How to use 次、遍、下
Verb + Number + Measure Word
Verbal measure words count actions rather than objects. Put a number and the appropriate action classifier after the verb, with any aspect marker in its required position. 次 counts occurrences without specifying how thoroughly each action is carried out. 遍 instead counts a complete run through material or an activity, from its beginning to its end.
下 commonly counts individual brief movements, contacts, or attempts. Choosing among these words changes how the listener views the event, so they are not always interchangeable. Object placement varies with the kind of object and verb phrase; the object may already be established as the topic. Focus first on whether you mean occurrences, complete repetitions, or short discrete actions.
Examples with pinyin and English
再说一遍。
Say it again.
你能再读一遍吗？
Could you please read it again?
这个电影我看过两遍。
I've seen this movie twice.
这个故事我听她说过一百多遍了。
I've heard her tell this story more than one hundred times.
我们去过两次。
We've been there twice.
他轻轻地拍了我两下。
He lightly patted me twice.
What to remember
- 次 counts occurrences.
- 遍 counts complete repetitions.
- 下 often counts brief discrete actions.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.