Measure words in Chinese
The Chinese word for "measure words" is 量词 (liàng cí). Below are 31 Chinese words for measure words, each with pinyin, English and its level in the new HSK 3.0 word list. They cover HSK 1 to HSK 5, in the order a learner meets them.
A measure word goes between the number and the noun: 一本书, one book. 个 works for most things when you do not know the specific one.
Measure Words, Money and Age HSK 1 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 个 | gè | (generic classifier); individual; single | 1 |
| 本 | běn | (classifier for books); root; origin | 1 |
| 块 | kuài | (coll.) yuan (unit of money); piece; lump | 1 |
| 些 | xiē | classifier indicating a small amount or small number greater than 1: some, a few, several | 1 |
| 岁 | suì | years old; classifier for years (of age); year | 1 |
| 钱 | qián | money | 1 |
Numbers and Measure Words HSK 2 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 百 | bǎi | hundred; numerous | 1 |
| 千 | qiān | thousand | 1 |
| 两 | liǎng | two | 1 |
| 公斤 | gōng jīn | kilogram (kg) | 3 |
| 元 | yuán | yuan (currency unit); first; primary | 1 |
| 张 | zhāng | to open; to spread; sheet (classifier for flat objects) | 3 |
| 件 | jiàn | item (measure word) | 1 |
| 次 | cì | time(s); occurrence | 2 |
| 号 | hào | number; day of the month; size | 1 |
Containers & classifiers HSK 4 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 瓶子 | píng zi | bottle | 3 |
| 盒子 | hé zi | box | 4 |
| 钥匙 | yào shi | key | 4 |
| 桥 | qiáo | bridge | 4 |
| 刀 | dāo | knife; blade | 4 |
| 台 | tái | classifier for machines; platform; stage | 4 |
| 朵 | duǒ | classifier for flowers, clouds etc | 5 |
| 棵 | kē | classifier for trees, cabbages, plants etc | 4 |
| 场 | chǎng | classifier for events, shows and games; place; field | 4 |
| 遍 | biàn | everywhere; all over; classifier for actions (one time through) | 3 |
| 顿 | dùn | classifier for meals, scoldings etc | 4 |
| 篇 | piān | classifier for articles, essays etc | 4 |
| 群 | qún | group; crowd; classifier for groups or flocks | 5 |
| 趟 | tàng | classifier for trips or runs (of a journey) | 4 |
| 页 | yè | page; leaf | 3 |
| 座 | zuò | classifier for large objects: mountains, buildings, bridges etc | 4 |
Every word links to its dictionary entry, with audio, example sentences and stroke order. The words are grouped by the GraphChinese lesson that teaches them, so a few in each group belong to the lesson and sit a little outside the topic.
More topics:
- family
- food
- numbers
- colors
- body parts
- emotions and feelings
- weather
- clothes
- health and illness
- time words
- places
- transport and travel
- school
- jobs and work
- sports and hobbies
- nature and animals
- shopping and money
- directions
- greetings and everyday phrases
- pronouns
- house and home
- everyday verbs
- personality
- technology
- business
- conjunctions
- entertainment and the arts
- festivals and holidays
- communication
- All topics
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "measure words" in Chinese?
量词 (liàng cí), meaning "measure word; classifier". The most common words in this topic are 个 (gè, (generic classifier)), 本 (běn, (classifier for books)), 块 (kuài, (coll.) yuan (unit of money)), 些 (xiē, classifier indicating a small amount or small number greater than 1: some, a few, several).
How many Chinese words for measure words do I need?
This page lists 31, from HSK 1 to HSK 5. The 6 at the top are enough to start; the rest follow level by level.
What do the HSK levels on this page mean?
Each word shows where the new HSK 3.0 word list places it, from level 1 to the 7-9 band. A dash means the word is taught in the course and is not on the HSK 3.0 list. HSK 3.0, complete.
How do I pronounce these words?
The pinyin beside each word gives the sound and the tone. Each word links to its dictionary entry, where you can hear it. If the tone marks are new to you, start with the four tones, explained.
GraphChinese teaches these words in dependency order, with audio, and only moves on when each one is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
Start at your true level