Mandarin Measure Words Made Easy (A1): 个, 本, 张, 杯—and More

Ever tried to say “three books” in Chinese and felt stuck? In Mandarin, numbers love company—they need measure words! In this lesson, you’ll learn the most useful measure words for beginners and how to use them in real-life situations like ordering drinks, buying tickets, and talking about pets.

What are measure words?

In Mandarin, when you count things or point to specific items, you say Number + Measure Word + Noun. Measure words (量词) match the shape or type of the noun.

  • English sometimes does this too: “a cup of tea,” “a sheet of paper.”
  • In Chinese, it’s required more often: “三本书” (three books), “两杯水” (two cups of water).
Mandarin
一个人
Lit: one + measure word + person
one person
Mandarin
这本书很好。
Lit: this + measure word + book + very good
This book is good.
Mandarin
那两杯茶是你的。
Lit: that + two + cup + tea + be + your
Those two cups of tea are yours.

我有三朋友。

Good! 个 (ge) is the most common general measure word, especially with 人 (person) and many everyday nouns.

The most useful measure words (A1)

Here are beginner-friendly measure words you’ll use a lot. Read the examples and say them out loud.

个
general measure word
measure word
三个朋友
three friends
本
for books
measure word
两本书
two books
张
for flat items (paper, tickets, photos)
measure word
一张票
one ticket
杯
for cups/glasses (drinks)
measure word
一杯咖啡
one cup of coffee
支
for pens and stick-like objects
measure word
一支笔
one pen
件
for clothing (tops, jackets)
measure word
一件衣服
one piece of clothing
条
for long, narrow, flexible things (pants, fish)
measure word
一条裤子
one pair of pants
只
for animals and some small objects
measure word
两只猫
two cats

请给我一水。

Quick check: choose the right measure word

Practice matching nouns with measure words.

🧠 Measure Word Match (A1)

Sentence patterns you’ll say every day

Use these patterns to count, point, and ask politely.

Mandarin
我有两张照片。
Lit: I + have + two + measure word + photo
I have two photos.
Mandarin
这件衣服多少钱？
Lit: this + measure word + clothing + how much money
How much is this piece of clothing?
Mandarin
请给我两杯茶。
Lit: please + give + me + two + cup + tea
Please give me two cups of tea.
🔠 Put the words in order

Start with the subject ‘I’.

🔠 Put the words in order

Question word 几 comes before the measure word.

三书 → 三本书 Books use 本. 两个水 → 两杯水 Drinks are counted by the container: 杯 for cups/glasses.

Mini-dialog: at a café

Put measure words into action. Read the lines and reorder them to make a natural conversation.

💬 Ordering coffee

Cultural note: why so many measure words?

Measure words reflect how Chinese speakers group and visualize objects: flat sheets (张), contained drinks (杯), long flexible things (条), and so on. Using the right measure word shows attention to detail and sounds natural—especially when shopping, ordering, or counting items in daily life.

Tiny toolkit: mix and match

Try combining numbers, demonstratives, and nouns with measure words:

  • 一个老师 (one teacher)
  • 两本中文书 (two Chinese books)
  • 三张电影票 (three movie tickets)
  • 这杯咖啡 (this cup of coffee)
  • 那件T恤 (that T-shirt)
  • 几只狗？ (How many dogs?)

那照片很漂亮。

Wrap-up

  • Structure: Number + measure word + noun; 这/那 + measure word + noun; 几 + measure word + noun?
  • High-frequency measure words: 个、本、张、杯、支、件、条、只
  • Real-life use: ordering drinks, buying tickets, talking about clothes and pets

Keep noticing which measure word people use in context. With practice, you’ll choose the right one automatically. 加油!