Foreign Languages
Measure words.
Definition
Measure words (also called classifiers) are words required in Chinese between a number or demonstrative and a noun. Different categories of nouns use different measure words. The most common general measure word is '个' (gè), but specific measure words exist for flat objects, books, animals, and more.
Examples
Real-world.
- 1 '一个人' (yí gè rén) — one person (个 is the general measure word)
- 2 '三本书' (sān běn shū) — three books (本 is used for books and bound items)
- 3 '两只猫' (liǎng zhī māo) — two cats (只 is used for small animals)
Key Fact
个 (gè) is the default/general measure word and can be used when you don't know the specific one.