Borrowed measure words: 碗/脸/手/桌子
Borrowed measure words are ordinary nouns used as measure words to show how much of something there is. At HSK 4 the examples are 碗 (a bowl of), 脸 (a face full of), 手 (a hand for, skill) and 桌子 (a table full of).
In English
Some ordinary nouns can act as measure words when you want to show how much of something there is, or what covers something. 碗 counts food by the bowl, 脸 and 手 describe a face or a skill, and 桌子 means a whole tableful. The pattern is number (or 满) + borrowed word + noun, as in 一碗汤 or 满脸笑容.
Do not add 个 or a second measure word, and remember that 一手 before a skill noun means "an impressive skill at" something.
在汉语里，某些普通名词可以借用为量词，用来生动地表达数量或状态。
常用借用量词：
- 碗 (wǎn): 一碗汤 — the bowl as a container measure
- 脸 (liǎn): 一脸汗 / 满脸笑容 — face covered with
- 手 (shǒu): 一手好字 — a skilled hand at
- 桌子 (zhuō zi): 一桌子菜 — a table full of
结构: 数量 / 满 + 借用量词 + (的) + 名词
✅ 他满脸通红。(His face was all red.)
✅ 她做得一手好菜。(She's skilled at cooking.)
❌ 他有脸汗。(Missing the measure structure)
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 她进来时满脸微笑，让大家心情都好了起来。 | Tā jìn lái shí mǎn liǎn wēi xiào, ràng dà jiā xīn qíng dōu hǎo le qǐ lái. | When she came in, her face was full of smiles, lifting everyone's mood. | 满脸 borrowed from 脸 (face) to express 'face covered with'; describes facial expression |
| 这个大厨有一手厉害的厨艺，什么菜都做得很好。 | Zhè ge dà chú yǒu yī shǒu lì hai de chú yì, shén me cài dōu zuò de hěn hǎo. | This chef has a skilled hand in the kitchen — every dish turns out great. | 一手 borrowed from 手 (hand) in the set pattern 有一手 + skill = 'is skilled at' |
| 过年的时候，奶奶总会准备一桌子菜，大家吃得非常开心。 | Guò nián de shí hou, nǎi nai zǒng huì zhǔn bèi yī zhuō zi cài, dà jiā chī de fēi cháng kāi xīn. | During the New Year, grandma always prepares a table full of dishes; everyone eats very happily. | 一桌子 borrowed from 桌子 (table) to mean 'a table covered with / a tableful of' |
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.
碗 (wǎn)
Counts food or drink by the bowl.
Structure: number + 碗 + food
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我早上喝了一碗粥。 | Wǒ zǎo shang hē le yì wǎn zhōu. | I had a bowl of rice porridge this morning. |
| 他一口气吃了三碗饭。 | Tā yì kǒu qì chī le sān wǎn fàn. | He ate three bowls of rice in one go. |
| 给我来一碗面条吧。 | Gěi wǒ lái yì wǎn miàn tiáo ba. | Let me have a bowl of noodles. |
Not: 我吃了一个碗饭。 碗 is itself the measure word, so do not add 个: 一碗饭.
脸 (liǎn)
Says a face is covered with or full of something.
Structure: 一/满 + 脸 + (的) + noun
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 弟弟玩了一天，回来时一脸的泥。 | Dì di wán le yì tiān, huí lai shí yì liǎn de ní. | My little brother came back after playing all day with a face full of mud. |
| 听到这个消息，她满脸惊讶。 | Tīng dào zhè gè xiāo xī, tā mǎn liǎn jīng yà. | Hearing the news, her face was full of surprise. |
| 他跑进教室，一脸汗。 | Tā pǎo jìn jiào shì, yì liǎn hàn. | He ran into the classroom with a sweaty face. |
Not: 他有脸汗。 You need 一 or 满 before 脸: 他一脸汗.
手 (shǒu)
In 一手, shows skill at something, usually before a good-quality noun.
Structure: 一手 + (好) + skill noun
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他写得一手好字。 | Tā xiě de yì shǒu hǎo zì. | He writes a beautiful hand. |
| 姐姐弹得一手好钢琴。 | Jiě jie dàn de yì shǒu hǎo gāng qín. | My older sister plays the piano very well. |
| 他打得一手好乒乓球。 | Tā dǎ de yì shǒu hǎo pīng pāng qiú. | He is very good at table tennis. |
Not: 他有手好字。 The pattern needs 一: 他写得一手好字.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 4, measure words (名量词).
桌子 (zhuōzi)
Counts food by how much fills a table.
Structure: 一桌子 + food
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 妈妈做了一桌子好吃的菜。 | Mā ma zuò le yì zhuō zi hǎo chī de cài. | Mom cooked a whole table of tasty dishes. |
| 同学们带来了一桌子零食。 | Tóng xué men dài lái le yì zhuō zi líng shí. | My classmates brought a whole table of snacks. |
| 他们点了一桌子菜，却没吃完。 | Tā men diǎn le yì zhuō zi cài, què méi chī wán. | They ordered a tableful of dishes and did not finish them. |
Not: 我们吃了一张桌子菜。 The word 桌子 is already the measure here, so do not add 张: 一桌子菜.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 4, measure words (名量词).
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 Borrowed measure words among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Questions about Borrowed measure words
What does 借用量词 (Borrowed measure words) mean in Chinese?
Borrowed measure words are ordinary nouns used as measure words to show how much of something there is. At HSK 4 the examples are 碗 (a bowl of), 脸 (a face full of), 手 (a hand for, skill) and 桌子 (a table full of). It is an HSK 4 grammar point.
How do you use 借用量词 (Borrowed measure words) in a sentence?
她进来时满脸微笑，让大家心情都好了起来。 — Tā jìn lái shí mǎn liǎn wēi xiào, ràng dà jiā xīn qíng dōu hǎo le qǐ lái. — When she came in, her face was full of smiles, lifting everyone's mood. 满脸 borrowed from 脸 (face) to express 'face covered with'; describes facial expression.
What do you need to know before 借用量词 (Borrowed measure words)?
New Classifiers (HSK 3). 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 借用量词 (Borrowed measure words) lead to?
Advanced Measure Words (HSK 6), Demonstratives & Measure Words (HSK 5). Each of them names 借用量词 (Borrowed measure words) among its own prerequisites.
Does 满脸 mean the same as 一脸?
They are very close. 满脸笑容 and 一脸笑容 both mean a face full of smiles. 满 stresses that the whole face is covered.
Borrowed 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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