Traditional Chinese Measure Words: Free PDF and Flashcards

So you’ve memorised the nouns-狗 (dog), 書 (book), 茶 (tea)-and the numbers are solid. Then you try to say ‘two dogs’ and freeze because you need a measure word: 兩隻狗. Measure words are those tiny classifiers that sit between a number (or demonstrative) and a noun, and they trip up almost every learner.

We built this for anyone tired of guessing whether it’s 一張紙 or 一個紙-from brand-new learners to rusty speakers who need a quick reference. No dusty textbook relics, just the vocabulary that keeps your sentences flowing. Keep scrolling for the interactive table, and remember you can grab the PDF anytime.

Ready to make those tiny word helpers feel a lot less mysterious? Scroll to the bottom of the article for the free printable Traditional Chinese measure words vocabulary list PDF and the free downloadable printable Traditional Chinese measure words flashcards, so you can study with a grin instead of a groan.

Want more than one list? Browse our Traditional Chinese section for more Yak Yacker study pages, printable lists, and quiz-friendly review material.

Quick Quiz

Think you can pair the right measure word with each noun? Give the quiz below a quick go-no pressure, just a friendly way to spot the ones that need a second look.

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Browse the Full List

Word	Pinyin	Meaning	Example	Example Pinyin	Translation
棵	kē	used for trees, plants	院子里种了几棵果树。	Yuànzi lǐ zhòngle jǐ kē guǒshù.	A few fruit trees are planted in the yard.
次	cì	time (occurrence), instance	我去了三次中國。	Wǒ qùle sān cì Zhōngguó.	I have been to China three times.
段	duàn	section, segment, period	我們走了一段很長的路。	Wǒmen zǒu le yī duàn hěn cháng de lù.	We walked a long stretch of road.
段	duàn	used for segments, paragraphs, periods of time	请把这段话翻译成英语。	Qǐng bǎ zhè duàn huà fānyì chéng Yīngyǔ.	Please translate this passage into English.
滴	dī	drop	地板上有一滴水。	Dìbǎn shang yǒu yī dī shuǐ.	There is a drop of water on the floor.
片	piàn	used for thin, flat slices or expanses	早餐我吃了兩片吐司。	Zǎocān wǒ chī le liǎng piàn tǔsī.	I ate two slices of toast for breakfast.
片	piàn	used for slices, pieces, or flat areas	我吃了一片麵包。	Wǒ chīle yī piàn miànbāo.	I ate a slice of bread.
瓶	píng	bottle of	他買了一瓶可樂。	Tā mǎi le yī píng kělè.	He bought a bottle of cola.
瓶	píng	bottle of	他買了一瓶可樂。	Tā mǎi le yī píng kělè.	He bought a bottle of cola.
盒	hé	box, carton	我買了一盒巧克力。	Wǒ mǎi le yī hé qiǎokèlì.	I bought a box of chocolates.
盤	pán	plate of, dish of	餐廳上了一盤菜。	Cāntīng shàng le yī pán cài.	The restaurant served a plate of food.
碗	wǎn	bowl of	我吃了一碗飯。	Wǒ chī le yī wǎn fàn.	I ate a bowl of rice.
碗	wǎn	bowl of	媽媽煮了一碗湯。	Māma zhǔ le yī wǎn tāng.	Mom made a bowl of soup.
種	zhǒng	kind, type	你喜歡哪種水果？	Nǐ xǐhuān nǎ zhǒng shuǐguǒ?	Which kind of fruit do you like?
種	zhǒng	kind, type, sort	你喜歡哪種水果？	Nǐ xǐhuān nǎ zhǒng shuǐguǒ?	What kind of fruit do you like?
筆	bǐ	sum (of money), stroke (of a brush)	他捐了一大筆錢。	Tā juān le yī dà bǐ qián.	He donated a large sum of money.
篇	piān	piece (of writing)	我寫了一篇日記。	Wǒ xiě le yī piān rìjì.	I wrote a diary entry.
篇	piān	used for pieces of writing like articles, essays	这篇作文写得很生动。	Zhè piān zuòwén xiě de hěn shēngdòng.	This essay is written vividly.
粒	lì	used for small round objects like grains, pills	請給我一粒藥。	Qǐng gěi wǒ yí lì yào.	Please give me a pill.
粒	lì	used for small round things like grains, pills	我吃了几粒米饭。	Wǒ chīle jǐ lì mǐfàn.	I ate a few grains of rice.
群	qún	group, crowd, flock	我看見一群鳥在飛。	Wǒ kànjiàn yī qún niǎo zài fēi.	I saw a flock of birds flying.
群	qún	used for groups of people or animals	那裡有一群鳥。	Nàlǐ yǒu yī qún niǎo.	There is a group of birds.
艘	sōu	for ships	港口有一艘大船。	Gǎngkǒu yǒu yī sōu dà chuán.	There is a large ship in the harbor.
袋	dài	bag, sack	他提著一袋米。	Tā tí zhe yī dài mǐ.	He is carrying a bag of rice.
輛	liàng	used for land vehicles	這輛車很快。	Zhè liàng chē hěn kuài.	This car is fast.

Free Traditional Chinese Measure Words PDF and Flashcards to Download

Click the purple button for the Traditional Chinese measure words vocabulary list and the teal button for the Traditional Chinese measure words flashcards. Both downloads are 100% free and require no signup.