bǎ fáng jiān chóng xīn zhěng lǐ le yì fān. | He gave the room a thorough tidy-up. |
Not: 我吃了一番饭。 番 is for serious effort; an ordinary meal is 顿.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 6, measure words (动量词).
Compared side by side: 阵 vs 次.
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
What this opens up
These patterns list Advanced Measure Words among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Questions about Advanced Measure Words
What does 高级量词 (Advanced Measure Words) mean in Chinese?
Advanced measure words split into noun measures and verb measures. Noun measures sit between a number and a noun, such as 缕 in 一缕阳光 and 栋 in 一栋楼, while verb measures such as 阵, 顿 and 番 count how often or how long an action goes, as in 下了一阵雨. It is an HSK 6 grammar point.
How do you use 高级量词 (Advanced Measure Words) in a sentence?
窗外飘来一缕香味，是妈妈在做饭。 — Chuāng wài piāo lái yī lǚ xiāng wèi, shì mā ma zài zuò fàn. — A wisp of fragrance drifted in from outside — Mom was cooking. 缕 (nominal measure word) modifying 香味 — the minimal frame.
What do you need to know before 高级量词 (Advanced Measure Words)?
Borrowed measure words (HSK 4). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
What does 高级量词 (Advanced Measure Words) lead to?
Numeral + Adjective + Classifier Phrases (HSK 6). Each of them names 高级量词 (Advanced Measure Words) among its own prerequisites.
What is the difference between 阵 and 次?
次 simply counts how many times something happened. 阵 counts a short spell that comes and goes, such as rain, wind, applause or pain: 下了一阵雨. You cannot use 阵 for something that happened at a fixed moment, such as an exam.
When do I use 顿 and when 餐?
顿 is the spoken measure for a meal, and also for a scolding: 吃一顿饭, 骂一顿. 餐 is more formal and is used for set meals in writing, such as 一日三餐.
Advanced Measure Words is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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