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cat",[50,73,74,75,78],{},"那",[54,76,77],{},"张","纸 (nà zhāng zhǐ) - that piece of paper",[43,80,81,82,85],{},"The shape is ",[54,83,84],{},"Number\u002FDemonstrative + Classifier + Noun",". No exceptions for beginners.",[38,87,89],{"id":88},"the-core-dozen","The core dozen",[43,91,92],{},"The twelve to memorise first. Each one slots a noun into a category. Get these and you'll classify roughly 80% of everyday nouns correctly.",[94,95,96,115],"table",{},[97,98,99],"thead",{},[100,101,102,106,109,112],"tr",{},[103,104,105],"th",{},"Classifier",[103,107,108],{},"Pinyin",[103,110,111],{},"Used for",[103,113,114],{},"Example",[116,117,118,132,146,160,174,188,201,214,228,241,255,269],"tbody",{},[100,119,120,123,126,129],{},[121,122,63],"td",{},[121,124,125],{},"ge",[121,127,128],{},"the default, almost any countable noun",[121,130,131],{},"一个人 (one person), 两个问题 (two questions)",[100,133,134,137,140,143],{},[121,135,136],{},"位",[121,138,139],{},"wèi",[121,141,142],{},"people, polite register",[121,144,145],{},"一位老师 (one teacher), 三位客人 (three guests)",[100,147,148,151,154,157],{},[121,149,150],{},"岁",[121,152,153],{},"suì",[121,155,156],{},"years of age",[121,158,159],{},"五岁 (five years old), 我二十岁 (I am twenty)",[100,161,162,165,168,171],{},[121,163,164],{},"天",[121,166,167],{},"tiān",[121,169,170],{},"days (no 个 needed; 天 is its own MW)",[121,172,173],{},"三天 (three days), 这天 (this day)",[100,175,176,179,182,185],{},[121,177,178],{},"年",[121,180,181],{},"nián",[121,183,184],{},"years (no 个 needed; 年 is its own MW)",[121,186,187],{},"两年 (two years), 去年 (last year)",[100,189,190,192,195,198],{},[121,191,70],{},[121,193,194],{},"zhī",[121,196,197],{},"most animals, one of a pair",[121,199,200],{},"一只猫 (one cat), 两只手 (two hands)",[100,202,203,205,208,211],{},[121,204,56],{},[121,206,207],{},"běn",[121,209,210],{},"books, magazines, bound volumes",[121,212,213],{},"一本书 (one book), 三本杂志 (three magazines)",[100,215,216,219,222,225],{},[121,217,218],{},"口",[121,220,221],{},"kǒu",[121,223,224],{},"mouths; family members in a household",[121,226,227],{},"五口人 (a family of five)",[100,229,230,232,235,238],{},[121,231,77],{},[121,233,234],{},"zhāng",[121,236,237],{},"flat things (paper, tickets, beds)",[121,239,240],{},"一张纸 (one piece of paper), 两张床 (two beds)",[100,242,243,246,249,252],{},[121,244,245],{},"条",[121,247,248],{},"tiáo",[121,250,251],{},"long thin things (rivers, fish, trousers)",[121,253,254],{},"一条河 (one river), 一条裤子 (one pair of trousers)",[100,256,257,260,263,266],{},[121,258,259],{},"家",[121,261,262],{},"jiā",[121,264,265],{},"businesses, shops, restaurants",[121,267,268],{},"一家公司 (one company), 三家饭馆 (three restaurants)",[100,270,271,274,277,280],{},[121,272,273],{},"杯",[121,275,276],{},"bēi",[121,278,279],{},"cups, glasses of liquid",[121,281,282],{},"一杯茶 (one cup of tea), 两杯水 (two glasses of water)",[43,284,285,286,289],{},"If you forget which classifier a noun takes, ",[54,287,288],{},"default to 个",". Native speakers will hear it as casual or slightly underspecified, but they'll understand you. A wrong measure word is always better than no measure word.",[38,291,293],{"id":292},"这个-and-那个-demonstratives-need-a-classifier-too","这个 and 那个: demonstratives need a classifier too",[43,295,296],{},"This is the bit English speakers skip most often. 这 (zhè, this) and 那 (nà, that) cannot sit directly against a noun any more than a number can. They take the same classifier the noun would normally use.",[47,298,299,304,309,314],{},[50,300,67,301,303],{},[54,302,56],{},"书 (zhè běn shū) - this book",[50,305,74,306,308],{},[54,307,70],{},"猫 (nà zhī māo) - that cat",[50,310,67,311,313],{},[54,312,77],{},"纸 (zhè zhāng zhǐ) - this piece of paper",[50,315,74,316,318],{},[54,317,259],{},"公司 (nà jiā gōng sī) - that company",[43,320,321],{},"When the noun's classifier is 个 (or you've forgotten), 这个 \u002F 那个 is the standard form: 这个人 (this person), 那个问题 (that question).",[38,323,325],{"id":324},"每-classifier-every","每 + classifier = 'every'",[43,327,328],{},"To say 'every X', use 每 + the noun's classifier + the noun.",[47,330,331,337,342,347],{},[50,332,333,334,336],{},"每",[54,335,63],{},"人 (měi ge rén) - every person",[50,338,333,339,341],{},[54,340,56],{},"书 (měi běn shū) - every book",[50,343,333,344,346],{},[54,345,164],{}," (měi tiān) - every day (no separate classifier; 天 is already one)",[50,348,333,349,351],{},[54,350,178],{}," (měi nián) - every year",[43,353,354],{},"This pattern is reliable. If you can count it with a classifier, you can put 每 in front of the same classifier to mean 'every'.",[38,356,358],{"id":357},"time-unit-classifiers-are-different","Time-unit classifiers are different",[43,360,361],{},"Some time words ARE their own classifier. They don't need 个.",[47,363,364,367,370],{},[50,365,366],{},"一天 (yì tiān, one day), not 一个天",[50,368,369],{},"一年 (yì nián, one year), not 一个年",[50,371,372],{},"一岁 (yí suì, one year old), not 一个岁",[43,374,375],{},"But 'month' and 'week' DO take 个: 一个月 (yí ge yuè, one month), 一个星期 (yí ge xīng qī, one week). Memorise the four common time-unit shapes: 天 and 年 take no 个; 月 and 星期 take 个.",[38,377,379],{"id":378},"higher-tier-follow-ups-briefly","Higher-tier follow-ups (briefly)",[43,381,382],{},"A few patterns sit beyond the Foundation tier but are worth knowing exist:",[47,384,385,391],{},[50,386,387,390],{},[54,388,389],{},"Reduplication of classifiers",": 个个 (every single one), 天天 (every day), 本本 (every book). Adds an 'each and every' emphasis. Higher tier - the basic 每 + classifier covers Foundation.",[50,392,393,396],{},[54,394,395],{},"Less common classifiers",": 件 (jiàn, items of clothing or news), 辆 (liàng, vehicles), 双 (shuāng, pairs), 套 (tào, sets). Pick these up incrementally as the nouns show up.",[43,398,399,400,405],{},"For wider coverage of how classifiers interact with the whole grammar system, the ",[401,402,404],"a",{"href":403},"\u002Fmandarin\u002Fgrammar\u002Fcheatsheet","Mandarin grammar cheatsheet"," sits one tab over.",{"title":407,"searchDepth":408,"depth":408,"links":409},"",2,[410,411,412,413,414,415],{"id":40,"depth":408,"text":41},{"id":88,"depth":408,"text":89},{"id":292,"depth":408,"text":293},{"id":324,"depth":408,"text":325},{"id":357,"depth":408,"text":358},{"id":378,"depth":408,"text":379},"A1-A2","Mandarin measure words explained. The core dozen (个, 位, 岁, 天, 年, 只, 本, 口, 张, 条, 家, 杯), what each one is used for, the 这个\u002F那个 demonstrative pattern, and the safe-default rule when you forget.","md","foundation","English usually counts nouns directly: one book, two cars, three dogs. Mandarin doesn't. A number cannot sit straight against a noun - a measure word (量词 liàng cí, more often called a classifier in English) has to come between them. 一本书 not 一书. Two hundred-plus classifiers exist; you need about twelve to get through everyday speech. This page covers the core inventory, the deictic pattern with 这\u002F那, the 每 ('every') trick, and the safe default for the moment you forget which one.","mandarin",{},true,"\u002Fmandarin\u002Fgrammar\u002Fclassifiers",{"title":32,"description":417},"mandarin\u002Fgrammar\u002Fclassifiers","ENNw_qmkzrP_-EM2-xpIJqD6ZBTIuS-m6rXOzWQ577w",[],{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":430},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Cpath d=\"M12 15V3m9 12v4a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H5a2 2 0 0 1-2-2v-4\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"m7 10l5 5l5-5\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":432},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M13 21h8M15 5l4 4m2.174-2.188a1 1 0 0 0-3.986-3.987L3.842 16.174a2 2 0 0 0-.5.83l-1.321 4.352a.5.5 0 0 0 .623.622l4.353-1.32a2 2 0 0 0 .83-.497z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":434},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Crect width=\"18\" height=\"18\" x=\"3\" y=\"3\" rx=\"2\" ry=\"2\"\u002F>\u003Ccircle cx=\"9\" cy=\"9\" r=\"2\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"m21 15l-3.086-3.086a2 2 0 0 0-2.828 0L6 21\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":436},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Cpath d=\"M6 22a2 2 0 0 1-2-2V4a2 2 0 0 1 2-2h8a2.4 2.4 0 0 1 1.704.706l3.588 3.588A2.4 2.4 0 0 1 20 8v12a2 2 0 0 1-2 2z\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"M14 2v5a1 1 0 0 0 1 1h5M10 9H8m8 4H8m8 4H8\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":438},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M23.268 5.313c-.35-2.578-2.617-4.61-5.304-5.004C17.51.242 15.792 0 11.813 0h-.03c-3.98 0-4.835.242-5.288.309C3.882.692 1.496 2.518.917 5.127C.64 6.412.61 7.837.661 9.143c.074 1.874.088 3.745.26 5.611c.118 1.24.325 2.47.62 3.68c.55 2.237 2.777 4.098 4.96 4.857c2.336.792 4.849.923 7.256.38q.398-.092.786-.213c.585-.184 1.27-.39 1.774-.753a.06.06 0 0 0 .023-.043v-1.809a.05.05 0 0 0-.02-.041a.05.05 0 0 0-.046-.01a20.3 20.3 0 0 1-4.709.545c-2.73 0-3.463-1.284-3.674-1.818a5.6 5.6 0 0 1-.319-1.433a.053.053 0 0 1 .066-.054c1.517.363 3.072.546 4.632.546c.376 0 .75 0 1.125-.01c1.57-.044 3.224-.124 4.768-.422q.059-.011.11-.024c2.435-.464 4.753-1.92 4.989-5.604c.008-.145.03-1.52.03-1.67c.002-.512.167-3.63-.024-5.545m-3.748 9.195h-2.561V8.29c0-1.309-.55-1.976-1.67-1.976c-1.23 0-1.846.79-1.846 2.35v3.403h-2.546V8.663c0-1.56-.617-2.35-1.848-2.35c-1.112 0-1.668.668-1.67 1.977v6.218H4.822V8.102q0-1.965 1.011-3.12c.696-.77 1.608-1.164 2.74-1.164c1.311 0 2.302.5 2.962 1.498l.638 1.06l.638-1.06c.66-.999 1.65-1.498 2.96-1.498c1.13 0 2.043.395 2.74 1.164q1.012 1.155 1.012 3.12z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":440},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M5.202 2.857C7.954 4.922 10.913 9.11 12 11.358c1.087-2.247 4.046-6.436 6.798-8.501C20.783 1.366 24 .213 24 3.883c0 .732-.42 6.156-.667 7.037c-.856 3.061-3.978 3.842-6.755 3.37c4.854.826 6.089 3.562 3.422 6.299c-5.065 5.196-7.28-1.304-7.847-2.97c-.104-.305-.152-.448-.153-.327c0-.121-.05.022-.153.327c-.568 1.666-2.782 8.166-7.847 2.97c-2.667-2.737-1.432-5.473 3.422-6.3c-2.777.473-5.899-.308-6.755-3.369C.42 10.04 0 4.615 0 3.883c0-3.67 3.217-2.517 5.202-1.026\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":442},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M14.234 10.162L22.977 0h-2.072l-7.591 8.824L7.251 0H.258l9.168 13.343L.258 24H2.33l8.016-9.318L16.749 24h6.993zm-2.837 3.299l-.929-1.329L3.076 1.56h3.182l5.965 8.532l.929 1.329l7.754 11.09h-3.182z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":444,"hidden":423},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M20.447 20.452h-3.554v-5.569c0-1.328-.027-3.037-1.852-3.037c-1.853 0-2.136 1.445-2.136 2.939v5.667H9.351V9h3.414v1.561h.046c.477-.9 1.637-1.85 3.37-1.85c3.601 0 4.267 2.37 4.267 5.455v6.286zM5.337 7.433a2.06 2.06 0 0 1-2.063-2.065a2.064 2.064 0 1 1 2.063 2.065m1.782 13.019H3.555V9h3.564zM22.225 0H1.771C.792 0 0 .774 0 1.729v20.542C0 23.227.792 24 1.771 24h20.451C23.2 24 24 23.227 24 22.271V1.729C24 .774 23.2 0 22.222 0z\"\u002F>",1781531943746]