For different groups of nouns different classifiers are used. Here are some of the most important ones.
个 gè (= a single one): general classifier. If one doesn't know which classifier to use, one takes the general classifier 个 gè.
我 | 们 | 三 | 个 | 人 | 。 |
wǒ | men | sān | gè | rén | _ |
I | pl suffix | three | measure word | person | _ |
we, us | three | person, human being | 。 | ||
We are three persons. |
口 kǒu (= mouth): Classifier for persons when they are counted as members of a family.
我 | 们 | 家 | 三 | 口 | 人 | 。 |
wǒ | men | jiā | sān | kǒu | rén | _ |
I | pl suffix | home | three | mouth | person | _ |
we, us | home, family, grammatical measure word for shops | three | mouth, cut in the skin, grammatical: measure word | person, human being | 。 | |
In our family there are three people. |
本 (= book): Classifier for hard- or paper-back objects (books etc.).
我 | 有 | 三 | 本 | 书 | 。 |
wǒ | yǒu | sān | běn | shū | _ |
I | have | three | origin | book | _ |
I, me, my | have, there is | three | grammatical: measure word, foundation, original, current, this | book | 。 |
I have three books. |
张 zhāng (= spread): for things with a flat surface (leave, piece of paper, bed).
一 | 张 | 报 | 。 |
yī | zhāng | bào | _ |
one | spread | report | _ |
one, same, whole | grammatical measure word for sth flat, spread | report | 。 |
One newspaper. |
块 kuài (= Yuan, RMB; lit.: piece) is also a general classifier for one piece.
两 | 块 | ( | 钱 | ) | 。 |
liǎng | kuài | _ | qián | _ | _ |
two | piece | _ | money | _ | _ |
two, 50gr., 50ml | grammatical measure word: yuan, piece | ( | money | ) | 。 |
Two yuan. |
毛 máo (=10 cents RMB; lit.: hair)
一 | 毛 | 。 |
yī | máo | _ |
one | hair | _ |
one, same, whole | Chinese dime, ten Chinese cents | 。 |
Ten Chinese cents. |
分 fēn (=1 cent RMB; lit.: divide)
一 | 分 | 。 |
yī | fēn | _ |
one | divide | _ |
one, same, whole | divide, distribute, distinguish, minute, cent, ten percent, mark | 。 |
One Chinese cent. |
站 zhàn (= station; lit.: stand): for bus- and train-stations.
一 | 站 | ( | 地 | ) | 。 |
yī | zhàn | _ | dì | _ | _ |
one | stand | _ | earth | _ | _ |
one, same, whole | grammatical: measure word, stand, station | ( | earth, ground, place, grammatical: particle for adverbs | ) | 。 |
One station (further). |
路 lù (= busline; lit.: road): for buslines.
一 | 路 | 车 | 。 |
yī | lù | chē | _ |
one | road | car | _ |
one, same, whole | road, route | vehicle | 。 |
Bus number 1. |
位 wèi (= respected person; lit.: position): Way of showing respect towards someone.
Ten0
份 fèn (= piece, unit; lit.: portion): Single pieces.
一 | 份 | 儿 | 中 | 国 | 日 | 报 | 。 | |
yī | fèn | ér | zhōng | guó | rì | bào | _ | _ |
one | portion | child | middle | country | sun | report | _ | _ |
one, same, whole | grammatical: measure word | child | China | daily newspaper | 。 | |||
One China daily. |
两 liǎng (=50gr./50ml; lit.: two): Twenty liang are one kilogramm.
一 | 两 | 酒 | 。 |
yī | liǎng | jiǔ | _ |
one | two | wine | _ |
one, same, whole | two, 50gr., 50ml | wine | 。 |
50ml alcohol. |
些 xiē (= some): an unknown number of something.
一 | 些 | 书 | 。 |
yī | xiē | shū | _ |
one | some | book | _ |
a few, a little, some | book | 。 | |
Some books. |