| 个gè | The general measure word: people, most objects, anything when you are not sure 人 person · 苹果 apple · 问题 question · 朋友 friend | - 我买了五个小苹果。I bought five small apples.HSK 1 · 买水果
- 那个人说汉语，我听不懂。That person speaks Chinese, but I can't understand him.HSK 1 · 我听不懂
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| 位wèi | People, politely (guests, teachers, customers) 老师 teacher · 客人 guest · 先生 gentleman | - 我说：“我们三位。”I said: "Three of us."HSK 2 · 几位
- 服务员在门口问我们：“你们几位？”The waiter asked us at the door: "How many of you?"HSK 2 · 几位
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| 口kǒu | Members of a family; also wells 我家有四口人 there are four people in my family | - 我家有四口人。There are four people in my family.HSK 1 · 我的家
- 我家有三口人：爸爸、妈妈和我。There are three people in my family: Dad, Mom, and me.HSK 1 · 三口人吃饭
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| 只zhī | Most animals; one of a pair (hands, eyes) 猫 cat · 狗 dog · 鸟 bird · 手 hand | - 今天，我和朋友走在公园里，看见一只小狗。Today, my friend and I are walking in the park, and see a little dog.HSK 2 · 我怕
- 朋友说：“别怕，这只小狗认识我，它很好。”Friend says: "Don't be afraid, this dog knows me, it's nice."HSK 2 · 我怕
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| 条tiáo | Long, thin, bending things 路 road · 河 river · 鱼 fish · 裤子 trousers · 裙子 skirt | - 我看见一条红色的裙子，非常漂亮。I saw a red skirt — it was really pretty.HSK 2 · 红色的裙子
- 妹妹笑着说：“下次你也给我买一条吧！”My sister laughed and said: "Next time buy one for me too!"HSK 2 · 红色的裙子
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| 张zhāng | Flat things with a surface 纸 paper · 桌子 table · 票 ticket · 照片 photo · 床 bed | - 教室里有二十张桌子和二十把椅子。There are twenty desks and twenty chairs in the classroom.HSK 2 · 教室里
- 我付了钱，工作人员给了我一张单子。I paid, and the staff member gave me a receipt slip.HSK 2 · 寄快递
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| 本běn | Books and anything bound 书 book · 杂志 magazine · 词典 dictionary | - 昨天我借了三本书，都非常有意思。Yesterday I borrowed three books, and they're all really interesting.HSK 2 · 图书馆
- 我最喜欢的是一本介绍咖啡的书。My favorite is a book about coffee.HSK 2 · 图书馆
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| 件jiàn | Clothing for the upper body; matters and events 衣服 clothes · 衬衫 shirt · 事 matter | - 明天是妈妈的生日，我想送她一件礼物。Tomorrow is my mom's birthday, and I want to give her a gift.HSK 2 · 送礼物
- 我还想买一件衣服，可是钱不多了。I still wanted to buy a piece of clothing, but I was running low on money.HSK 2 · 一个还是两个
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| 双shuāng | Pairs 鞋 shoes · 筷子 chopsticks · 袜子 socks | - 灯光下，他用一双手让影子在白布上唱歌、跳舞，观众看得入迷。Under the lamplight, with just a pair of hands he made the shadows sing and dance on a white cloth, and the audience watched, entranced.HSK 5 · 非物质文化遗产
- 老板是甘肃人，二十年前来到这个城市，靠一双手把两个孩子养大了。The owner is from Gansu; he came to this city twenty years ago and raised two children with his own two hands.HSK 5 · 一碗兰州拉面
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| 辆liàng | Vehicles with wheels 车 car · 自行车 bicycle · 公共汽车 bus | - 突然，一辆自行车骑得很快，离我很近。Suddenly, a bicycle came riding very fast, very close to me.HSK 3 · 小心
- 我觉得他说得对，就买了一辆新自行车。I thought he was right, so I bought a new bicycle.HSK 3 · 骑自行车
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| 杯bēi | A cup or glass of something 茶 tea · 咖啡 coffee · 水 water | - 我们还要了两杯茶。We also ordered two cups of tea.HSK 2 · 点菜
- 我买了一杯咖啡，坐在那儿等他。I bought a cup of coffee and sat there waiting for him.HSK 2 · 去机场
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| 瓶píng | A bottle of something 水 water · 啤酒 beer · 牛奶 milk | - 还有，手机没电的时候，你连一瓶水都买不了。And when your phone runs out of battery, you can't even buy a bottle of water.HSK 4 · 无现金社会
- 让我坚持下来的不是决心，而是路边一个陌生人递过来的半瓶水。What kept me going was not determination, but half a bottle of water handed to me by a stranger at the roadside.HSK 5 · 马拉松热
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| 碗wǎn | A bowl of something 米饭 rice · 面条 noodles · 汤 soup | - 服务员问我们要几碗，我说要两碗。The server asked how many bowls we wanted; I said two bowls.HSK 2 · 再来一个
- 我还饿，对服务员说：“再来一碗！”I was still hungry, and said to the server: "One more bowl!"HSK 2 · 再来一个
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| 块kuài | Pieces and chunks; also yuan in spoken money 蛋糕 cake · 手表 watch · 十块钱 ten yuan | - 这块手表每天慢五分钟。The watch runs five minutes slow every day.HSK 2 · 手表和时间
- 后来，我买了一杯咖啡和一块蛋糕。This time, I bought a cup of coffee and a piece of cake.HSK 2 · 一个还是两个
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| 家jiā | Shops, companies, restaurants, hospitals 商店 shop · 公司 company · 饭馆 restaurant | - 公司旁边有一家小饭馆，那儿的菜很有名。Next to the company there's a small restaurant, and its dishes are famous.HSK 2 · 和同事吃午饭
- 我问他：“你最近怎么样？还在那家公司工作吗？”I asked him: "How have you been? Are you still working at that company?"HSK 3 · 好久不见
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| 把bǎ | Things you hold by a handle 椅子 chair · 伞 umbrella · 刀 knife · 钥匙 key | - 教室里有二十张桌子和二十把椅子。There are twenty desks and twenty chairs in the classroom.HSK 2 · 教室里
- 超市的服务员说：“有，这把三十块钱。”The supermarket clerk says: "Yes, this one is thirty yuan."HSK 2 · 有没有
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| 台tái | Machines and appliances 电脑 computer · 电视 TV · 空调 air conditioner | - 我们家买了一台新电脑。Our family bought a new computer.
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| 部bù | Films, phones, works in several parts 电影 film · 手机 phone · 小说 novel | - 上个周末，我看了一部美食纪录片，里面有一个镜头让我特别难忘。Last weekend I watched a food documentary, and there was one shot in it that left me especially unforgettable.HSK 5 · 美食纪录片
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| 座zuò | Large, fixed things: mountains, buildings, bridges, cities 山 mountain · 楼 building · 桥 bridge · 城市 city | - 我觉得，夜市代表的不只是美食，而是一座城市晚上的性格。I think what a night market represents is not just delicious food, but the character of a city at night.HSK 4 · 夜市文化
- 在北京的中心，有一座世界上最大的宫殿建筑群，它就是故宫。In the center of Beijing stands the largest palace complex in the world: the Forbidden City.HSK 5 · 故宫的故事
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| 棵kē | Trees and plants 树 tree · 草 grass | - 村口那棵老树还在，树下下棋的老人却换了一批。The old tree at the village entrance is still there, but the old folks playing chess under it are a different group now.HSK 5 · 家乡的变化
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| 支zhī | Stick-shaped things; teams and songs 笔 pen · 铅笔 pencil · 球队 team | - 一支笔、一张纸，就能让人放下手机，享受一段安静的时间。Just one brush and one sheet of paper can make a person put down the phone and enjoy a stretch of quiet time.HSK 5 · 写字的艺术
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| 份fèn | Portions, copies and jobs 工作 job · 报纸 newspaper · 礼物 gift · 套餐 set meal | - 一杯奶茶差不多二十块，比一份午饭还贵。One cup of milk tea costs about twenty yuan, even more expensive than a lunch.HSK 4 · 奶茶经济
- 人工智能确实比我快：我写一份总结要两个小时，它两分钟就能写完。The AI really is faster than me: it takes me two hours to write a summary, and it can finish one in two minutes.HSK 5 · 人工智能与工作
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| 顿dùn | Meals (and scoldings) 饭 meal | - 这顿午饭很简单，但是我们都很开心。This lunch was simple, but we were both very happy.HSK 2 · 和同事吃午饭
- 我觉得，外卖可以点，但是周末最好自己做一顿饭。I think it's fine to order delivery, but on weekends it's best to cook a meal yourself.HSK 4 · 外卖时代
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| 场chǎng | Events that take place: matches, shows, rain 比赛 match · 电影 film showing · 雨 rain | - 去年我生了一场病，在医院住了两个星期。Last year I fell ill and stayed in the hospital for two weeks.HSK 5 · 幸福是什么
- 长大以后，幸福好像变成了一场比赛：更好的工作、更大的房子、更贵的车。After growing up, happiness seemed to turn into a competition: a better job, a bigger house, a more expensive car.HSK 5 · 幸福是什么
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| 首shǒu | Songs and poems 歌 song · 诗 poem | - 《全唐诗》里保存了将近五万首诗，作者超过两千人。The Complete Tang Poems preserves nearly fifty thousand poems, by more than two thousand authors.HSK 5 · 唐诗之美
- 今天，中国孩子上学后背的第一首诗，往往还是唐诗。Today, the first poem Chinese children memorize after starting school is still usually a Tang poem.HSK 5 · 唐诗之美
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| 句jù | Sentences and lines 话 words · 诗 line of a poem | - 很多人能力不错，却因为太紧张，面试的时候一句话也说不好。Many people are quite capable, yet because they get too nervous, they can't get a single sentence out well in the interview.HSK 4 · 面试技巧
- 主播的声音又快又激动，常常一句“最后三分钟”就让很多人马上下单。The host's voice is fast and excited, and often just one line — "last three minutes" — makes many people place an order right away.HSK 4 · 直播带货
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| 道dào | Dishes of food; exam questions 菜 dish · 题 question | - 我觉得，只要大家互相理解，广场舞完全可以成为城市里一道温暖的风景。I think, as long as everyone understands each other, plaza dancing can completely become a warm scene in the city.HSK 4 · 广场舞
- 他先做了一道鱼香肉丝，奇怪的是，这道菜里根本没有鱼，却有淡淡的鱼香。He first made a dish of fish-fragrant shredded pork; strangely, this dish had no fish in it at all, yet had a faint fish-fragrant taste.HSK 5 · 川菜的哲学
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| 篇piān | Articles and essays 文章 article · 作文 essay | - 与其怪软件，不如问问自己：上次认真读一篇不同意见的文章，是什么时候？Rather than blaming the app, we might as well ask ourselves: when was the last time we carefully read an article we disagreed with?HSK 5 · 信息茧房
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| 封fēng | Letters and emails 信 letter · 邮件 email | |
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| 套tào | Sets and suites 房子 flat · 衣服 outfit · 书 set of books | - 也有人主张彻底抛弃这套传统，全面照搬有话直说的沟通方式。Others argue for dumping the whole tradition and importing a blunt, say-what-you-think style of communication instead.HSK 6 · 儒家与现代职场
- 传统未必是束缚，它更像一套需要不断被重新翻译的语言。Tradition is not necessarily a constraint; it is more like a language that has to be translated afresh again and again.HSK 6 · 儒家与现代职场
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| 盒hé | A box of something 饼干 biscuits · 牛奶 carton of milk | - 我买了两盒月饼，一盒给汉语老师，一盒给楼下的邻居。I bought two boxes of mooncakes — one for my Chinese teacher, and one for the neighbor downstairs.HSK 3 · 送月饼
- 服务员给我拿了一盒药，说：“一天吃三次，一次两个。”The clerk handed me a box of medicine and said: "Take it three times a day, two pills each time."HSK 3 · 在药店
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| 节jié | Class periods; sections 课 class | - 上个月回老家，我给妈妈上了三节手机课。Last month I went back to my hometown and gave my mom three smartphone lessons.HSK 5 · 妈妈的手机课
- 说实话，前两节我讲得太快，心里也没什么耐心。To be honest, in the first two lessons I explained things too fast, and inside I did not have much patience either.HSK 5 · 妈妈的手机课
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| 层céng | Floors and layers 楼 floor of a building | |
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| 种zhǒng | Kinds, types 水果 fruit · 方法 method · 感觉 feeling | - 老子所说的“自然”，并不是山川草木，而是事物“本来如此”的那种状态。The "nature" Laozi speaks of is by no means mountains, rivers, grass and trees, but rather the state of things being just as they originally are.HSK 6 · 道法自然
- 中国茶有很多种，绿茶、红茶都很有名。There are many kinds of Chinese tea; green tea and black tea are both very famous.HSK 3 · 茶文化
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| 些xiē | Some, a few (no number before it except 一) 一些人 some people · 这些书 these books | - 这些细节，教科书里找不到，却恰恰是历史最鲜活的部分。These details cannot be found in any textbook, yet they are precisely the most vivid part of history.HSK 6 · 历史的温度
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| 次cì | Verbal: the number of times something happens 去过两次 have been twice | - 放松一点儿，把面试当成一次聊天，你会做得更好。Relax a little, treat the interview as a chat, and you will do even better.HSK 4 · 面试技巧
- 上个月我们开始每个星期去游两次。Last month we started going swimming twice every week.HSK 2 · 游泳
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| 遍biàn | Verbal: times through, start to finish 再说一遍 say it once more | - 我忽然想起小时候，她教我写字，一个字教几十遍也从来没有生过气。I suddenly remembered my childhood: she taught me to write, repeating a single character dozens of times, and never once lost her temper.HSK 5 · 妈妈的手机课
- 她记不住步骤，同一个问题问了四五遍，我的语气一硬，她就不敢再问了。She could not remember the steps and asked the same question four or five times; the moment my tone turned hard, she no longer dared to ask.HSK 5 · 妈妈的手机课
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| 群qún | Groups and crowds 人 people · 学生 students · 羊 sheep | - 每天晚上，公园里都会准时响起熟悉的音乐，一群阿姨跳起了广场舞。Every evening, familiar music starts playing right on time in the park, and a group of aunties begin dancing plaza dance.HSK 4 · 广场舞
- 晚上十点，同事还在群里发消息，你回不回？At ten in the evening, colleagues are still sending messages in the group chat — do you reply or not?HSK 5 · 远程办公
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Chinese Measure Words: Why 哪书 Is Wrong (and 哪本书 Is Right) | Learn Mandarin
Chinese Measure Word 台: Computers, TVs, Phones & Cars (台 vs 部 vs 辆)