Languages 1001

When you want to count things in Chinese, you can't just put a number in front of a noun. You *must* use something called a "measure word" (量词 liàng cí) between the number and the noun. Sounds fancy, but really, it's a bit like how we say "three pieces of cake" or "four cups of tea" in English.

Structure:
数量词 (number/quantity) + 量词 (measure word) + 名词 (noun)
Number → Measure Word → Noun
Example: 一个苹果 (yī gè píngguǒ) "one apple"

Some common measure words and their usage:

Number	Measure Word	Noun (Example)	Meaning
一 (yī)	个 (gè)	苹果 (píngguǒ)	one apple
两 (liǎng)	杯 (bēi)	茶 (chá)	two cups of tea
三 (sān)	本 (běn)	书 (shū)	three books
四 (sì)	包 (bāo)	米 (mǐ)	four bags of rice
五 (wǔ)	块 (kuài)	蛋糕 (dàn gāo)	five pieces of cake

Pro-tip: “个 (gè)” is the most common measure word—your best friend at HSK1! When unsure, just use 个.

The Characters Want to Help!
Let’s see how Lili, Haoran, and friends use numbers and measure words:

• 张莉莉：我要三本书。(I want three books.)
• 王浩然：我有两杯水。(I have two cups of water.)
• 张晓彤：给我一个苹果！(Give me one apple!)

Don’t worry about getting every measure word right away—even Zhiqiang (the store clerk!) messes them up sometimes. But with a sprinkle of practice, you’ll sound as natural as 张莉莉 at a book fair.

1. 张莉莉要 (一杯/一个) 咖啡。

2. 王建国有 (两本/两个) 书。

3. 请给我 (五个/五杯) 苹果。

4. 王浩然喝了 (四杯/四个) 水。

5. 张晓彤买了 (三包/三本) 糖果。

6. 陈秀兰要 (一块/一本) 蛋糕。

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Quick tip: You now know how to order coffee, buy books, or share cake like a native. Next time you see Zhiqiang at the store, confidently say: "我要两包饼干，谢谢！" (I want two bags of cookies, thank you!)
Just don’t try to measure a mountain in 个 (gè)—even Lili knows that’s a bit much!