Number + measure word + noun
You cannot count a Chinese noun directly. A measure word must sit between the number (or 这/那) and the noun; 个 is the default.
Structure
数词／这·那 + 量词 + 名词
Explanation
Chinese words in this text can be activated to show a dictionary gloss.
Chinese never says “three apple” or “three apples” — it says “three units-of apple”: . The little word between the number and the noun is the measure word (), and every countable noun has one. (ge) is the general-purpose measure word and covers people, apples, questions and much else, so when you are stuck, is the safe guess. Many nouns prefer their own: for books, for flat things (tables, tickets, paper), for garments and matters, for cups of a drink, for family members. The same slot is used after and : , — never . One irregularity to fix early: “two” before a measure word is , not — , , while is used in counting and in numbers like .
Correct
Say each one out loud before moving on. The audio is a reference pronunciation, not a model to imitate exactly — match the tone contour, not the voice.
我要三个苹果。我要三個蘋果。
Wǒ (third tone, dipping) yào (fourth tone, falling) sān (first tone, high and level) ge (neutral tone) píngguǒ. (second tone, rising)···
I’d like three apples.
这本书很有意思。這本書很有意思。
Zhè (fourth tone, falling) běn (third tone, dipping) shū (first tone, high and level) hěn (third tone, dipping) yǒu (third tone, dipping) yìsi. (fourth tone, falling)···
This book is really interesting.
我有两个孩子。我有兩個孩子。
Wǒ (third tone, dipping) yǒu (third tone, dipping) liǎng (third tone, dipping) ge (neutral tone) háizi. (second tone, rising)···
I have two children.
Incorrect — Common mistakes
These sentences are wrong. They are printed here on purpose, each one paired with the repair and the reason, because the error you can recognise is the error you stop making.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 我要三苹果。
Correct
Correct sentence: 我要三个苹果。
Why: A number can never touch the noun directly. The measure word 个 has to go between them.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 我有二个哥哥。
Correct
Correct sentence: 我有两个哥哥。
Why: Before a measure word, “two” is 两, not 二. Keep 二 for counting aloud and for numbers such as 十二.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 我买了一个书。
Correct
Correct sentence: 我买了一本书。
Why: 个 is the default, but books take 本. Learning the noun together with its measure word saves relearning later.
Compared with
Most errors with this pattern are not errors about this pattern — they are a neighbouring pattern arriving at the wrong moment. Read these side by side.
几 behaves exactly like a number, so it keeps the measure word: 几个人, 几本书. 多少 replaces the whole quantity expression and may drop it: 多少人 is fine. Learners who have just met measure words often over-apply them and produce 多少个钱 instead of the ordinary 多少钱.
Question words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿, 几, 多少 →Mini quiz
Question 1 / 3Total score: 0
Choose the correct measure word.
我买了三 ___ 书。