:
More idiomatic
Column key: Trad. is Traditional, Simp. shows changes made for the simplified variant (if any).
| Trad. | Simp. | Pinyin | Cantonese(Yale Romanization) | Main uses |
| 把 | bǎ | ba2 | "handful" — objects that can be held, relatively long and flat objects (knives, scissors, swords, keys; also chairs) | |
| 班 | bān | baan1 | scheduled services (trains, etc.), group of people, a class as in pupils | |
| 包 | bāo | baau1 | "package", "bundle" | |
| 杯 | bēi | bui1 | "cup" — drinks | |
| běn | bun2 | "volume" — bound print matter (books, etc.) | ||
| 筆 | bǐ | bat1 | large quantities of money | |
| 部 | bù | bou6 | novels, movies | |
| 册 | cè | chaak3 | volumes of books | |
| 層 | 层 | céng | chaang4 | "story", "layer" — buildings, etc |
| 场 | chǎng | cheung4 | public spectacles, games | |
| 床 | chuáng | chong4 | "bed" — blankets, sheets | |
| c | chi3 | "time" — opportunities, accidents | ||
| 齣 | 出 | chū | acts in a play | |
| 袋 | di | doi6 | sackfuls, pouchfuls, bagfuls, pocketfuls | |
| 道 | do | dou6 | linear projections (light rays, etc.), orders given by an authority figure | |
| 滴 | dī | dik6 | "droplet" water, blood, other such fluids | |
| 點 | 点 | diǎn | dim2 | ideas, suggestions, can also mean "a bit" (often used to denote amount) |
| 顶 | dǐng | deng2 | objects with protruding top (hats, etc.) | |
| 棟 | dòng | dung6 | lit. pillars, used for buildings | |
| dǔ | dou6 | walls and encompassing fixtures | ||
| 段 | dun | dyun6 | "adjoining length" — cables, roadways, etc. | |
| 對 | 对 | du | deui3 | "couple" — people, "pair" (for certain things only) earrings, couplets, |
| 顿 | dùn | deun6 | meals | |
| 朵 | duǒ | do2/deu2 | flowers, clouds | |
| 份 | fèn | fan6 | portions | |
| 封 | fēng | fung1 | letters, mail | |
| 幅 | fú | fuk1 | works of art (paintings, etc.) | |
| 服 | fù | fuk6 | "dose" — (Chinese) medicine | |
| 副 | fù | fu3 | objects which come in pairs (gloves, etc.) also for spectacles, a pack of cards, mahjong | |
| 個 | 个 | ge (gè) | go3 | individual things, people — general, catch-all measure word (usage of this classifier in conjunction with any noun is generally accepted if the person does not know the proper classifier) |
| gēn | gan1 | thin, slender objects (needles, pillars, etc.); strands (e.g. hair) | ||
| 股 | gǔ | gu2 | flows (of air, smell, influence).... | |
| 罐 | 罐 | guan4 | Small to medium cans of soda, of juice, bottles of water, cans of food... | |
| 行 | háng | hong4 | objects which form lines (words, etc.) | |
| 盒 | hé | hap6 | "small box" — e.g. tape, foods | |
| 户 | hù | wu6 | households | |
| 伙 | huǒ | fo2 | generally derogatory classifier for bands of people such as gangs or hoodlums | |
| 家 | jiā | ga1 | gathering of people (families, companies, etc.) | |
| 架 | ji | ga3 | aircraft, pianos, machines | |
| 間 | 间 | jiān | gaan1 | rooms |
| 件 | jin | gin6 | matters (affairs), clothing, etc. | |
| 節 | 节 | jié | jit3 | "section" — of bamboo, etc. |
| 屆 | 届 | jiè | gaai3 | regularly scheduled sessions or meetings, year-groups in a school (e.g. Class of 2006) |
| 句 | jù | geui3 | lines, sentences, etc. | |
| 棵 | kē | po1 | trees and other such flora | |
| 顆 | 颗 | kē | fo2 | small objects (hearts, pearls, teeth, diamonds etc.) and also objects appearing to be small (distant stars and planets) |
| 口 | kǒu | hau2 | people in villages, family members; wells | |
| 塊 | 块 | kui | faai3 | "chunk", "lump", "piece" — land, stones, etc.; cake (piece/slic), bread (not slices) |
| 類 | 类 | lèi | leui6 | objects of the same type or nature |
| 粒 | l | lap1 | "grain" | |
| 輛 | 辆 | ling | leung2 | wheeled vehicles: automobiles, bicycles, etc. |
| 列 | liè | lit6 | trains | |
| 枚 | méi | mui4 | medals, small flat things like stamps, banana peels, also for rings | |
| 門 | 门 | mén | mun4 | objects pertaining to academics (courses, majors, etc.) |
| 面 | min | min6 | flat and smooth objects (mirrors, flags, etc.) | |
| 名 | míng | ming4 | high-ranking persons (doctors, lawyers, politicians, royalty, etc.); in formal language, can also be used for any type of person (not necessarily high-ranking) | |
| 排 | pái | paai4 | objects grouped in rows (chairs, etc) | |
| 盤 | 盘 | pán | pun4 | flat objects (video cassettes, etc.) |
| 批 | pī | pai1 | people, goods, etc. | |
| 匹 | pǐ | pat1 | horses and other mounts, rolls/bolts of cloth | |
| 篇 | piān | pin1 | papers, articles, etc. | |
| 片 | pin | pin3 | "slice" — flat objects, cards, slices of bread, etc. | |
| 瓶 | píng | ping4 | "bottle" — drinks | |
| 期 | qī | kei4 | magazines | |
| 群 | qún | kwan4 | "group" (incl. people), "herd" | |
| 扇 | shn | sin3 | doors, windows. | |
| 首 | shǒu | sau2 | songs, poems, music, etc. | |
| 束 | shù | chuk1 | bunches | |
| 雙 | 双 | shuāng | seung1 | pair of objects which naturally come in pairs (e.g. chopsticks) |
| 艘 | sōu | sau2 | ships | |
| 所 | suǒ | so2 | buildings | |
| 台 | tái | toi4 | heavy objects, esp. machines (TVs, computers, etc.); performances (theatre, etc.) | |
| táng | tong4 | periods of classes (e.g. "I have two classes today"), suites of furniture | ||
| 趟 | tng | tong3 | trips, scheduled transportation services | |
| 套 | to | tou3 | "set" — books, magazines, collectibles, clothes, | |
| 題 | 题 | tí | tai4 | classifier for questions |
| 條 | 条 | tiáo | tiu4 | long, narrow, flexible objects (fish, trousers, etc.) |
| 头 | tóu | tau4 | "head" — certain animals (pigs, cows, etc.), hair | |
| 團 | 团 | tuán | tyun4 | "ball" — rotund and wound objects (balls of yarn, etc.) |
| 位 | wèi | wai2 | polite classifier for people | |
| 项 | hong6 | projects | ||
| 樣 | yng | yeung6 | general items of differing attributes | |
| 扎 | zhā | ja1 | In Cantonese usage, this is used in lieu of shù (束), e.g. a bundle of flowers "jar", "jug" — drinks such as beer, soda, juice, etc. (A recent loan-word from English, it may be considered informal or slang.) | |
| 盞 | 盏 | zhǎn | jaan2 | light fixtures (usually lamps), pot of tea etc. |
| 張 | zhāng | jeung1 | "sheet" — flat objects (paper, tables, etc.), faces, bows, paintings, tickets, constellations | |
| 陣 | 阵 | zhèn | jan6 | "gust", "burst" — events with short durations (lightning storms, gusts of wind) |
| 支 | zhī | ji1 | stick-like objects (pens, chopsticks, etc.) | |
| 隻 | 只 | zhī | jek3 | one of a pair (hands), animals (birds, cats, etc.) |
| 枝 | zhī | ji1 | alternative form of 支 ("stalk"): can be used for rifles and roses. | |
| 種 | 种 | zhǒng | jung2 | types or kinds of objects |
| 組 | 组 | zǔ | jou2 | sets, rows, series, batteries (military) |
| 座 | zuò | jo6 | large structures/buildings, mountains |
: 2015-09-15; : 58; !; |