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Q: Any good tips on how to study measure words in Chinese?
There are so many, it is hard to keep them straight. Any help would be great.
10 years 4 weeks ago in Teaching & Learning - China
Chinese uses a measure word for every noun. In English we can say, “Three cars,” but in Mandarin Chinese, we can say “three (measure word) cars. Chinese uses measure words more widely than English
The best way to learn them is by memorizing them.
Yeah, I thought it was ridculous and then realized English has similar things. One sheet of paper.. couldn't be one sheet of beer. Though it is friday and hot so I wish the notebook next to me was 180 sheets of beer.
Anyway, you gradually pick them up. Until you do just use 个 for anything you are sure about the measure word. Its something foreigners are forgiven for because its not something people get right until they are advanced.
I remember a friend decided he would test his newly learned chinese vocabulary with my gf over bbq.
"Ok, let me try '匹马‘ “
Her look of confusion
"No? I will try another '条鱼’ ”
She blinks "I don't know what he is saying"
"I think he means horse and fish?"
And then we figured out that his rosetta stone included the measure word with the word for the picture, and hadnt explained that so he thought they were just part of the word. Anyway, I guess try rosetta stone.
Or go here http://www.languagerealm.com/chinese/chinese_measure_words.php
I find that things of a similar nature or shape tend to have the same measure word. This can help you remember the measure word.
These are the only ones I use:
一只 = animal/fruit
一个 = person/object
一妈 = your mom
...that I can remember.
Chinese uses a measure word for every noun. In English we can say, “Three cars,” but in Mandarin Chinese, we can say “three (measure word) cars. Chinese uses measure words more widely than English
The best way to learn them is by memorizing them.
Measure words in Chinese are very confusing. The same measure word can be used in different context. For instance, 一条鱼 - a fish, but you can also say, 一条狗, a dog. Listed below are some of the daily used measure words and the corresponding nouns.
一粒蛋，an egg
一辆车，a car
一只笔， a pen
一桶水，a pail of water
一杯水，a cup of water
一碗饭，a bowl of rice
一锅汤，a pot of soup
Notice that some of the measure words are actually the receptacle that's used to hold the items in, pail, cup, bowl and pot. Once you get used to it, it'll come naturally.
Unfortunately, like all other aspects of learning Chinese, you just have to sit down and memorize. I tend to just use 个 until someone corrects me. After I get corrected it sticks in my mind cos I don't want to look like a dumbass 
