A personified yak Chinese teacher that explains Traditional Chinese measure words like 個, 位, 本 with real-life examples.

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

WordPinyinMeaningExampleExample PinyinTranslation
liàngfor vehicles校門口停了一輛車。Xiào ménkǒu tíng le yī liàng chē.A car parked at the school gate.
for movies, books, machines這部電影很好看。Zhè bù diànyǐng hěn hǎokàn.This movie is very good.
used for movies, works of literature, machines我昨天看了一部电影。Wǒ zuótiān kànle yī bù diànyǐng.I watched a movie yesterday.
jiānused for rooms我們的教室有三間。Wǒmen de jiàoshì yǒu sān jiān.We have three classrooms.
jiānmeasure word for rooms這間教室很大。Zhè jiān jiàoshì hěn dà.This classroom is very big.
zhènused for short, sudden bursts or gusts突然下了一陣雨。Túrán xiàle yī zhèn yǔ.Suddenly, it rained for a while.
zhènshort period, gust, burst一陣風吹過。Yī zhèn fēng chuī guò.A gust of wind blew by.
zhīfor animals, one of a pair公園裡有一隻狗。Gōngyuán lǐ yǒu yī zhī gǒu.There is a dog in the park.
zhīfor animals or one of a pair我有一隻狗。Wǒ yǒu yī zhī gǒu.I have a dog.
shuāngpair of我有一雙新鞋。Wǒ yǒu yī shuāng xīn xié.I have a new pair of shoes.
shuāngpair (of something inherently in twos)我買了一雙新鞋子。Wǒ mǎile yī shuāng xīn xiézi.I bought a new pair of shoes.
dùnmeasure word for meals, beatings, reprimands我每天吃三頓飯。Wǒ měi tiān chī sān dùn fàn.I eat three meals a day.
tóuhead (of livestock)農場有五頭牛。Nóngchǎng yǒu wǔ tóu niú.The farm has five head of cattle.
shǒuused for songs, poems他唱了一首好聽的歌。Tā chàng le yì shǒu hǎotīng de gē.He sang a nice song.
shǒumeasure word for songs and poems她唱了一首好聽的歌。Tā chàngle yī shǒu hǎotīng de gē.She sang a nice song.

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.

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