HSK 1
Chinese Measure Words in Chinese
Every counted noun in Chinese needs a measure word. 个 is the general default, but many nouns require a specific one: 台 for machines, 本 for books, 张 for flat objects, 条 for long thin things.
STRUCTURE
Number + Measure Word + Noun (个/本/张/条)
When to use 个 — and when not
Use it when
- Counting people and many general nouns: 三个人, 一个问题。
- After 这 / 那 / 几 when a noun follows: 这个人, 几个苹果?
- As a spoken fallback when you genuinely don't know the specific measure word yet.
Don't use it when
- Nouns with a dedicated measure word: 本 for books, 台 for machines, 张 for flat things, 条 for long thin things, 杯 for cups, 件 for clothes.
- Never drop the measure word between a number and a noun: 三书 is wrong, 三本书 is right.
- Don't stack two measure words: 一个本书 doubles up — pick one.
Right vs. wrong
我有两个电脑。
我有两台电脑。
个 used where a specific measure word is required
个 is only the fallback. When a noun has its own measure word, native ears and exam graders expect it — 电脑 is a machine, so it takes 台.
我买了三书。
我买了三本书。
Measure word omitted entirely
A Chinese number can never touch the noun directly. Every counted noun needs its measure word slot filled: 三本书, never 三书.
Examples
我有两台电脑。
Wǒ yǒu liǎng tái diànnǎo.
I have two computers.
他借了一本书。
Tā jiè le yì běn shū.
He borrowed a book.
桌上有一张纸。
Zhuō shàng yǒu yì zhāng zhǐ.
There is a sheet of paper on the table.
我们班有二十个学生。
Wǒmen bān yǒu èrshí gè xuéshēng.
There are twenty students in our class.
Common mistakes
我有两个电脑。
Wǒ yǒu liǎng gè diànnǎo.
Computers take 台. 个 is understood but marked wrong in exams and sounds non-native.
一个书
yí gè shū
Books take 本.
一个衣服
yí gè yīfu
Clothes take 件: 一件衣服。
Think you've got it?
Write your own 个 sentence and check that grammar point first.
Chinese Measure Words FAQ
Can I just use 个 for everything?
You'll usually be understood, but it's marked wrong in exams and sounds non-native whenever the noun has its own measure word — 本 for books, 张 for paper, 台 for machines.
Do I need a measure word after 这 and 那?
Yes, whenever a noun follows: 这个人, 那本书. The measure word sits between the demonstrative and the noun, exactly as it does after a number.
Which measure words should I learn first?
Start with the handful you'll meet constantly at HSK 1–2: 个, 本, 张, 条, 杯, 件 and 台. They cover most everyday nouns.