Learn Mandarin Chinese for free using self-paced audio-visual lessons and interactive practice exercises - CultureAlley - master conversations, grammar, vocabulary and more! In this lesson we will learn something that is peculiar to Mandarin alone - 'measure words'! Let's see what they mean and how they're used! In English, we often have words defining the type of object being discussed. For example, a 'loaf' of bread, a 'flock' of sheep, a 'glass' of water etc...Mandarin uses a similar part of speech called 'Measure words' that may refer to the number, shape, or specification of an object.To study this at your own pace, take quizzes and explore more lessons go to www.culturealley.com. See you at the Alley!

1. To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

2. Nǐ hǎo
Lesson 13 on Basic Mandarin!
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3. Revision - Occupations
English
Mandarin
Teacher
Lǎoshī
Lawyer
Lǜshī
Doctor
Yīsheng
Engineer
Gōng chéng shī
Manager
Jīng lǐ
Accountant
Kuài Jì
Housewife
Jiā tíng zhǔ fù
Retired
Tuì xiū le
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4. Revision
English
Mandarin
I am a doctor
Wǒ shì Yīsheng
She is a manager
Tā shì Jīng lǐ
He is an accountant
Tā shì kuài jì
I am retired
Wǒ shì tuì xiū le
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5. Revision
English
Mandarin
What does your father do?
Nǐ bàba zuò shénme gōngzuò
My father is a lawyer
Wǒ bàba shì lǜshī
What do you do?
Nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò
I am an engineer
Wǒ shì gōng chéng shī
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6. Revision
Speaker
English
Mandarin
Mark
How are you?
Nǐ hǎo ma?
Lisa
Not bad! How are you?
Bú cuò! Nǐ hǎo ma?
Mark
I am also very good!
Wǒ Yě hěn hǎo!
Lisa
This is my father
Tā shì wǒ bàba
Mark
What does your father do? Nǐ bàba zuò shénme gōng zuò?
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7. Revision
Speaker
Lisa
English
My father is a lawyer,and
you?
Mandarin
Wǒ bàba shì lǜshī,nǐ ne?
Mark
I am an engineer
Wǒ shì Gōng chéng shī
Lisa
What does your mother do?
Mark
My mother is a housewife
Wǒ māma shì jiā tíng zhǔ fù
Lisa
What do you do?
Nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò ?
Mark
I am a doctor
Wǒ shì Yīsheng
Lisa
Wonderful!
Taì hǎo le!
Nǐ māma zuò shénme gōng
zuò?
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8. Lesson objectives
1
Measure words
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9. What's in store today?
Today we will learn something that
is peculiar to Mandarin alonemeasure words!
Let’s see what they mean and
how they're used!
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

10. Measure word - Definition
In English, we often have words defining
the type of object being discussed
For example, a ‘loaf’ of bread, a ‘flock’
of sheep, a ‘glass’ of water etc…
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

11. Measure word - Definition
Mandarin uses a similar part of speech
called ‘Measure words’ that may
refer to the number, shape,
or specification of an object
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

12. Measure word - Definition
A vital point about Mandarin
measure words is that ‘every
noun requires a measure word’
While in English, we can say,
‘three goats’, in Mandarin we say
‘three ( measure word) goats’
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13. Measure word - Definition
There are more than hundred measure
words in Mandarin, today we will cover
a few relevant ones only!
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14. Measure words
Measure word for something flat
(bed, photo, paper)
Zhāng
Zhāng is pronounced with a high
level tone
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15. Measure words
Great! Now let’s learn how to say ‘One photo’!
Since we've already learnt that one = yí (mid
rising)
let’s see how do we say photo in Mandarin!
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16. Measure words
Photo
Zhào piàn
Both Zhào and piàn are pronounced
with a falling tone on 'a'
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17. Measure words
One photo
Yí zhāng zhào piàn
Literally : One (measure word) photo
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18. Measure words
Let’s take another example and see how to say
'One/ A piece of paper'
We already learnt that one = yí (mid rising)
Now let’s see how do we say one piece of
paper in Mandarin!
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19. Measure words
One piece of paper
Yì zhāng zhǐ
Paper = Zhǐ
It is pronounced using a
falling rising tone
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20. Measure words
Great! Now let’s learn how to say ‘One/a boy’!
Since we’ve already learnt that one = yí (mid
rising)
let’s see how do we say boy in Mandarin!
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21. Measure words
Boy
Nán háizi
Male = Nán
Kid/Child = Háizi
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22. Measure words
Measure word for people/ general things
Ge
Pronounced with a neutral tone,
when in doubt, use 'ge'
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23. Measure words
One boy
Yí ge nán háizi
One (measure word) boy
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24. Measure words
Let's now try ‘A schoolbag’!
Since we've already learnt that one = yí (mid
rising)
let’s see how do we say 'A schoolbag' in Mandarin!
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25. Measure words
A schoolbag
Yí ge shūbāo
book/letter = Shū
to hold/ wrap/ include = bāo
It is pronounced using high level tones
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26. Let's see if you remember…
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27. Pick the right option
How do we say ‘boy’ in Mandarin ?
1
2
3
Nán
háizi
Nán
sheng
Yí
háizi
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28. Solution
How do we say ‘boy’ in Mandarin ?
1
2
3
Nán
háizi
Nán
sheng
Yí
háizi
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29. Pick the right option
How do we say, ‘One photo’ in Mandarin?
1
2
3
Yí zhào
zhāng piàn
Yí zhāng
zhào piàn
Yí zhào
piàn zhāng
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30. Solution
How do we say, ‘One photo’ in Mandarin?
1
2
3
Yí zhào
zhāng piàn
Yí zhāng
zhào piàn
Yí zhào
piàn zhāng
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31. Moving on…
Measure words are also inserted
between a demonstrative pronoun,
(such as this, that) and a noun
Let’s learn how to say ‘this’ and
‘that’ in Mandarin!
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32. Measure words
This
Zhè
Zhè is pronounced with a
falling tone
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33. Measure words
That
Nà
Nà is pronounced with a
falling tone
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34. Measure words
Great! Now let’s say ‘This photo’!
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35. Measure words
This photo
Zhè zhāng zhào piàn
This (measure word) photo
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36. Measure words
Good! Now let’s say ‘That boy’!
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37. Measure words
That boy
Nà ge nán háizi
That (measure word) boy
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38. Grammar tip
Remember, that a demonstrative
and a noun always have a
measure word in between
Demonstrative | Measure word | Noun
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39. Measure words
Let's take a look at some more examples!
We will try and say
'This is a pen'
'This is not a pencil'
'That is not a dictionary'
'That is a book'
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40. Measure words
Measure word for stick like objects
(pen, chopsticks)
Zhī
Zhī is pronounced using
a high level tone
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41. Measure words
This is a pen
Zhè shì zhī bǐ
Pen = Bǐ
bǐ is pronounced using a
falling rising tone
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42. Measure words
This is not a pencil
Zhè bú shì zhī qiānbǐ
Pencil = Qiānbǐ
qiānbǐ is pronounced with a high level
tone on 'a' and a falling rising tone on 'i'
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43. Measure words
Measure word for 'volume'
(any bound print or written matter)
Běn
Běn is pronounced with a
falling rising tone
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44. Measure words
That is not a dictionary
Nà bú shì běn zìdiǎn
Dictionary = Zìdiǎn
Zìdiǎn is pronounced with a falling tone
on 'i' and a falling rising tone on 'a'
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45. Measure words
That is a book
Nà shì běn shū
Book = Shū
Shū is pronounced with a high level tone
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46. Let’s see if you remember…
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47. Pick the right option
How do you say ‘this’ in Mandarin?
1
2
Yí
Zhè
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48. Solution
How do you say ‘this’ in Mandarin?
1
2
Yí
Zhè
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49. Pick the right option
How do we say ‘that boy’ in Mandarin?
1
2
3
Nà ge
nán háizi
Ge nà
nán háizi
Wǒ ge
nán háizi
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50. Solution
How do we say ‘that boy’ in Mandarin?
1
2
3
Nà ge
nán háizi
Ge nà
nán háizi
Wǒ ge
nán háizi
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51. Pick the right option
What does ‘Yí’ mean?
1
2
3
Boy
Measure
word
One
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52. Solution
What does ‘Yí’ mean?
1
2
3
Boy
Measure
word
One
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53. Revision - Measure words
English
Mandarin
Measure word for flat objects
Zhāng
Measure word for people/general
Ge
This
Zhè
That
Nà
Measure word for 'stick like objects'
Zhī
Measure word for 'volume'
Běn
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54. Revision
English
Mandarin
One photo
Yí zhāng zhào piàn
A piece of paper
Yì zhāng zhǐ
One boy
Yí ge nán háizi
A schoolbag
Yí ge shūbāo
This photo
Zhè zhāng zhào piàn
That boy
Nà ge nán háizi
This is a pen
Zhè shì zhī bǐ
This is not a pencil
Zhè bú shì zhī qiānbǐ
That is not a dictionary
Nà bú shì běn zìdiǎn
That is a book
Nà shì běn shū
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55. Culture leaf
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56. Culture leaf
The dragon boat festival, or Duānwǔ, is celebrated
between late May and early June every year
It is to commemorate the death of an ancient poet,
Qu Yuan, who lived 2000 year ago
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57. Culture leaf
His advice to the king of Chu, was to hire honest
people, rather than his favourites; and for this he
was banished from the kingdom
On hearing later that the kingdom fell, he threw
himself into the Miluo river and drowned to death
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58. Culture leaf
The people of Chu, threw bamboo shafts full
of rice into the river, so that the fish
would eat rice and not his body
Till day, people throw rice dumplings
into the river to revisit the sacrifice
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59. Culture leaf
Today the day is also celebrated by ‘dragonboat’ races to commemorate the poet
Many weeks are spent creating elaborate
dragon boats which are similar to canoes
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60. What's next?
In the next lesson we will learn
question formation and negations!
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61. Credits
Content
Team CultureAlley, Sunny Dang
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duanwu_Festival
Images
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dragon_Boat_Fest
al_in_Haiwei,_Ronggui,_2011.jpg
Caiguanhao
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62. See you at the Alley!
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