1. What is a classifier?
A classifier is used together with a numeral to indicate in what unit a noun or an action is measured. Different classifiers have different usage and should be matched with different kinds of objects or actions that fit their meanings. So, we should learn the usage of every classifiers by heart.
1.1. Nominal classifiers
A nominal classifier is used for measuring something referred to by a noun. The examples of nominal classifiers and their major usage are as follows:
把 for objects that can be held, e.g. 一把刀(a knife)
班 for scheduled services, e.g. 这班车(this train)
包 for packages, bundles, e.g. 一包烟(a box of cigarettes)
杯 for glass cup, e.g. 一杯水(a cup of water)
本 for bound print matter, e.g. 一本书(a book)
笔 for large quantities of money, e.g. 一笔钱(a sum of money)
部 for novels, movies, e.g. 一部电影(a film)
册 for books, e.g. 一册书(a book)
层 for stories of buildings, layers, e.g. 第三层楼(the third floor)
场 for public spectacles, e.g. 一场戏(a drama)
尺 a unit of length, e.g. 一尺布(a chi of cloth)
次 for opportunities, accidents, e.g. 一次事故(an accident)
顶 for objects with protruding top, e.g. 一顶帽子 (a hat)
段 for adjoining lengths, e.g. 一段路(a section of road)
对 pair, couple, e.g. 一对夫妻(a married couple)
吨 a unit of weight, e.g. 一吨钢(a ton of steel)
顿 for meals, e.g. 一顿饭(a meal)
朵 for flowers, clouds, e.g. 一朵花(a flower)
封 for letters, mails, e.g. 一封信(a letter)
服 for medical entities, e.g. 一服药(a dose of medicine)
个 the most common of all classifiers used for people, for individual objects, for countries and regions; for abstract nouns, for many things that are not easily categorized, e.g. 一个人 (a man)
家 gathering of people, e.g. 一家人(a family)
架 for airplanes, pianos, e.g. 一架飞机(am airplane)
间 for rooms, e.g. 一间屋子(a room)
件 for things, clothing, etc., e.g. 一件衣服 (an article of clothes)
斤 a unit of weight, e.g. 一斤米(a jin of rice)
句 for lines, sentences, etc., e.g. 一句话(a sentence)
棵 for trees, e.g. 一棵树(a tree)
口 for people in family, e.g. 五口人(five persons)
块 for objects which may be divided into pieces, e.g. 一块石头(a stone)
辆 for vehicles, bicycles, etc., e.g. 一辆汽车(a car)
门 for objects pertaining to academic, e.g. 一门课(a course)
米 a unit of length, e.g. 一米电线(a meter of wire)
面 for flat and smooth objects, e.g. 一面旗帜(a flag)
名 for high-ranking persons, e.g. 一名医生(a doctor)
排 for objects grouped in rows, e.g. 一排椅子(a row of chairs)
批 for people, goods, etc., e.g. 一批货物(a batch of goods)
匹 for horses, etc., e.g. 一匹马(a horse)
片 for flat objects, slice, etc., e.g. 一片云(a cloud)
篇 for articles, e.g. 一篇文章(an article)
群 group or herd, e.g. 一群牛(a group of cows)
首 for songs, poems, music, etc., e.g. 一首歌(a song)
束 bunch, e.g. 一束花(a bunch of flower)
双 for objects which come in pair, e.g. 一双鞋(a pair of shoes)
所 for buildings, e.g. 这所房子(this house)
台 for heavy objects, e.g. 一台电脑(a computer)
堂 for periods of class, e.g. 一堂课(a period of class)
条 for long and narrow objects, e.g. 一条鱼(a fish)
头 for certain animals, e.g. 一头牛(a head of cow)
位 polite classifier for people, e.g. 一位客人(a guest)
些 for objects, e.g. 一些水果(some fruits)
张 for flat objects, e.g. 一张纸(a sheet of paper)
支 for stick-like objects, music, e.g. 一支笔(a pen)
只 one of a pair, for animals, boat, e.g. 一只鸟(a bird)
种 type or kind of objects, e.g. 一种药(a kind of drug)
1.2. Verbal classifiers
A verbal classifier is used for measuring an action referred to by a verb. The examples of verbal classifiers and their major usage are as follows:
遍 for actions from beginning to end, e.g. 这部影片我看过两遍了。(I have seen the film twice)
场 for lengths of an event taking place within another event, e.g. 这戏已演了十多场。(This play has had a run of over ten performances)
次 for actions, e.g. 把这房子粉刷两次。(paint the house twice over)
顿 for actions without repeat, e.g. 他训了我一顿。(He beat my head off)
回 for actions, e.g. 我去过她家两回。(I’ve been to her home twice)
声 for cries or shouts, etc., e.g. 她喊了一声。(She made a cry)
趟 for trips, visits, etc., e.g. 他打算到天津去一趟。(He plans to make a trip to Tianjin)
下 for brief and often sudden actions, e.g. 敲了两下们(give a couple of knocks on the door)
些 for degree of an action, e.g. 简单些(a little simpler)
2. What is noteworthy about Chinese classifiers
2.1. The universalized use of classifiers in Chinese
As exampled above, there are some nouns in English that can be used to quantify something as in Chinese (a cup of water = 一杯水). However, if a noun is countable by itself, we need not employing any word denoting its unit, e.g. “a book”, “two students”....
Unlike quantifying nouns in English, Chinese classifiers are universally used before nearly all nouns and all action verbs quantified by a numeral. That is to say, a numeral can't be used to express the number of a noun unless it works together with a classifier that fits the meaning of the noun.
With the exception of minor words loaned from the nouns (like “杯”, “头”, “笔”), a classifier is only used together with a numeral to form a numeral-classifier phrase in a sentence. In ordinary cases, a classifier can't be used alone, and therefore, can't be mistaken as a noun.
2.2. The reduplicated form of classifiers: “AA”
Most classifiers may be reduplicated to show plurality. In this case, AA means every A, e.g.
阵阵秋雨 (spatters of autumn rain)
他们个个都是好样的。(Each and every one of them has poved his mettle.)
件件衣服都很漂亮。(All of these suits of clothes are beautiful.)
这里条条道路都通北京。(Every road here leads to Beijing.)
2.3. Rhetorical functions
As a notable feature of Chinese language, classifiers is very expressive in use. They function not only for quantifying something, but also in rhetorical ways, including:
1) Showing plurality, e.g.
买些东西(do some shopping)
一群石油工人(a crowd of oil workers)；
一批旅游者(a number of tourists)；
一篮子鸡蛋(a basket of eggs)
2) Being extra polite, e.g.
二位客人请坐。(Please be seated, gentlemen.)；
请问，哪位是张老师？(Who is teacher Zhang, please?)
3) Implying a particular attitude (disapproving, approving, ironic, etc.), e.g.
一员大将(a valiant general)；
一介书生(a scholar)；
一帮匪徒(a gang of bandits)；
一路货色(people of the same ilk)
一小撮坏人(a handful of evil-doers)
4) Being extra expressive in description
Chinese writers and poets show favoritism toward Chinese classifiers because they are very expressive in description, especially those that are loaned from high imagery nouns. Just appreciate them with your imagination. The mood and the charm produced from these classifiers can be sensed, but not duplicated in translation:
一轮明月； 两汪眼泪； 一线希望； 一丝悔意； 一片漆黑； 一潭死水； 一身正气；
朵朵白云； 阵阵秋风； 点点星光； 缕缕炊烟； 声声呼唤； 几番风雨； 千种风情；
一派北国风光； 一江春水向东流； 竹篮打水一场空； 几度夕阳红
