CLASSIFIERS.
Reading edition
In this and the following sections a number of useful words are grouped according to grammatical or topical divisions. A study of the words, called classifiers, which come between “a” or “an” (or rather its equivalent, the numeral 一 ih) and the word itself, will make our communications to the Chinese correct and more lucid.
First Classifier, 个 (kuh).
A man. 一个人 Ih-kuh nyung. A bottle. 一个玻璃瓶 Ih-kuh poo-li-bing.
A woman. 一个女人 Ih-kuh nyui-nyung. An egg. 一个蛋 Ih-kuh-dan.
A son. 一个兒子 Ih-kuh nyi-ts. A scholar. 一个學生子 Ih-kuh ‘auh-sang-ts.
A daughter. 一个囡 Ih-kuh noen. A farmer. 一个種田入 Ih-kuh tsoong-dien-nyung.
A friend. 一个朋友 Ih-kuh bang-yeu. A carpenter. 一个木匠 Ih-kuh mok-ziang.
A native. 一个本地人 Ih-kuh pung-di-nyung. A mason. 一个泥水匠 Ih-kuh nyi-s-ziang.
A servant. 一个用人 Ih-kuh yoong-nyung.
Second Classifier, 隻 (tsak).
A dog. 一隻狗 Ih-tsak keu. A bed. 一隻床 Ih-tsak zaung.
A cat. 一隻猫 Ih-tsak mau. A plate. 一隻盆子 Ih-tsak bung-ts.
A fowl. 一隻雞 Ih-tsak kyi. A saucer. 一隻茶杯 Ih-tsak dzo-pe.
A bird. 一隻窵 Ih-tsak tiau. A cup. 一隻杯子 Ih-tsak pe-ts.
A table. 一隻檯子 Ih-tsak de-ts. A stove. 一隻火爐 Ih-tsak hoo-loo.
A trunk. 一隻箱子 Ih-tsak siang-ts. A watch. 一隻表 Ih-tsak piau.
Third Classifier, 把 (po).
A chair. 一把椅子 Ih-po iui-ts. A fan. 一把扇子 Ih-po sen-ts.
A hammer. 一把榔頭 Ih-po laung-deu. An umbrella. 一把傘 Ih-po san.
Fourth Classifier, 條 (diau).
A stream. 一條河 Ih-diau ‘oo. A rope. 一條繩 Ih-diau zung.
A bridge. 一條橋 Ih-diau jau. A snake. 一條蛇 Ih-diau zo.
A road. 一條路 Ih-diau loo. A bar of iron. 一條鐵條 Ih-diau thih-diau.
Fifth Classifier, 根 (kung).
A stick of timber. 一根木頭 Ih-kung mok-deu. A thread. 一根線 Ih-kung sien.
A bamboo. 一根竹頭 Ih-kung tsok-deu. A rope. 一根繩 Ih-kung zung.
Sixth Classifier, 本 (pung).
A book. 一本書 Ih-pung su.
Seventh Classifier, 部 (boo).
A work of one or more volumes. 一部書 Ih-boo su. A ricksha. 一部東洋車 Ih-boo toong-yang-tsho.
A carriage. 一部馬車 Ih-boo mo-tsho. A wheelbarrow. 一部小車 Ih-boo siau-tsho.
Eighth Classifier, 座 (zoo).
A mountain. 一座山 Ih-dzoo san. A house. 一座房子 Ih-dzoo vaung-ts.
A city. 一座城 Ih-dzoo dzung. A pagoda. 一座塔 Ih-dzoo thah.
Ninth Classifier, 疋 (phih).
A piece of cloth. 一疋布 Ih-phih poo.
Tenth Classifier, 匹 (phih).
A horse. 一匹馬 Ih-phih mo. A mule. 一匹騾子 Ih-phih loo-ts.
Eleventh Classifier, 塊 (khwe).
A piece of wood. 一塊木頭 Ih-khwe mok-deu. A pane of glass. 一塊玻璃 Ih-khwe poo-li.
A slice of meat. 一塊肉 Ih-khwe nyok. A dollar. 一塊洋錢 Ih-khwe yang-dien.
A piece of land. 一塊地皮 Ih-khwe di-bi. A brick. 一塊碌磚 Ih-khwe lok-tsen.
Twelfth Classifier, 幅 (fok).
A painting or engraving. 一幅晝圖 Ih-fok wo-doo. A chart or map. 一幅地圖 Ih-fok di-doo.
Thirteenth Classifier, 扇 (sen).
A door. 一扇門 Ih-sen mung. A screen. 一扇屛風 Ih-sen bing-foong.
Fourteenth Classifier, 乘 (dzung).
A flight of stairs or a ladder. 一乘扶梯 Ih-dzung voo-thi. A step of a door. 一乘踏步 Ih-dzung dah-boo.
Fifteenth Classifier, 頂 (ting).
A sedan chair. 一頂轎子 Ih-ting jau-ts. A hat. 一頂帽子 Ih-ting mau-ts.
Sixteenth Classifier, 位 (we).
A visitor, a customer. 一位客人 Ih-we khak-nyung. A teacher. 一位先生 Ih-we sien-sang.
Seventeenth Classifier, 張 (tsang).
A sheet of paper. 一張紙 Ih-tsang ts. A newspaper. 一張新聞紙 Ih-tsang sing-vung-ts.
Eighteenth Classifier, 爿 (ban).
A foreign firm. 一爿洋行 Ih-ban yang-‘aung. A shop. 一爿店 Ih-ban tien.
Nineteenth Classifier, 副 (foo).
A set of buttons. 一副鈕子 Ih-foo nyeu-ts. A pair of scrolls. 一副對聯 Ih-foo te-lien.
Twentieth Classifier, 雙 (saung).
A pair of shoes. 一雙鞋子 Ih-saung ‘a-ts. A pair of gloves. 一雙手套 Ih-saung seu-thau.
Twenty-first Classifier, 尊 (tsung).
An idol. 一尊菩薩 Ih tsung boo sah.
Twenty-second Classifier, 包 (pau).
A parcel. 一包 Ih-pau. A bale of cotton. 一包棉花 Ih-pau mien-hwo.
A bundle of clothing. 一包衣裳 Ih-pau i-zaung. A bale of silk. 一包絲 Ih-pau s.
Twenty-third Classifier, 棵 (khoo).
A tree. 一棵樹 Ih khoo zu. A flowering plant. 一棵花 Ih khoo hwo.
Twenty-fourth Classifier, 面 (mien).
A mirror. 一面鏡子 Ih-mien kyung-ts. A flag. 一面旗 Ih-mien ji
Twenty-fifth Classifier, 堆 (te).
A pile of fuel. 一堆柴 Ih te za. A pile of stones. 一堆石頭 Ih te zak-deu.
A pile of coal. 一堆煤 Ih te me. AA pile of goods. 一堆貨色 Ih te hoo-suh.
Twenty-sixth Classifier, 綑 (khwung).
A bundle of rice straw. 一綑稻柴 Ih khwung dau-za. A bundle of wood. 一綑柴 Ih khwung za.
Twenty-seventh Classifier, 管 (kwen).
A pen. 一管筆 Ih kwen pih. A foot rule. 一管尺 Ih kwen tshak.
Twenty-eighth Classifier, 對 (te).
A pair of fowls. 一對雞 Ih te kyi. A husband and wife. 一對夫妻 Ih te foo-tshi.
Twenty-ninth Classifier, 口 (kheu).
A book-case. 一口書廚 Ih kheu su-dzu. A well. 一口井 Ih kheu-tsing.
Thirtieth Classifier, 桶 doong).
A barrel of flour. 一桶干麺 Ih doong koen-mien. A bucket of water. 一桶水 Ih doong-s.
Thirty-first Classifier, 瓶 (bing)
A bottle (bottleful). 一瓶 Ih bing. A bottle of medicine. 一瓶藥 Ih bing yak.
Thirty-second Classifier, 箱 (siang).
A box of tea. 一箱茶葉 Ih siang dzo-yih. A box of materials. 一箱貨色 Ih siang hoo-suh.
Thirty-third Classifier, 封 (foong).
A letter. 一封信 Ih foong sing.
Thirty-fourth Classifier, 帮 (paung).
The literary class. 讀書帮 Dok-su paung. The Canton guild. 廣東帮 Kwaung-toong paung.
The mercantile class. 生意帮 Sang-i paung. The Ningpo guild. 甯波帮 Nyung-poo paung or Nyung pok paung.
Thirty-fifth Classifier, 回 (we).
One time. 一回 Ih we.
Thirty-sixth Classifier, 票 (phiau).
A job of work. 一票生活 Ih phiau sang-weh. A business transaction. 一票生意 Ih phiau sang-i.
Thirty-seventh Classifier, 樁 (tsaung).
An affair. 一樁事體 Ih tsaung z-thi.
Thirty-eighth Classifier, 層 (dzung).
A three-storied house. 三層樓 San-dzung leu. A seven-storied pagoda. 七層塔 Tshih-dzung thak.
Thirty-ninth Classifier, 藏 (dzaung).
A pile of books. 一藏書 Ih-dzaung su. A pile of plates. 一藏盆子 Ih-dzaung bung-ts.
Fortieth Classifier, 股 (koo).
One share. 一股 Ih koo. A business of three partners. 三股分頭 San koo vung-deu.
Forty-first Classifier, 間 (kan).
One room. 一間 Ih kan. An office. 寫字間 Sia-z-kan.
A bed-room. 房間, 房頭 Vaung-kan, vaung-deu. Shroff’s room. 帳房間 Tsang-vaung-kan.
Forty-second Classifier, 件 (jien).
A garment. 一件衣裳 Ih jien i-zaung. An affair. 一件實體 Ih jien z-thi.
Forty-third Classifier, 捸 (da).
A row of houses. 一捸房子 Ih da vaung-ts. A row of trees. 一埭樹 Ih da zu.