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Mythic Mandarin

Two tickets, a pair of shoes: measure words

HSK 2 Unit 4: Travel and transport · Lesson 4 of 5 · About 17 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can choose the right measure word for flat things, pairs, long things, animals, vehicles and people you respect.

Warm-up: do you remember?

Two quick questions from earlier lessons. Recalling before you learn makes the new material stick.

  1. Meaning

    What does 离 mean?

    1. maybe, possible
    2. of course
    3. from (distance)
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, from (distance).

    离 (lí) means from (distance).

  2. Characters

    Which word means “from (distance)”?

    1. 旧
    2. 离
    3. 对
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 离.

    “from (distance)” is 离 (lí).

  3. Listening

    From an earlier unit. Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    眼睛 yǎnjing

    1. to dance
    2. eye
    3. about the same, almost
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, eye.

    You heard 眼睛 (yǎnjing): eye.

New words

  • 张zhāng(for flat things: tickets, tables, paper)
  • 双shuāngpair
  • 条tiáo(for long, thin things: fish, roads)
  • 只zhī(for some animals)
  • 辆liàng(for vehicles)
  • 位wèi(for people, polite)
  • 鞋xiéshoe
  • 鱼yúfish

Choosing a measure word

The measure word depends on the shape or type of the thing. When you are not sure, 个 is understood, but these are what people really say.

Measure words
Measure wordExamples
张 zhāng (flat)两张票、一张桌子
双 shuāng (pair)一双鞋
条 tiáo (long)一条鱼、一条路
只 zhī (animals)一只狗
辆 liàng (vehicles)一辆车、一辆自行车
位 wèi (polite, people)三位老师

  • 我买了两张电影票。

    Wǒ mǎi le liǎng zhāng diànyǐng piào.

    I bought two cinema tickets.

  • 我家有一只狗。

    Wǒ jiā yǒu yì zhī gǒu.

    We have a dog.

  • Not: 一个狗

    But: 一只狗 Yì zhī gǒu

    Dogs take 只; you will also hear 一条狗.

Characters

  • 双 = 又
  • 位 = 人

Open a character to see how it is written, stroke by stroke, with its meanings and words.

Plans for the evening

Liu Fang and Xiaoyu meet after work.

Listen first

Play the whole conversation and answer the questions before you open the transcript.

  1. Listening

    Listen first. How many pairs of shoes did Liu Fang buy?

    1. one
    2. two
    3. three
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, two.

    我买了两双: two pairs.

  2. Listening

    What did Xiaoyu buy?

    1. shoes
    2. a bicycle
    3. cinema tickets
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, a bicycle.

    我买了一辆新自行车.

Show the transcript
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 刘芳

    小雨Xiǎoyǔ，你nǐ看kàn我wǒ的de新xīn鞋xié！我Wǒ买mǎi了le两liǎng双shuāng。

    Xiaoyu, look at my new shoes! I bought two pairs.

  2. 小雨

    真Zhēn漂亮piàoliang！我Wǒ买mǎi了le一yí辆liàng新xīn自行车zìxíngchē。

    They're lovely! I bought a new bike.

  3. 刘芳

    今天Jīntiān晚上wǎnshang你nǐ有yǒu空kòng吗ma？我Wǒ买mǎi了le两liǎng张zhāng电影diànyǐng票piào。

    Are you free this evening? I bought two cinema tickets.

  4. 小雨

    好Hǎo！电影Diànyǐng以后yǐhòu我wǒ请qǐng你nǐ吃饭chīfàn。

    Great! After the film I'll treat you to dinner.

  5. 刘芳

    太Tài好hǎo了le，我wǒ想xiǎng吃chī鱼yú！

    Wonderful, I'd like fish!

  6. 小雨

    我Wǒ知道zhīdào一yí个gè饭店fàndiàn，那儿nàr的de鱼yú很hěn好吃hǎochī。

    I know a restaurant where the fish is delicious.

Speak: listen, record, compare

Listen to each model, record yourself, then play both and compare: the rhythm, the tones, the vowels. No automatic score: your ear is the judge.

  • 小雨，你看我的新鞋！我买了两双。

    Xiǎoyǔ, nǐ kàn wǒ de xīn xié! Wǒ mǎi le liǎng shuāng.

    Xiaoyu, look at my new shoes! I bought two pairs.

  • 太好了，我想吃鱼！

    Tài hǎo le, wǒ xiǎng chī yú!

    Wonderful, I'd like fish!

  • 真漂亮！我买了一辆新自行车。

    Zhēn piàoliang! Wǒ mǎi le yí liàng xīn zìxíngchē.

    They're lovely! I bought a new bike.

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 张 mean?

    1. about the same, almost
    2. (for flat things: tickets, tables, paper)
    3. hundred
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, (for flat things: tickets, tables, paper).

    张 (zhāng) means (for flat things: tickets, tables, paper).

  2. Characters

    Which word means “pair”?

    1. 位
    2. 双
    3. 门
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 双.

    “pair” is 双 (shuāng).

  3. Pinyin

    How do you read 条 ((for long, thin things: fish, roads))?

    1. tiáo
    2. tiǎo
    3. tiào
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, tiáo.

    条 is read tiáo. Check the tone mark on every syllable.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    只 zhī

    1. (for some animals)
    2. to walk, to go
    3. to help, to do a favour
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, (for some animals).

    You heard 只 (zhī): (for some animals).

  5. Pinyin

    Type the pinyin of 辆 ((for vehicles)). Tone marks or tone numbers are welcome.

    Show the answer

    Answer: liàng

    辆 is liàng in pinyin.

  6. Grammar

    Which is right for a dog?

    1. 一个狗
    2. 一只狗
    3. 一张狗
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 一只狗.

    一只狗: dogs take 只 (一条狗 is also common).

  7. Fill the gap

    Complete: two cinema tickets

    两＿＿电影票

    1. 张
    2. 本
    3. 条
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 张.

    两张电影票: flat things take 张.

  8. In context

    You are introducing three teachers politely. What do you say?

    1. 三位老师
    2. 三个老师
    3. 三只老师
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 三位老师.

    三位老师: 位 is the polite measure word for people.

  9. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for a pair of shoes

    Show the answer

    Answer: 一双鞋

    一双鞋: 双 for pairs.

Count your things

Count things at home out loud, with the right measure word for each.

  1. Tickets, paper or tables with 张.
  2. Shoes with 双.
  3. A pet with 只, a vehicle with 辆.

Sentence frames

  • 我有＿＿双鞋。

    Wǒ yǒu ＿＿ shuāng xié.

    I have ... pairs of shoes.

Record your attempt (three and a half minutes at most) and listen back:

Review and finish

Can you do this? If a line feels shaky, go back to that part before you move on.

  • I choose 张, 双, 条, 只, 辆 and 位 correctly.
  • I know 个 is understood when I'm not sure.

Review works best spaced out: answer these exercises again tomorrow, then after a few days. Your progress is saved in this browser.

Completing records that you finished the lesson. Mastery is separate: it grows as reviews bring the exercises back and you answer them correctly.

Next lesson: About to leave: 要…了 and 快…了