Kilo Lingo
Mandarin grammar Part of Chapter 17

CEFR A2-B1

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Test yourself (14 questions)

Mandarin Verbal Measure Words: 次, 遍, 下, 趟, 顿

By Michael McGettrick and Wee Khang LinUpdated 12 October 2026

English says "three times" for every kind of repeat. Mandarin picks a measure word that says what kind of time it was: an occasion, a full run-through, a quick go, a trip or a meal. The number and measure word go after the verb. Classifiers count things; these count actions.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

0/3

Pick the measure word.

  1. 我去过三中国。 (I've been to China three times.)

    wǒ qù guò sān ___ zhōng guó 。 (I've been to China three times.)

  2. 这本书我从头到尾看了两。 (I read this book cover to cover twice.)

    zhè běn shū wǒ cóng tóu dào wěi kàn le liǎng ___。 (I read this book cover to cover twice.)

  3. 他拍了我一。 (He gave me a pat.)

    tā pāi le wǒ yī ___。 (He gave me a pat.)

Counting actions, not things

The colours stay the same all page long:

the measure wordWhat do the colours mean?
WordPinyinCounts
cìoccasions, times
biàntimes through, start to finish
xiàa quick go, a single movement
tàngtrips there and back
dùnmeals and tellings-off

The pattern is verb + (le) or (guo) + number + measure word:

HanziPinyinEnglish
。Wǒ qù guo sān cì Zhōngguó.I've been to China three times
。Zhè běn shū wǒ kàn le liǎng biàn.I've read this book through twice
。Tā pāi le wǒ yíxià.He gave me a pat
。Wǒ qù le yí tàng yínháng.I made a trip to the bank

Two things the tables cannot show. "Two times" is (liǎng cì), with (liǎng), not (èr). And (yī) changes tone before these fourth-tone words: yí cì, yí biàn, yíxià, yí tàng, yí dùn.

次 (cì), 遍 (biàn), 下 (xià), 趟 (tàng), 顿 (dùn): which one?

the measure wordWhat do the colours mean?

Ask what kind of "time" it was:

HanziPinyinEnglish
。Wǒ jiàn guo tā liǎng cì.I've met him twice (occasions)
。Qǐng zài shuō yí biàn.Please say it again (all of it)
。Tā pāi le wǒ liǎng xià.He patted me twice (two quick pats)
。Wǒ jīntiān qù le liǎng tàng yínháng.I went to the bank twice today (two trips)
。Wǒmen hǎohǎo chī yí dùn ba.Let's have a proper meal
。Māma shuō le tā yí dùn.Mum gave him a telling-off
  • (cì) or (biàn)? For a film or a book both are heard; (biàn) insists on the whole thing.
  • Say it again: (qǐng zài shuō yí biàn) is the classroom form; (zài shuō yí cì) is also fine.
  • (huí) is a more colloquial (cì), common in speech: 。 (Wǒ lái guo yì huí.) - I've been here once.

一下 (yíxià): a quick go, not a count

the measure wordWhat do the colours mean?

After a verb, (yíxià) usually means "a quick go", and it softens a request. (yí cì) is a real count, "once":

HanziPinyinEnglish
。Nǐ děng yíxià.Wait a moment
。Nǐ kàn yíxià zhège.Have a quick look at this
。Zhège diànyǐng wǒ kàn guo yí cì.I've seen this film once

Use (yíxià) to make a request polite, (yí cì) when the number matters. Verb reduplication, (kànkan), is the other way to say "have a look".

Where the count goes: after the verb, before the object

the measure wordthe objectWhat do the colours mean?

The count sits after the verb and its (le) or (guo). Then it depends on the object:

Verb
Pronoun
Count
Noun
empty
empty
empty
ObjectHanziPinyin
a noun。Wǒ dǎ le sān cì diànhuà.
a place。Wǒ qù guo Zhōngguó sān cì.
a pronoun。Wǒ jiàn guo tā liǎng cì.
put first。Zhè běn shū wǒ kàn le liǎng biàn.
  • A noun follows the count: (dǎ le sān cì diànhuà), phoned three times.
  • A place can go either side: (qù guo sān cì Zhōngguó) and (qù guo Zhōngguó sān cì) both mean "been to China three times".
  • A pronoun comes first: (jiàn guo tā liǎng cì). sounds wrong.
  • Putting the object first is very common with books, films and songs: (zhè běn shū wǒ kàn le liǎng biàn).

The same slot, straight after the verb, holds a length of time: see duration complements.

次 (cì) or 时候 (shíhou)?

English "time" covers both. (cì) counts occasions; (shíhou) is the "when" of a sentence and is never counted:

EnglishHanziPinyin
the first timedì yī cì
last timeshàng cì
next timexià cì
every timeměi cì
when I wentwǒ qù de shíhou
  • ，。 (Wǒ dì yī cì qù Zhōngguó de shíhou, shíbā suì.) - The first time I went to China, I was eighteen.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
。。in speech, the count follows the verb
。。a pronoun comes before the count
。。 (guo) stays on the verb
。。 (shíhou) is not a counter
。。"wait a moment" is (yíxià)

What to do next

  1. Do the drill below.
  2. Say three places you have been, and how many times: … (wǒ qù guo … cì).
  3. Then read duration complements, "for how long", which uses the same slot.

Practise: test yourself

Pick the right one

0/5

Pick the measure word.

  1. 我去过三中国。 (I've been to China three times.)

    wǒ qù guò sān ___ zhōng guó 。 (I've been to China three times.)

  2. 这本书我从头到尾看了两。 (I read this book cover to cover twice.)

    zhè běn shū wǒ cóng tóu dào wěi kàn le liǎng ___。 (I read this book cover to cover twice.)

  3. 他拍了我一。 (He gave me a pat.)

    tā pāi le wǒ yī ___。 (He gave me a pat.)

  4. 我今天去了两银行。 (I made two trips to the bank today.)

    wǒ jīn tiān qù le liǎng ___ yín háng 。 (I made two trips to the bank today.)

  5. 我们好好吃一吧。 (Let's have a proper meal.)

    wǒ men hǎo hǎo chī yī ___ ba 。 (Let's have a proper meal.)

Put the words in order

0/2

Put the words in order. The count goes after the verb and 过.

  1. I've met him twice.

    Your sentence is empty.

  2. I've been to China three times.

    Your sentence is empty.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Each sentence has one mistake. Tap it.

  1. wǒ jiàn guò liǎng cì tā 。

  2. wǒ qù sān cì guò zhōng guó 。

  3. nǐ děng yí cì ， wǒ mǎ shàng lái 。

Matching

0/4

Match each sentence to its English.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'three times' in Chinese?
(sān cì), placed after the verb: (wǒ qù guo sān cì Zhōngguó), I have been to China three times. (cì) is the general counter for occasions. (shíhou) is not a counter: it means 'when', so (sān ge shíhou) is wrong.
What is the difference between (cì) and (biàn)?
(cì) counts occasions. (biàn) counts times through something from beginning to end: (zhè běn shū wǒ kàn le liǎng biàn), I have read this book through twice. For a film or a book both are heard; insists on the whole thing.
What is the difference between (yíxià) and (yí cì)?
(yíxià) after a verb usually means 'a quick go' and softens a request: (nǐ kàn yíxià), have a look. (yí cì) is a real count, 'once': (wǒ kàn guo yí cì), I have watched it once.
Is it or ?
(wǒ jiàn guo tā liǎng cì). When the object is a pronoun, it comes straight after the verb and the count follows it. With a place, both orders are fine: (wǒ qù guo sān cì Zhōngguó) and (wǒ qù guo Zhōngguó sān cì).
What does (tàng) mean?
(tàng) counts trips: going somewhere and coming back. (wǒ qù le yí tàng yínháng) is 'I made a trip to the bank'. It is the word for errands and visits, where the return journey is part of the picture.