{"id":60460,"date":"2026-04-15T16:36:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T08:36:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wukongsch.com\/blog\/?p=60460"},"modified":"2026-04-17T16:42:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T08:42:28","slug":"chinese-measure-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wukongsch.com\/blog\/chinese-measure-words-post-60460\/","title":{"rendered":"100+ Chinese Measure Words (Frequently Used) \u2013 Master Mandarin Easily"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Learning Mandarin Chinese? You\u2019ve likely noticed a big difference from English: measure words (\u91cf\u8bcd, li\u00e0ng c\u00ed). Instead of saying \u201cthree cars,\u201d Chinese requires a specific measure word between the number and noun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Measure words aren\u2019t just grammar\u2014they help you speak clearly, avoid confusion, and sound natural. With over 100 common measure words, mastering them is key to fluency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, Wukong Chinese<\/a> helps you sort out the most practical measure words, organized by category. Below, you\u2019ll find 100+ frequently used measure words across 5 key categories, each with Pinyin, English meaning, and real\u2011life example sentences.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Learn authentic Chinese<\/span> from those who live and breathe the culture.<\/p>\n<\/h3>\r\n

Specially tailored for kids aged 3-18 around the world!<\/p>\r\n \r\n Get started free!\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n

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<\/span>Measure Words for People & Animals<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This category includes measure words used to count people, animals, and living creatures\u2014some are general, while others are specific to the size, type, or respect level of the subject. These are the most basic and commonly used measure words in daily communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Measure Word<\/th>Pinyin<\/th>English Meaning<\/th>Example Sentence & Translation<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
\u4e2a<\/td>g\u00e8<\/td>Generic measure word (most common for people, small animals, and general objects)<\/td>\u6211\u6709\u4e00\u4e2a\u670b\u53cb\u3002
I have one friend.<\/td><\/tr>
\u4f4d<\/td>w\u00e8i<\/td>Polite\/respectful measure word for people (used to show respect to guests, elders, or any person)<\/td>\u6b22\u8fce\u5404\u4f4d\u6765\u5bbe\u3002Welcome all distinguished guests.<\/td><\/tr>
\u540d<\/td>m\u00edng<\/td>Formal measure word for people (used in official contexts or for professionals, e.g., doctors, soldiers, students)<\/td>\u6211\u4eec\u73ed\u6709\u4e8c\u5341\u540d\u5b66\u751f\u3002There are twenty students in our class.<\/td><\/tr>
\u53ea<\/td>zh\u012b<\/td>Measure word for small to medium-sized animals, birds, insects, and some small objects<\/td>\u6811\u4e0a\u6709\u4e00\u53ea\u9e1f\u3002
There is one bird on the tree.<\/td><\/tr>
\u5934<\/td>t\u00f3u<\/td>Measure word for large animals (e.g., cattle, elephants), and also for some small animals (e.g., pigs, sheep) in casual speech<\/td>\u519c\u573a\u91cc\u6709\u4e94\u5934\u725b\u3002
There are five cows on the farm.<\/td><\/tr>
\u5339<\/td>p\u01d0<\/td>Measure word for horses, mules, donkeys, and some long, thin animals (e.g., wolves)<\/td>\u4ed6\u6709\u4e00\u5339\u9a6c\u3002
He has one horse.<\/td><\/tr>
\u6761<\/td>ti\u00e1o<\/td>Measure word for long, narrow animals (e.g., fish, snakes, eels, loaches) and long objects<\/td>\u6cb3\u91cc\u6709\u4e09\u6761\u9c7c\u3002
There are three fish in the river.<\/td><\/tr>
\u5cf0<\/td>f\u0113ng<\/td>Measure word for camels<\/td>\u6c99\u6f20\u91cc\u6709\u4e00\u5cf0\u9a86\u9a7c\u3002There is one camel in the desert.<\/td><\/tr>
\u7fa4<\/td>q\u00fan<\/td>Measure word for groups of people or animals<\/td>\u4e00\u7fa4\u5b69\u5b50\u5728\u516c\u56ed\u73a9\u3002
A group of children are playing in the park.<\/td><\/tr>
\u5bf9<\/td>du\u00ec<\/td>Measure word for pairs of people or animals (e.g., couples, twins)<\/td>\u90a3\u8fb9\u6709\u4e00\u5bf9\u592b\u5987\u3002
There is a couple over there.<\/td><\/tr>
\u53cc<\/td>shu\u0101ng<\/td>Measure word for pairs (used for people\u2019s hands, feet, or paired animals)<\/td>\u4ed6\u6709\u4e00\u53cc\u5927\u773c\u775b\u3002
He has a pair of big eyes.<\/td><\/tr>
\u53e3<\/td>k\u01d2u<\/td>Measure word for family members (used to count people in a family)<\/td>\u4ed6\u4eec\u5bb6\u6709\u4e94\u53e3\u4eba\u3002
There are five people in their family.<\/td><\/tr>
\u4f19<\/td>hu\u01d2<\/td>Informal measure word for a group of people (often with a casual tone)<\/td>\u6765\u4e86\u4e00\u4f19\u670b\u53cb\u3002
A group of friends came.<\/td><\/tr>
\u7fbd<\/td>y\u01d4<\/td>Literary measure word for birds (less common in daily speech)<\/td>\u4e00\u7fbd\u9e3d\u5b50\u843d\u5728\u7a97\u53f0\u4e0a\u3002 A pigeon landed on the windowsill.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n