Chinese grammar / 23 topics
Numbers, quantities and classifiers in Chinese grammar
Learn Chinese numbers, quantities and classifiers through sentence patterns, rewritten explanations, pinyin and English examples. Browse 23 grammar topics.
个 ge
Count people and things with 个
Put 个 between a number and the noun you are counting. Some nouns need a different classifier.
每…都… měi… dōu…
Say “every” with 每…都…
Describe something that applies to every person, every item, or every occasion in a group.
岁 suì
Talking About Age in Chinese with 岁 (Suì)
Learn how 岁 expresses age in Chinese, why 是 and 个 are usually omitted, and where 半 goes when giving an age in half years.
年、月、日、号 nián yuè rì hào
Chinese Dates: Year, Month and Day with 年、月、日
Read Chinese dates in year–month–day order and understand when spoken 号 and written 日 identify the day of the month.
星期 xīngqī
Days of the Week in Chinese with 星期 (Xīngqī)
Learn Chinese weekday names with 星期, the special forms for Sunday, and how to combine weekdays with mornings and evenings.
十、百、千、零 shí bǎi qiān líng
Chinese Numbers: Tens, Hundreds, Thousands and 零
Understand Chinese number order, the roles of 十、百、千 and 零, and the difference between whole numbers and digit sequences.
点、半 diǎn bàn
Telling Time in Chinese with 点 and 半
Learn to tell the hour and half hour in Chinese with 点 and 半, including 两点 and the placement of morning or evening.
都 dōu
Emphasizing Groups and Quantities with 都 (Dōu)
Use 都 after plural subjects such as 大家 or 很多人 to show that a description applies across the people or things being discussed.
三四 sān sì
Approximate Quantities with Adjacent Numbers in Chinese
Use adjacent numbers for rough Chinese quantities, including pairs before classifiers and shared units for approximate tens or hundreds.
万、亿 wàn yì
Large Chinese Numbers with 万 (Wàn) and 亿 (Yì)
Read large Chinese numbers using groups of four digits, understand 万 and 亿, and translate million and billion amounts into Chinese units.
分、刻、差 fēn kè chà
Chinese Clock Times with 分、刻 and 差
Tell precise times in Chinese using minutes and quarter hours, add 零 for early minutes, and understand expressions for minutes before an hour.
几 jǐ
Several and A Few with 几 (Jǐ) in Chinese
Use 几 for an unspecified small quantity, 好几 for “quite a few,” and combinations such as 几十 for larger approximate amounts.
元、块、角、毛 yuán kuài jiǎo máo
Chinese Money Amounts with 元、块、角 and 毛
Ask prices with 多少钱 and read Chinese currency amounts using formal 元 and 角 or everyday 块 and 毛, with units in descending order.
半 bàn
Half and One and a Half with 半 (Bàn)
Place 半 correctly with Chinese classifiers, distinguish half a unit from a unit and a half, and recognize direct time units such as 天 and 年.
量词 liàngcí
Chinese Measure Words for Counting Nouns
Build number + classifier + noun phrases in Chinese, choose classifiers suited to the item, and understand how different units change the quantity described.
这、那 zhè nà
This and That with Chinese Classifiers: 这 and 那
Use 这 or 那 before a suitable classifier and noun, and understand how an already clear noun may be omitted from the phrase.
第 dì
First, Second and Other Ordinals with 第 (Dì)
Make ordinal numbers with 第 before the number, add classifiers when needed, and recognize conventional numbered forms such as building floors.
就 jiù
Just and Only with 就 (Jiù) for Small Quantities
Use 就 to single out a person or limited quantity, distinguishing focus before a subject from restriction before a predicate or number phrase.
才 cái
Only a Small Amount with 才 (Cái) in Chinese
Use 才 before quantities or quantity-bearing actions to emphasize that an amount, age, price, or duration is smaller than expected.
个个、天天 gègè, tiāntiān
Reduplicated Chinese Measure Words: 个个, 天天, and Every
Understand how repeated measure words such as 个个 and 天天 express every member, every day, or every occurrence.
分之 fēn zhī
分之 (Fēn Zhī): Chinese Fractions and Percentages
Read and form Chinese fractions with the denominator first, and express percentages and proportions using 分之.
多 duō
多 (Duō) After Numbers: Saying More Than in Chinese
Learn where 多 goes in approximate quantities such as ages, prices, and durations when an amount exceeds a round number.
次、遍、下 cì, biàn, xià
次, 遍, and 下: Counting Actions in Chinese
Count occurrences, complete repetitions, and brief actions using the Chinese verbal measure words 次, 遍, and 下.