Concept of Measure words in Mandarin!!

At some juncture of your Mandarin learning journey you will be unveiled to the concept of measure words (M.Ws); these are used to indicate the quantity or number of a noun. They are typically placed between the numeral and the noun.

The typical structure is : Num.+ M.W + Noun.

E.g: In English : 6 apples.

In Mandarin: 6 + M.W + apple.

The M.W concept is bit difficult to correlate with English; since in English we barely use M.Ws. For e.g: a cup of coffee ( "cup" is M.W) OR a piece of information ("piece" is a M.W) but in Mandarin M.Ws are indispensable & each noun has corresponding M.W. 

Look at the table below:

Yes, even "this" & "that" followed by noun will have corresponding M.W

As a beginner it may be a bit overwhelming to get use to this system for M.Ws ; however don't let this blow your mind. This blogpost will definitely come handy to understand the concept of M.Ws in Mandarin language. 😀

By the way before we start let me inform you that M.Ws are also known as classifiers or count words.

Let's get started !!

Generally a physical form or shape or container of a Noun/object decides its corresponding M.W. A single M.W can be used for a group of Nouns/object. For e.g: bēi (杯) is a M.W for anything which comes in the form of glass/cup ( a glass of water, a cup of coffee & so on...). Another example is : Jiàn (件) as M.W means " piece" (a piece of cloth, a piece of information......) BUT definitely not a piece of cake ;-)

And sometimes we can also have 2 different M.Ws for same Noun. For e.g: M.W for person can be "个" (gè) OR "位" (wèi) depending on the context.

There is no exact number of measure words in Mandarin as new ones are constantly being created and old ones may fall out of use over time. However, it is estimated that there are at least few hundred measure words in Mandarin. So, Can we cover all M.Ws in this blog?? Answer is definitely "No". I will be listing 10 very common M.Ws used in everyday scenarios with few examples.

1. "个" (gè):

Very high chances that "个" (gè)" will be the first M.W which would be taught to you in your Mandarin class:-) It is very generic M.W; & if you forget or don't know the respective M.W for particular noun you can always replace it with "个" (gè)"; native speakers will understand it & they may correct you as well 🙂

个(gè) is always used when counting people.

For example:

• 三个人 (Sān gè rén) - 3 persons

• 一个学生  (yí gè xuéshēng) - 1 student

• 五个朋友 (wǔ gè péngyǒu) - 5 friends

It can also be used for some items, counting months, weeks etc..

For example:

• 四个月 (Sì gè yuè) - 4 months 

• 六个苹果 (liù gè píngguǒ) - 6 apples

• 这个 (zhè ge) - this one 

• 那个 (nà gè) - that one

2. 双 (Shuāng):

双 (Shuāng) means pairs; so this M.W is used for things which come in pairs.

For example:

• 一双 鞋子 (yì shuāng xiézi) - a pair of shoes

• 三双 手套 (sān shuāng shǒu tào) - 3 pairs of gloves

• 两双筷子 (liǎng shuāng kuài zi) - 2 pairs of chopsticks

3. 张 Zhāng:

张(zhāng) is used for flat things like bed, table, papers, tickets, cards etc...

For example:

• 一张 交通卡 (yì zhāng jiāotōng kǎ) - 1 transportation card

• 三张床 (sān zhāng chuáng) - 3 beds

• 五张白纸 (wǔ zhāng bái zhǐ) - 5 white sheets of paper.

4. 本 Běn:

本(Běn) is M.W for books & other book like objects such as magazine, notebooks etc.

For example:

• 四本书 (sì běn shū) - 4 books

• 那本书 (nà běn shū ) - that book

• 一本杂志 (yì  běn zázhì) - 1 magazine

5. 瓶 Píng:

While bēi (杯) is a M.W for anything which comes in the form of glass/cup. 瓶 (píng) is M.W for things which come in the form of bottle.

For example:

• 两瓶啤酒 (liǎng píng píjiǔ) - 2 bottles of beer

• 一瓶水 (yì píng shuǐ) - 1 bottle of water 

• 五瓶果汁 (wǔ píng guǒzhī) - 5 bottles of juice

6.条 (tiáo):

条 (tiáo) is M.W for things which are long, narrow & flexible such as pants, tie, belt, rope and even for roads, river, fish etc... ( You may be wondering REALLY???; & answer is YES🙂)

For example:

• 一条裤子 (yì tiáo kùzi) - one pant

• 三条领带 (sān tiáo lǐngdài) - 3 ties

• 五条河 (wǔ tiáo hé) - 5 rivers.

7. 台 (tái)

台 (tái) is a M.W for machines, electronics & equipments.

For example:

• 三台电脑 (Sān tái diànnǎo) - 3 computers

• 五台打印机 ( wǔ dǎ yìn jī)  - 5 printers

• 两台机器 (liǎng jī qì) -  2 machines

8.把 (bǎ)

把 (bǎ) is a M.W for things with handle.

For example:

• 一把手枪 (yì bǎ shǒu qiāng) - a pistol

• 一把椅子 (yì bǎ yǐzi)  - 1 chair

• 两把雨伞 (liǎng bǎ yǔsǎn) - 2 Umbrellas 

9. 家 (Jiā)

家 (Jiā) literally meaning "home" and is used as M.W for shops, schools, restaurants, offices, business establishments etc.....

For example:

• 一家公司 (yì  jiā gōngsī) - a company 

• 那个饭店 (nà gè fàndiàn)  - that restaurant 

• 这个银行 (zhè ge yínháng) - this bank

10. 只 (Zhǐ)

只 (Zhǐ) is a M.W for small animals & birds  (YES, only for small animals; for big animals there is different M.W:-)

For example:

• 三只猫 (Sān zhǐ māo) - 3 cats

• 六只鸟  (liù zhǐ niǎo) - 6 birds 

• 一只狗 (yì zhǐ gǒu) - one dog 

Zhǐ is also a M.W for some things which are in pairs ( to count one of a pair) & also for some body parts which are in pair.

For example:

• 两只脚 (liǎng zhǐ jiǎo) - 2 feet 

• 一只眼睛 (yì zhǐ yǎnjīng)  - 1 eye

• 一只鞋   (yì zhǐ xié) - 1 shoe

There are many more measure words in Chinese language, and choosing the right one can take some practice. However, it's a good idea to learn the most common measure words & start using them to get used to the concept of measure words in this language. Gradually you can learn more & build up on your vocabulary of M.Ws.

And finally, if you can't remember the appropriate M.W for a particular noun; you can always use "ge" which is very generic & universal M.W 😁

That's all for this post !!

Bye bye (再见 Zàijiàn) till my next post 😀

10 Best Practices for learning Mandarin effectively !!

Learning Mandarin (a language spoken by more than 1.4 billion people) can be a challenging task, but with the right mindset and approach, it can be a rewarding experience. Here are some best practices for learning Mandarin effectively:

1. Start with Pinyin: PINYIN is a standardised system developed in 1950s to teach spoken Mandarin. It uses the Latin alphabet to represent the sounds of Mandarin, including the four tones. It serves as a bridge for English speaker to learn Mandarin. Pinyin system uses consonants (referred as Initials) & vowels (referred as finals); some of these have same pronunciation as English but some of these are completely different. E.g: X, Q, Zh, Ch etc.

PINYIN is also used for inputting Chinese characters on computers and mobile devices. Learning pinyin is essential for anyone who wants to learn Mandarin, as it is a crucial component of the language-learning process.

2. Learn the tones properly: Mandarin is a tonal language which means that tone of a word can change its meaning entirely. This can be difficult for English speakers who are not used to using tones to convey meaning. There are four tones which are represented by the following marks:

a.  High level(first) tone: (ā)

b. Rising (second) tone: (á)

c. Falling-rising (third) tone: (ǎ)

d. Falling tone (fourth tone): (à)

In addition to these 4 tones; some words don't have any tone & its called as neutral tone. It is very important to learn, and identifying these distinct tones properly, and practice them regularly because incorrect pronunciation could land you in a difficult situation! 

E.g: Careless use of tones with word "ma" could cause one to call someone's mother (Mā) a horse (Mǎ). 

3. Follow a systematic approach: Don't learn words randomly which you may not be able to relate. Follow some structured course; either go level wise (E.g: HSK Level 1 has 150 words followed by HSK Level 2 which has 300 words & so on....) It will give you some sense of satisfaction with each milestone achieved OR make it topic specific learning (E.g: introduction, family members, taking taxi or going to a restaurant etc...). By this method, you will be self motivated when you see yourself conversing well in some topics.

4. Focus on Vocabulary & grammar : As a beginner, it is judicious to initially focus on increasing your vocabulary & basic grammar (you may have heard that Grammar is not important in Mandarin language; which is not a very true statement though). Chinese characters can be learned later once you find a comfort zone with spoken aspect of Mandarin.

(Do you know you can write till HSK Level 2 Exam without knowing Chinese Characters :-)

5. Split the Chinese word: Most of Chinese words are made up of two or more characters, each of which has its own meaning. For example, the word "good bye" in Mandarin is "再见" (Zài jiàn), which consists of two characters: "再" (Zài) meaning "again" and "见" (jiàn) meaning "to see" which literally means "see you again"!

Learning the meaning of individual words will help you to remember the words easily, explains its logic & increase your vocabulary.

6. Listening is the key: Listen to audio files, podcast or watch videos; there are tons of online free resources available but my suggestion is to choose the audio files as per your level / vocabulary known or else you will be overwhelmed by the enormous amount of material available online.

This part of learning can be done while you are commuting or going for morning walks or in gym with your Headphones ON:-)

Don't avoid listening part of learning; after all you definitely want to understand what Native speaker is saying when you are interacting with your Chinese colleague/friend or tour guide.

7. Be consistent: Consistency is key to language learning. Practice Mandarin regularly, ideally every day, to reinforce what you've learned and make progress.By committing to a daily practice routine, you can establish a sense of structure and routine in your life, which can help you stay motivated and productive over the long term. 

No matter if its just 5-10 words on busy days when you don't have time:-)

8. Form simple sentences:  Start forming sentences with vocabulary & grammar you have learnt. Try using these sentences in your daily life with your friends/colleagues/ family members( doesn't matter if they don't understand it). Even if you don't want to use; just form new sentences, write it & imagine the scenario where you will be saying it. A very good exercise to improve your sentence formation; start with simpler one & then move to complex one E.g: I eat food, I eat food at restaurant, I eat food at restaurant at 8:00 p.m & so on....

Tip is: "Think Simple".

9. Speak with native :  By Speaking with native Mandarin speaker you can, not only improve your fluency & pronunciation but also learn colloquial language (phrases & expressions used in daily conversation which may not be taught in text books). 

Native speaker can also offer you insight into Chinese culture which can help you understand the language better. Last but not the least speaking with native speaker can build your confidence in using the language as you will receive immediate feedback on your mistakes.

10. Be patient and persistent: Learning Mandarin can be a challenging and time-consuming process, so be patient and persistent in your efforts and celebrate small victories along the way.

The Chinese language is a fascinating and important language to learn; learning Mandarin Chinese can be a rewarding and enriching experience, but it requires consistent effort and dedication. To get the most out of your language-learning journey, it's important to start with the basics, focus on improving your listening and speaking skills, use multimedia resources, practice regularly, and be patient and persistent. By following these best practices, you can develop a solid foundation in Mandarin and gain the confidence to communicate effectively in a new language.

Happy Learning Mandarin!!!

How to write an email in Chinese !!

Writing an email in Chinese can seem like a daunting task, especially for those who are new to the language. However, with a bit of practice and patience, and some tips from this blog you can become proficient in crafting emails that are clear, concise, and culturally appropriate.

The first step in writing an email in Chinese is to determine the appropriate level of formality based on your relationship with the recipient.

If you are writing to a friend or colleague, you can start with more casual tone, 亲爱的 (qīn ài de) literally means “Dear…”,  followed by person's name ( e.g: 亲爱的王明  Qīn'ài de wáng míng: Dear Wang Ming) but it’s only appropriate for someone whom you know well; like your family members, friends, or coworkers that are of the same level as you. But if you are writing to a business associate or someone in a position of authority, you should use more formal language; such as "尊敬的张先生" (zūn jìng de zhāng xiānshēng*) which means "Respected Mr. Zhang." OR 尊敬的张女士 (zūn jìng de zhāng nǚshì*）which means Respected Ms. Zhang

*xiānshēng -Mr., nǚshì -Madam

Next , it should be followed by the greeting :

1. 您好 (nín hǎo), which is a more polite form of “hello”; for formal e-mails. 

2. 你好 (nǐ hǎo), for informal ones.

After greeting, you can start with the body of the email. 

When closing your email, it's important to use a polite and respectful tone. You can use phrases such as "谢谢您的时间" (xièxiè nín de shí jiān) which means "Thank you for your time" and "期待您的回复" (qī dài nín de huífù) which means "Looking forward to your reply."

Finally, You can end your email with 此致敬礼 (cǐzhì jìnglǐ) which means “With best regards... ( more respected way)” 

Few other informal ways to end an e-mail:

"祝您一切顺利" (zhù nín yí qiè shùn lì) which means "Wishing you all the best".

保重！(bǎo zhòng) Take care! 

Here are some one liners/ready reckoner for your e-mail writing:

• It’s nice to see your email! (hěn gāoxìng shōudào nín de lái xìn !) 很高兴收到您的来信！

• I have received!  (shōudào le !) 收到了！

• Thank you for your email! (gǎnxiè nín de lái xìn) 感谢您的来信！

• No problem! (méi wèntí) 没问题！

• Thank you for your reply!  (xièxie nín de huífù) 谢谢您的回复！

• Attached is ____, please check it out. (fù jiàn shì ____ qǐng chá shōu) 附件是___，请查收。

• Please have a look. (qǐng kàn yí xià) 请 看一下.

In conclusion, writing an email in Mandarin may seem intimidating at first, but with practice and patience, it can become a rewarding and valuable skill.

By following the basic structure, using appropriate words; you can create effective and professional emails that will impress your Chinese colleagues or business partners. With the increasing importance of China in the global economy, mastering this skill can also open up new opportunities for personal and professional growth. So don't be afraid to give it a try and start composing your first email in Chinese today!