Demonstratives & Measure Words
某 (mǒu) is a word meaning a certain or some that points to a person or thing without naming it, as in 某天 and 某位老师. HSK 5 also adds the measure words 届, 项, 幅, 颗 and 批 for events, items, pictures, small round things and batches.
Structure: 某 + (量词) + N — 某天 (some day), 某个人 (a certain person), 某位老师 (a certain teacher), 某些学生 (certain students), 某种原因 (some kind of reason).
Contrast: 这/那 = specific & identified; 每 = universal; 某 = deliberately unspecified.
New HSK5 measure words: 届 (numbered session of a recurring event), 项 (abstract item: policy/project/task), 幅 (paintings/maps), 颗 (small round things: stars, pearls), 批 (a batch of goods/people).
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 某个周末，他一个人去了海边，谁也没有告诉。 | Mǒu ge zhōu mò, tā yī gè rén qù le hǎi biān, shéi yě méi yǒu gào su. | One weekend (unspecified), he went to the beach alone, telling no one. | 某个 + time noun: an indefinite, unnamed weekend — the speaker doesn't specify which one. |
| 他买了一幅画，挂在客厅里。 | Tā mǎi le yī fú huà, guà zài kè tīng lǐ. | He bought a painting and hung it in the living room. | New measure word 幅, used specifically for paintings/maps/scrolls. |
| 这批产品的质量比上一批好很多。 | Zhè pī chǎn pǐn de zhì liàng bǐ shàng yī pī hǎo hěn duō. | The quality of this batch of products is much better than the last batch. | 批 marks a batch/lot of goods; 这批 vs 上一批 contrasts two specific batches. |
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.
某 (mǒu)
Points to a person, time or thing that is real but left unnamed.
Structure: 某 + (measure word) + noun
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 某天晚上，他在街上遇到了一位老朋友。 | Mǒu tiān wǎn shàng, tā zài jiē shàng yù dào le yí wèi lǎo péng yǒu. | One evening he ran into an old friend on the street. |
| 我在某个网站上看到过这条消息，但忘了是哪一个。 | Wǒ zài mǒu gè wǎng zhàn shàng kàn dào guò zhè tiáo xiāo xī, dàn wàng le shì nǎ yí gè. | I saw this news on some website, but I forgot which one. |
| 某些人总是不遵守交通规则。 | Mǒu xiē rén zǒng shì bù zūn shǒu jiāo tōng guī zé. | Some people never follow the traffic rules. |
Not: 某三个学生没有来。 某 does not combine with a number. Say 某些学生没有来, or give the number with 有: 有三个学生没有来。
届 (jiè)
Counts a numbered session of an event that recurs, such as a games or a class year.
Structure: number + 届 + event or year group
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 第三十一届奥运会在里约热内卢举行。 | Dì sān shí yī jiè ào yùn huì zài lǐ yuē rè nèi lú jǔ xíng. | The thirty-first Olympic Games took place in Rio de Janeiro. |
| 他是今年刚毕业的这一届学生。 | Tā shì jīn nián gāng bì yè de zhè yí jiè xué shēng. | He is from this year's graduating class. |
| 下一届会议将在明年春天召开。 | Xià yí jiè huì yì jiāng zài míng nián chūn tiān zhào kāi. | The next session of the conference will be held next spring. |
Not: 这是我第一届来中国。 届 counts numbered sessions of a recurring event, not your own visits. Use 次: 这是我第一次来中国。
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 5, measure words (名量词).
项 (xiàng)
Counts abstract items that can be listed, such as policies, tasks and studies.
Structure: number + 项 + 政策 / 工作 / 研究
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 政府今年推出了一项新的环保政策。 | Zhèng fǔ jīn nián tuī chū le yí xiàng xīn de huán bǎo zhèng cè. | The government introduced a new environmental policy this year. |
| 老师布置了三项作业，我今晚做不完。 | Lǎo shī bù zhì le sān xiàng zuò yè, wǒ jīn wǎn zuò bu wán. | The teacher set three assignments and I cannot finish them tonight. |
| 这项研究花了他们五年时间。 | Zhè xiàng yán jiū huā le tā men wǔ nián shí jiān. | This study took them five years. |
Not: 我买了一项书。 项 is for abstract items. A book is physical and takes 本: 我买了一本书。
批 (pī)
Counts a batch of goods or a group of people who arrive or are processed together.
Structure: number + 批 + goods or people
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 第一批货昨天已经运到了。 | Dì yī pī huò zuó tiān yǐ jīng yùn dào le. | The first batch of goods arrived yesterday. |
| 这批学生明年就要毕业了。 | Zhè pī xué shēng míng nián jiù yào bì yè le. | This group of students will graduate next year. |
| 商店新进了一批苹果，又大又甜。 | Shāng diàn xīn jìn le yì pī píng guǒ, yòu dà yòu tián. | The shop got in a new batch of apples, big and sweet. |
Not: 我吃了一批饭。 批 means a batch of goods or people. A meal takes 顿: 我吃了一顿饭。
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 5, measure words (名量词).
颗 (kē)
Counts small round things such as stars, pearls, sweets and hearts.
Structure: number + 颗 + small round thing
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 夜空里有几颗星星特别亮。 | Yè kōng lǐ yǒu jǐ kē xīng xīng tè bié liàng. | A few stars in the night sky are especially bright. |
| 她的包里放着一颗小小的糖。 | Tā de bāo lǐ fàng zhe yì kē xiǎo xiǎo de táng. | There is one little sweet in her bag. |
| 这颗珍珠是奶奶留给我的。 | Zhè kē zhēn zhū shì nǎi nǎi liú gěi wǒ de. | This pearl was left to me by my grandmother. |
Not: 我家有一颗电视。 颗 is only for small round things. A television takes 台: 我家有一台电视。
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 5, 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.
Questions about Demonstratives & Measure Words
What does 指示代词与量词 (Demonstratives & Measure Words) mean in Chinese?
某 (mǒu) is a word meaning a certain or some that points to a person or thing without naming it, as in 某天 and 某位老师. HSK 5 also adds the measure words 届, 项, 幅, 颗 and 批 for events, items, pictures, small round things and batches. It is an HSK 5 grammar point.
How do you use 指示代词与量词 (Demonstratives & Measure Words) in a sentence?
某个周末，他一个人去了海边，谁也没有告诉。 — Mǒu ge zhōu mò, tā yī gè rén qù le hǎi biān, shéi yě méi yǒu gào su. — One weekend (unspecified), he went to the beach alone, telling no one. 某个 + time noun: an indefinite, unnamed weekend — the speaker doesn't specify which one.
What do you need to know before 指示代词与量词 (Demonstratives & 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 某 mean and how is it different from 这 and 每?
某 means "a certain" and points to someone or something you do not name: 某位老师说过这句话。 这 points to a known thing and 每 means "every", so 某 is the only one that leaves the identity open.
When do I use 届 instead of 次?
Use 届 for numbered sessions of an event that comes round again, like 第二十届运动会 or 这一届毕业生. Use 次 for how many times something happens: 我去过两次。
Demonstratives & 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.
Start at your true level