The complete guide to 量词 (liàngcí). Search, filter and quiz yourself on 60+ classifiers, with example sentences, pinyin and usage rules.
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Measure words, called 量词 (liàngcí) or classifiers, are one of the first features of Chinese grammar that feel unfamiliar to English speakers. In Chinese you cannot simply put a number in front of a noun. Between the number and the noun you need a classifier, so 'three books' becomes 三本书 (sān běn shū), literally 'three (volume) book'. English uses the same idea in phrases like 'a sheet of paper' or 'two cups of tea'; Chinese just applies it to almost everything.
Using the right classifier is part of sounding natural in Chinese, and the choice is not random. Measure words usually reflect the shape or nature of the object: flat things like paper and tickets take 张 (zhāng), long thin things like fish and roads take 条 (tiáo), and bound volumes like books take 本 (běn). Once you notice these patterns, new measure words become much easier to guess and remember.
When you are unsure, 个 (gè) is the universal measure word. It works for people and many everyday objects, and native speakers will always understand you. It will not always be the precise choice, but it is a reliable fallback while you learn the specific classifiers. The fastest way to improve is to learn each measure word attached to a noun, for example remembering 一本书 as a unit rather than memorizing 本 on its own. For a fuller view of how these pieces fit into a sentence, see our guide to sentence particles, and build your noun vocabulary with our HSK vocabulary lists.
You do not need every classifier to communicate. A core group covers most daily situations: 个 for general use, 本 for books, 张 for flat objects, 条 for long flexible things, 只 for small animals, 杯 for cups of drink and 位 for people spoken about politely. Master these, then add the rest gradually. They sit naturally alongside our other foundations: our common radicals guide for reading characters and our tones guide for pronunciation. For the full linguistic background, the Wikipedia entry on Chinese classifiers gives a thorough overview.
A measure word, or classifier (量词, liàngcí), is a word placed between a number and a noun in Chinese. You cannot say 'three book': you must say 'three (measure word) book'. English does something similar with phrases like 'a sheet of paper' or 'two cups of tea', but in Chinese nearly every noun needs one.
There are several hundred measure words in total, but everyday speech relies on a few dozen. If you learn the most common ones, such as 个, 本, 张, 条, 只 and 杯, you can handle the large majority of daily situations. The rest are picked up gradually as you read and listen.
As a beginner, yes. 个 (gè) is the general, all-purpose measure word and native speakers will understand you if you use it for people and many objects. It will not always be the correct classifier, but it is a safe fallback. Over time you replace it with the precise measure word for each noun.
Both are used for people, but 位 (wèi) is polite and respectful, while 个 (gè) is neutral. Use 位 for guests, teachers, customers and elders, for example 'two teachers' is 两位老师. Use 个 in casual situations. Choosing 位 in formal settings shows good manners in Chinese.
No. Chinese measure words do not change form for singular or plural, and neither do the nouns. Only the number in front changes. 'One book' is 一本书 and 'three books' is 三本书: the measure word 本 stays exactly the same. This makes them easier to learn than they first appear.
Learn each measure word together with a noun it goes with, not in isolation: remember 一本书 rather than 本 alone. Group them by the kind of object they describe, such as flat things or long things. Most of all, practice them in full sentences in lessons with a teacher, because that is how the pairings become automatic.
Measure words make sense fastest when you practice them in sentences with a native teacher, not just in lists.