Measurement words are unique in Chinese grammar. In this infographic, we introduce 17 measurement words that are related to food and dining. These are:
把 (bǎ): objects with handles
杯 (bēi): cups of…
串 (chuàn): items that come in bunches or clusters
份 (fèn): portions of…
个 (ge): general, catch-all measure word (usage of this classifier in conjunction with any noun is generally accepted if the person does not know the proper classifier)
根 (gēn): things that are thin and possibly flexible
壶 (hú): liquids in a pot or kettle
颗 (kē): small objects, usually with a round or semi-round shape
块 (kuài): things that come in hunks, chunks, or lumps
粒 (lì): really small objects, which are smaller than 颗 (kē) such as a grain of rice
盘 (pán): literally means “dish” and can be used for a plate of food
片 (piàn): things that are thin and may have an irregular shape
瓶 (píng): bottles of…
球 (qiú): scoops of…
双 (shuāng): items that normally come in pairs
碗 (wǎn): bowls of…
张 (zhāng): flat, rectangular objects
The measurement words are organized in three groups. If you are a teacher, feel free to choose the ones you would like to teach.
Use the “can-do” list to check if you learned this grammar.
Can-do checklist:
⃞ I can use measurement words correctly.
⃞ I can pronounce the measurement words.
⃞ I can understand the meanings of the measurement words.
⃞ I can write the measurement words in Chinese character/pinyin.
⃞ I can use the correct dining-related measurement word when I see a picture
Simplified Chinese Version
Traditional Chinese Version
