In Mandarin you usually cannot say "three book". You need a measure word between the number and the noun.
| Measure Word | Pinyin | Used For |
|---|---|---|
| 个 | ge | general default (people, most everyday objects) |
| 本 | běn | books |
| 只 | zhī | animals |
| 块 | kuài | pieces/chunks of something; also the basic unit of money |
| 杯 | bēi | cups of a drink |
Two special cases skip the regular pattern: 岁 (suì) for age attaches straight to the number with no measure word, and 些 (xiē) — used as 一些 (some), 这些 (these), or 那些 (those) — is used for an unspecified plural amount, not an exact count.
Before a measure word, "two" is 两 (liǎng), not 二 (èr).
Once you know this pattern, you can count almost anything in Chinese — friends, books, pets, pieces of cake — without sounding wrong every time.
Structure
Number + Measure Word + Noun
一 yī + 个 ge + 朋友 péngyou → 一个朋友 yí ge péngyou (one friend)
两 liǎng + 本 běn + 书 shū → 两本书 liǎng běn shū (two books)
Number + 岁 (age, no noun needed): 五岁 wǔ suì (five years old)
一些 / 这些 / 那些 + Noun (no number needed): 一些朋友 yìxiē péngyou (some friends)
Examples
我有一个朋友。 Wǒ yǒu yí ge péngyou.
Breakdown: 我 (I) · 有 (have) · 一 (one) · 个 (general measure word) · 朋友 (friend)
→ I have one friend.
她有两本书。 Tā yǒu liǎng běn shū.
Breakdown: 她 (she) · 有 (have) · 两 (two) · 本 (measure word for books) · 书 (book)
→ She has two books.
我要一块蛋糕。 Wǒ yào yí kuài dàngāo.
Breakdown: 我 (I) · 要 (want) · 一 (one) · 块 (piece — measure word) · 蛋糕 (cake)
→ I want a piece of cake.
他五岁。 Tā wǔ suì.
Breakdown: 他 (he) · 五 (five) · 岁 (years old)
→ He is five years old.
我有一些朋友。 Wǒ yǒu yìxiē péngyou.
Breakdown: 我 (I) · 有 (have) · 一些 (some) · 朋友 (friends)
→ I have some friends.
她家有一只猫。 Tā jiā yǒu yì zhī māo.
Breakdown: 她家 (her family) · 有 (have) · 一 (one) · 只 (measure word for animals) · 猫 (cat)
→ Her family has a cat.
我要一杯茶。 Wǒ yào yì bēi chá.
Breakdown: 我 (I) · 要 (want) · 一 (one) · 杯 (cup — measure word) · 茶 (tea)
→ I want a cup of tea.
Common Mistakes
Using 二 before a measure word
- Incorrect: 我有二本书。 (Wǒ yǒu èr běn shū.) - Correct: 我有两本书。 (Wǒ yǒu liǎng běn shū.) — I have two books.
Adding a measure word before 岁
- Incorrect: 他五个岁。 (Tā wǔ ge suì.) - Correct: 他五岁。 (Tā wǔ suì.) — He is five years old.
What Can You Say Now?
You can now count things properly in Chinese instead of just naming them — 我有两个朋友 (I have two friends), 她有一只猫 (She has a cat), 他五岁 (He is five years old). Try counting a few objects around you and stating your own age using 岁.
Quick Summary
Number + Measure Word + Noun, with 两 (not 二) before the measure word. 岁 attaches straight to the number for age, and 一些/这些/那些 mark an unspecified plural amount.
| Word |
|---|
|
个 - ge4 (A; a piece of (general measure word used before nouns).) |
|
本 - ben3 (Root; origin; this; the current one; classifier for books.) |
|
只 - zhi1 (Classifier for birds and certain paired items.) |
|
块 - kuai4 (A lump or piece; classifier for money (like "dollar").) |
|
杯 - bei1 (Cup; classifier for a glass or cup of something.) |