List 2
Measure Words
Measure words are a special feature of Chinese. A particular measure word, or set of measure words,
occurs with each noun whenever one is speaking of numbers. The measure word may function like a
collective noun (like a pride [of lions] or a school [of fish]) or may be related to the shape of the object.
Noun phrases using measure words often have the structure “number + measure word + noun,” e.g.
■ 一把刀 yì bǎ dāo a knife
■ 两道难题 liǎng dào nántí two difficult questions
Some measure words occur with verbs, and may be related to the frequency or duration of the action. For
verbs, the expression may have the structure “verb + number + measure word,” e.g.
■ 看了三遍 kànle sān biàn read three times
■ 去过两次 qùguo liǎng cì have been ... twice
bǎ 把 for objects with handles; a handful
bān 班 class (in school)
bèi 倍 fold, time
běn 本 for books
bǐ 笔 for a sum of money
biàn 遍 times, indicating the frequency of an action done in its complete duration from the beginning to
the end