本, 家, 口, 件, 只 and 杯: Measure Words Beyond 个
Count books with 本, shops with 家, family members with 口, clothes with 件, animals with 只, pieces with 块, money with 元, and drinks with the borrowed measure word 杯.
文型
number / 这 / 那 / 几 + measure word + noun
Many nouns have their own measure word: 一本书, 一家店, 一件衣服, 一只猫; a container such as 杯 can also count what is inside it: 一杯水.
我家有四口人，还有一只猫。
When to use 本, 家, 口, 件, 只 and 杯: Measure Words Beyond 个
Between a number (or 这, 那, 几) and a noun, Chinese needs a measure word. 个 is the all-purpose one, but many everyday nouns have their own: 本 for books and notebooks, 家 for shops, restaurants and companies, 口 for counting the people in a family, 件 for clothes and for matters (事), 只 for animals, 块 for pieces, and 元 for yuan in writing. A container can also work as a measure word: 杯 comes from 杯子 (cup), so 一杯水 is “a glass of water.”
我买了两本书。
本を二冊買いました。
我家有三口人。
There are three people in my family.
这件衣服很漂亮。
この服はとてもきれいです。
请给我一杯茶。
Please give me a cup of tea.
よくある間違い
- Use 口 only when counting the people in a family; a class or group uses 个.
- 杯子 is the cup itself (一个杯子); 杯 counts the drink (一杯水).
- Don’t put the number right before the noun: 两本书, not 两书.
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