Type a noun in Chinese, pinyin or English and see which measure word goes with it, with pinyin, an example and the noun's HSK 3.0 level.
| Noun | Meaning | Measure word |
|---|---|---|
| 人rén | person, people | 个 gè also 位 |
| 朋友péngyou | friend | 个 gè also 位 |
| 孩子háizi | child | 个 gè |
| 学生xuésheng | student | 个 gè also 名 |
| 老师lǎoshī | teacher | 位 wèi also 个 |
| 医生yīshēng | doctor | 位 wèi also 个、名 |
| 客人kèrén | guest | 位 wèi also 个 |
| 国家guójiā | country | 个 gè |
| 家庭jiātíng | family, household | 个 gè |
| 猫māo | cat | 只 zhī |
| 狗gǒu | dog | 只 zhī also 条 |
| 鸟niǎo | bird | 只 zhī |
| 鸡jī | chicken | 只 zhī |
| 羊yáng | sheep, goat | 只 zhī |
| 熊猫xióngmāo | panda | 只 zhī |
| 老虎lǎohǔ | tiger | 只 zhī |
| 鱼yú | fish | 条 tiáo |
| 蛇shé | snake | 条 tiáo |
| 马mǎ | horse | 匹 pǐ |
| 牛niú | cow, ox | 头 tóu |
| 猪zhū | pig | 头 tóu also 只 |
| 大象dàxiàng | elephant | 头 tóu |
| 书shū | book | 本 běn |
| 杂志zázhì | magazine | 本 běn |
| 词典cídiǎn | dictionary | 本 běn |
| 护照hùzhào | passport | 本 běn |
| 报纸bàozhǐ | newspaper | 份 fèn also 张 |
| 纸zhǐ | paper | 张 zhāng |
| 票piào | ticket | 张 zhāng |
| 照片zhàopiàn | photo | 张 zhāng |
| 地图dìtú | map | 张 zhāng |
| 卡kǎ | card | 张 zhāng |
| 邮票yóupiào | postage stamp | 张 zhāng also 枚 |
| 桌子zhuōzi | table, desk | 张 zhāng |
| 床chuáng | bed | 张 zhāng |
| 沙发shāfā | sofa | 张 zhāng |
| 脸liǎn | face | 张 zhāng |
| 信xìn | letter | 封 fēng |
| 电子邮件diànzǐ yóujiàn | 封 fēng | |
| 文章wénzhāng | article | 篇 piān |
| 作文zuòwén | essay, composition | 篇 piān |
| 歌gē | song | 首 shǒu |
| 诗shī | poem | 首 shǒu |
| 画huà | painting, picture | 幅 fú also 张 |
| 电影diànyǐng | film, movie | 部 bù also 个 |
| 电视剧diànshìjù | TV series | 部 bù |
| 手机shǒujī | mobile phone | 部 bù also 个 |
| 电梯diàntī | lift, elevator | 部 bù |
| 电脑diànnǎo | computer | 台 tái |
| 电视diànshì | television set | 台 tái |
| 空调kōngtiáo | air conditioner | 台 tái |
| 冰箱bīngxiāng | fridge | 台 tái |
| 洗衣机xǐyījī | washing machine | 台 tái |
| 灯dēng | lamp, light | 盏 zhǎn |
| 车chē | vehicle, car | 辆 liàng |
| 汽车qìchē | car | 辆 liàng |
| 自行车zìxíngchē | bicycle | 辆 liàng |
| 出租车chūzūchē | taxi | 辆 liàng |
| 公共汽车gōnggòng qìchē | bus | 辆 liàng |
| 飞机fēijī | plane | 架 jià |
| 船chuán | boat, ship | 条 tiáo also 艘 |
| 钢琴gāngqín | piano | 架 jià |
| 衣服yīfu | clothes | 件 jiàn also 套 |
| 衬衫chènshān | shirt | 件 jiàn |
| 毛衣máoyī | sweater | 件 jiàn |
| 外套wàitào | coat, jacket | 件 jiàn |
| 裤子kùzi | trousers | 条 tiáo |
| 裙子qúnzi | skirt | 条 tiáo |
| 围巾wéijīn | scarf | 条 tiáo |
| 毛巾máojīn | towel | 条 tiáo |
| 项链xiàngliàn | necklace | 条 tiáo |
| 帽子màozi | hat | 顶 dǐng |
| 鞋xié | shoe | 双 shuāng also 只 |
| 袜子wàzi | sock | 双 shuāng |
| 手套shǒutào | glove | 双 shuāng also 副 |
| 眼镜yǎnjìng | glasses | 副 fù |
| 手表shǒubiǎo | watch | 块 kuài |
| 戒指jièzhi | ring | 枚 méi also 个 |
| 手shǒu | hand | 只 zhī also 双 |
| 眼睛yǎnjing | eye | 只 zhī also 双 |
| 牙yá | tooth | 颗 kē |
| 心xīn | heart | 颗 kē |
| 头发tóufa | hair | 根 gēn |
| 星星xīngxing | star | 颗 kē |
| 树shù | tree | 棵 kē |
| 花huā | flower | 朵 duǒ also 束 |
| 叶子yèzi | leaf | 片 piàn |
| 云yún | cloud | 朵 duǒ also 片 |
| 山shān | mountain | 座 zuò |
| 桥qiáo | bridge | 座 zuò |
| 楼lóu | building | 座 zuò also 栋 |
| 城市chéngshì | city | 座 zuò also 个 |
| 河hé | river | 条 tiáo |
| 路lù | road | 条 tiáo |
| 街jiē | street | 条 tiáo |
| 房子fángzi | house, flat | 套 tào also 座 |
| 房间fángjiān | room | 个 gè also 间 |
| 教室jiàoshì | classroom | 间 jiān also 个 |
| 学校xuéxiào | school | 所 suǒ also 个 |
| 医院yīyuàn | hospital | 家 jiā also 所、个 |
| 公司gōngsī | company | 家 jiā also 个 |
| 饭店fàndiàn | restaurant, hotel | 家 jiā also 个 |
| 商店shāngdiàn | shop | 家 jiā also 个 |
| 银行yínháng | bank | 家 jiā also 个 |
| 超市chāoshì | supermarket | 家 jiā also 个 |
| 门mén | door | 扇 shàn also 个、道 |
| 窗户chuānghu | window | 扇 shàn also 个 |
| 镜子jìngzi | mirror | 面 miàn |
| 椅子yǐzi | chair | 把 bǎ |
| 伞sǎn | umbrella | 把 bǎ |
| 刀dāo | knife | 把 bǎ |
| 钥匙yàoshi | key | 把 bǎ also 串 |
| 笔bǐ | pen | 支 zhī |
| 铅笔qiānbǐ | pencil | 支 zhī |
| 队duì | team | 支 zhī also 个 |
| 包bāo | bag | 个 gè |
| 箱子xiāngzi | box, suitcase | 个 gè also 只 |
| 苹果píngguǒ | apple | 个 gè |
| 鸡蛋jīdàn | egg | 个 gè |
| 包子bāozi | steamed bun | 个 gè |
| 饺子jiǎozi | dumpling | 个 gè also 盘、碗 |
| 西瓜xīguā | watermelon | 个 gè also 块 |
| 香蕉xiāngjiāo | banana | 根 gēn also 个、串 |
| 葡萄pútao | grape | 串 chuàn also 颗 |
| 蛋糕dàngāo | cake | 块 kuài also 个 |
| 面包miànbāo | bread | 片 piàn also 个 |
| 巧克力qiǎokèlì | chocolate | 块 kuài |
| 糖táng | sweet, candy | 块 kuài also 颗 |
| 肉ròu | meat | 块 kuài also 斤 |
| 石头shítou | stone | 块 kuài |
| 米饭mǐfàn | cooked rice | 碗 wǎn |
| 面条miàntiáo | noodles | 碗 wǎn |
| 汤tāng | soup | 碗 wǎn |
| 菜cài | dish | 道 dào also 个、盘 |
| 饭fàn | meal | 顿 dùn |
| 茶chá | tea | 杯 bēi also 壶 |
| 咖啡kāfēi | coffee | 杯 bēi |
| 水shuǐ | water | 杯 bēi also 瓶 |
| 牛奶niúnǎi | milk | 杯 bēi also 瓶、盒 |
| 啤酒píjiǔ | beer | 瓶 píng also 杯 |
| 酒jiǔ | alcohol, wine | 瓶 píng also 杯 |
| 药yào | medicine | 片 piàn also 种 |
| 被子bèizi | quilt | 床 chuáng also 条 |
| 菜单càidān | menu | 份 fèn also 张 |
| 事shì | matter, thing | 件 jiàn |
| 事情shìqing | matter, thing | 件 jiàn |
| 礼物lǐwù | gift, present | 件 jiàn also 份 |
| 行李xíngli | luggage | 件 jiàn |
| 工作gōngzuò | job | 份 fèn |
| 问题wèntí | question, problem | 个 gè also 道 |
| 题tí | exam question | 道 dào |
| 话huà | words, what someone says | 句 jù |
| 句子jùzi | sentence | 个 gè |
| 字zì | character | 个 gè |
| 词cí | word | 个 gè |
| 课kè | lesson, class | 节 jié also 门 |
| 语言yǔyán | language | 门 mén also 种 |
| 比赛bǐsài | match, competition | 场 chǎng |
| 考试kǎoshì | exam | 场 chǎng also 次 |
| 雨yǔ | rain | 场 chǎng also 阵 |
| 雪xuě | snow | 场 chǎng |
| 风fēng | wind | 阵 zhèn |
| 电话diànhuà | phone call | 个 gè also 通 |
| 新闻xīnwén | news story | 条 tiáo |
| 消息xiāoxi | message, news | 条 tiáo also 个 |
| 短信duǎnxìn | text message | 条 tiáo |
| 主意zhǔyi | idea | 个 gè |
| 机会jīhuì | chance | 个 gè also 次 |
| 办法bànfǎ | way, method | 个 gè also 种 |
| 颜色yánsè | colour | 种 zhǒng also 个 |
| 钱qián | money | 笔 bǐ |
| 时间shíjiān | time | 段 duàn |
| 故事gùshi | story | 个 gè |
| 小时xiǎoshí | hour | 个 gè |
| 星期xīngqī | week | 个 gè |
| 月yuè | month | 个 gè |
| 天tiān | day | none needed |
| 年nián | year | none needed |
No nouns match. Try a single character, pinyin without tones, or a simple English word.
In Chinese, a number can't go straight before a noun. A measure word (量词, liàngcí), also called a classifier, sits between them: 一只猫 (a cat), 三本书 (three books). The same goes for 这, 那 and 几: 这本书, 几个人.
Most measure words group nouns by shape or kind. 条 is for long, narrow things like rivers, roads and trousers; 张 is for flat things like paper, tables and tickets; 只 is for most animals.
个 is the general measure word. If you don't know the right one, 个 is often understood, but using the specific word sounds far more natural.
To say "two", use 两, not 二, before a measure word: 两个人, 两杯茶.