📖 Chinese Measure Words (量词) with Examples – Learn How to Count in Mandarin

When learning Chinese, one of the most important grammar points is measure words (量词 liàngcí). Unlike English, where you can say “one book” directly, in Chinese you must insert a measure word between the number and the noun.

👉 For example:

• 一本书 (yī běn shū) = one book

• 一只猫 (yī zhī māo) = one cat

In this guide, you’ll learn the most common Chinese measure words with pinyin, English meaning, and example sentences.

Common Measure Words in Chinese

👤 People & Professions

1. 一个人 (yī gè rén) – one person

   • 这里有一个人。
     Zhèlǐ yǒu yī gè rén. (There is one person here.)

2. 一些人 (yī xiē rén) – some people

   • 公园里有一些人。
     Gōngyuán lǐ yǒu yīxiē rén. (There are some people in the park.)

3. 一位老师 (yī wèi lǎoshī) – a teacher (respectful)

   • 我认识一位老师。
     Wǒ rènshi yī wèi lǎoshī. (I know a teacher.)

👟 Clothing & Accessories

4. 一双鞋 (yī shuāng xié) – one pair of shoes

   • 他买了一双鞋。
     Tā mǎi le yī shuāng xié. (He bought a pair of shoes.)

5. 一条裤子 (yī tiáo kùzi) – one pair of pants

   • 我需要一条新裤子。
     Wǒ xūyào yī tiáo xīn kùzi. (I need a new pair of pants.)

🐾 Animals & Objects

6. 一只猫 (yī zhī māo) – one cat

   • 她养了一只猫。
     Tā yǎng le yī zhī māo. (She has a cat.)

7. 一支笔 (yī zhī bǐ) – a pen

   • 请给我一支笔。
     Qǐng gěi wǒ yī zhī bǐ. (Please give me a pen.)

🍰 Food & Drinks

8. 一块蛋糕 (yī kuài dàngāo) – a piece of cake

   • 我吃了一块蛋糕。
     Wǒ chī le yī kuài dàngāo. (I ate a piece of cake.)

9. 一杯水 (yī bēi shuǐ) – a cup of water

   • 请给我一杯水。
     Qǐng gěi wǒ yī bēi shuǐ. (Please give me a cup of water.)

10. 一瓶啤酒 (yī píng píjiǔ) – a bottle of beer

    • 他点了一瓶啤酒。
      Tā diǎn le yī píng píjiǔ. (He ordered a bottle of beer.)

11. 一碗饭 (yī wǎn fàn) – a bowl of rice

    • 我想要一碗饭。
      Wǒ xiǎng yào yī wǎn fàn. (I want a bowl of rice.)

12. 一盘菜 (yī pán cài) – a plate of dishes

    • 我们点了一盘菜。
      Wǒmen diǎn le yī pán cài. (We ordered a plate of dishes.)

🏠 Places & Items

13. 一家饭店 (yī jiā fàndiàn) – a restaurant

    • 那是一家很大的饭店。
      Nà shì yī jiā hěn dà de fàndiàn. (That is a big restaurant.)

14. 一封信 (yī fēng xìn) – a letter

    • 我收到了一封信。
      Wǒ shōudào le yī fēng xìn. (I received a letter.)

15. 一张票 (yī zhāng piào) – one ticket

    • 我买了一张电影票。
      Wǒ mǎi le yī zhāng diànyǐng piào. (I bought a movie ticket.)

16. 一本书 (yī běn shū) – one book

    • 桌子上有一本书。
      Zhuōzi shàng yǒu yī běn shū. (There is a book on the table.)

🚗 Travel & Entertainment

17. 一次旅行 (yī cì lǚxíng) – a trip (once)

    • 去年我有一次旅行。
      Qùnián wǒ yǒu yī cì lǚxíng. (Last year I took a trip.)

18. 一种水果 (yī zhǒng shuǐguǒ) – a kind of fruit

    • 苹果是一种水果。
      Píngguǒ shì yī zhǒng shuǐguǒ. (Apples are a kind of fruit.)

19. 一辆车 (yī liàng chē) – one car

    • 他买了一辆新车。
      Tā mǎi le yī liàng xīn chē. (He bought a new car.)

20. 一部电影 (yī bù diànyǐng) – a movie

    • 我昨天看了一部电影。
      Wǒ zuótiān kàn le yī bù diànyǐng. (I watched a movie yesterday.)

Practice Exercises

🔹 Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete with the correct measure word.

1. 我买了 ______ 鞋。 (a pair of shoes)

2. 他点了一 ______ 水。 (a cup of water)

3. 我收到一 ______ 电影票。 (a ticket)

4. 她有一 ______ 车。 (a car)

5. 桌子上有一 ______ 蛋糕。 (a piece of cake)

🔹 Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Choose the correct measure word.

1. 一本 ____ (A. 猫 B. 书 C. 老师)

2. 一位 ____ (A. 老师 B. 水 C. 信)

3. 一封 ____ (A. 信 B. 车 C. 饭店)

4. 一辆 ____ (A. 裤子 B. 车 C. 鞋)

5. 一盘 ____ (A. 菜 B. 信 C. 笔)

🔹 Exercise 3: Match the Pairs

Match the measure word with the correct noun.

🔹 Exercise 4: Error Correction

Find and correct the mistake.

1. ❌ 一猫在桌子上。

2. ❌ 他买了一杯鞋。

3. ❌ 我收到了一本信。

4. ❌ 我们点了一辆菜。

5. ❌ 昨天我看了一条电影。

🔹 Exercise 5: Make Sentences

Use the given word with the correct measure word to make a complete sentence.

1. 老师 (teacher)

2. 啤酒 (beer)

3. 书 (book)

4. 猫 (cat)

5. 旅行 (trip)

🔹 Exercise 6: Short Translation

Translate into Chinese with the right measure word.

1. I bought a pair of pants.

2. She drank a bottle of beer.

3. We ordered a plate of dishes.

4. I wrote a letter.

5. He watched a movie.

Answer Key

Exercise 1:

1. 一双鞋

2. 一杯水

3. 一张票

4. 一辆车

5. 一块蛋糕

Exercise 2:

1. B (书)

2. A (老师)

3. A (信)

4. B (车)

5. A (菜)

Exercise 3:
1 → C (pair of shoes)
2 → A (letter)
3 → B (ticket)
4 → D (bowl of rice)
5 → E (movie)

Exercise 4:

1. 一只猫在桌子上。

2. 他买了一双鞋。

3. 我收到了一封信。

4. 我们点了一盘菜。

5. 昨天我看了一部电影。

Exercise 5:

Sample sentences:

1. 我认识一位老师。 (I know a teacher.)

2. 他喝了一瓶啤酒。 (He drank a bottle of beer.)

3. 我买了一本书。 (I bought a book.)

4. 她养了一只猫。 (She has a cat.)

5. 去年我有一次旅行。 (Last year I took a trip.)

Exercise 6:

1. 我买了一条裤子。

2. 她喝了一瓶啤酒。

3. 我们点了一盘菜。

4. 我写了一封信。

5. 他看了一部电影。

Conclusion

Learning Chinese measure words (量词) is essential for speaking Mandarin correctly. With practice, you’ll quickly remember which measure word to use for people, animals, food, objects, and more.

👉 Pro Tip: Create flashcards with nouns and their measure words, then quiz yourself daily.

See more topics

• Essential HSK 2 Family Vocabulary List
• HSK 1 Reading Exercise: Shopping (购物)
• Chinese Food Vocabulary