Chinese Measure Words Part 1: Measure Words for People, Body Parts and Animals

In Mandarin Chinese,there are 4 measure words describing for people: 个(gè), 名(míng), 位(wèi), 口(kǒu);
7 measure words describing for body parts: 个(gè), 张(zhāng), 根(gēn), 只(zhī), 条(tiáo), 双(shuāng), 颗(kē);
and 4 measure words describing for animals: 头(tóu), 匹(pǐ), 条(tiáo), 只(zhī).

Measure Words for People

个 [gè]
 
people; general measure word
一个朋友 [yí ge péng you]
 
a friend
一个男孩儿 [yí ge nán háir]
 
a boy
名 [míng]
 
people with status; members (formal)
一名律师 [yì míng lǜ shī]
 
a lawyer
一名党员 [yì míng dǎng yuán]
 
a party member
一名记者 [yì míng jì zhě]
 
a journalist
位 [wèi]
 
people that you show respect (formal)
一位客人 [yí wèi kè rén]
 
a guest
一位老人 [yí wèi lǎo rén]
 
an old man
一位老师 [yí wèi lǎo shī]
 
a teacher
口 [kǒu]
 
population of a family
两口人 [liǎng kǒu rén]
 
two persons
三口人 [sān kǒu rén]
 
three persons

Measure Words for Body Parts

个 [gè]
 
general measure word
一个鼻子 [yí ge bí zi]
 
a nose
张 [zhāng]
 
objects that are flat; paper
一张脸 [yì zhāng liǎn]
 
a face
一张嘴 [yì zhāng zuǐ]
 
a mouth
根 [gēn]
 
thin, slender objects; thin, flexible strands
一根头发 [yì gēn tóu fa]
 
a hair
一根手指 [yì gēn shǒu zhǐ]
 
a finger
只 [zhī]
 
one of a pair; small animals
一只耳朵 [yì zhī ěr duo]
 
an ear
一只手 [yì zhī shǒu]
 
a hand
一只眼睛 [yì zhī yǎn jing]
 
an eye
一只脚 [yì zhī jiǎo]
 
a foot
一只胳膊 [yì zhī gē bo]
 
an arm
条 [tiáo]
 
narrow, long or twisting objects
一条腿 [yì tiáo tuǐ]
 
a leg
双 [shuāng]
 
pair of objects which naturally come in pairs
一双眼睛 [yì shuāng yǎn jing]
 
a pair of eyes
一双手 [yì shuāng shǒu]
 
a pair of hands
一双脚 [yì shuāng jiǎo]
 
a pair of feet
颗 [kē]
 
small objects
一颗牙齿 [yì kē yá chǐ]
 
a tooth
一颗心 [yì kē xīn]
 
a heart

Measure Words for Animals

头 [tóu]
 
big-shaped animals
一头猪 [yì tóu zhū]
 
a pig
一头牛 [yì tóu niú]
 
a cow
一头驴 [yì tóu lǘ]
 
a donkey
匹 [pǐ]
 
horse and wolf; bolt of cloth
一匹马 [yì pǐ mǎ]
 
a horse
一匹狼 [yì pǐ láng]
 
a wolf
条 [tiáo]
 
narrow, long or twisting objects
一条蛇 [yì tiáo shé]
 
a snake
一条鱼 [yì tiáo yú]
 
a fish
一条龙 [yì tiáo lóng]
 
a dragon
只 [zhī]
 
smaller animals
一只鸟 [yì zhī niǎo]
 
a bird
一只猫 [yì zhī māo]
 
a cat
一只狗 [yì zhī gǒu]
 
a dog
一只羊 [yì zhī yáng]
 
a sheep
一只鸡 [yì zhī jī]
 
a chicken
一只鸭 [yì zhī yā]
 
a duck
一只鹅 [yì zhī é]
 
a goose
一只老鼠 [yì zhī lǎo shǔ]
 
a mouse
一只青蛙 [yì zhī qīng wā]
 
a frog
一只蝴蝶 [yì zhī hú dié]
 
a butterfly
一只猴子 [yì zhī hóu zi]
 
a monkey

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