Find the measure word for a Chinese noun
Pick a noun, see a natural classifier, then try it in a short drill. Search in Chinese, pinyin or English.
Pick your noun
Choose from 44 dictionary entries with a taught pairing. Try book, 猫 or kāfēi.
Definitions marked † are adapted from CC-CEDICT. Source details.
A natural pairing
Classifier Sprint
Ten nouns a round, three lives, and the clock gets quicker every round. Pick the measure word that makes 一＿书 natural — fast answers and streaks score more.
Keys 1–4 answer, Enter moves on. The sprint never offers 个 as a wrong option, nor a classifier from the answer's own family (只, 条, 头 and 匹 for animals; 杯, 瓶 and 碗 for containers), because those can be right too.
How the pairing works
A number or a word like 这 (“this”) usually needs a measure word before a Chinese noun. For a book, say 一本书: 一 (one) + 本 (the classifier for bound volumes) + 书 (book). The noun determines the kind of thing being counted.
Some nouns accept more than one classifier, and containers change what is being counted: a cup of tea and a bottle of tea are different quantities. This finder shows one natural pairing taught in our guides, with noun readings and meanings checked against the site's dictionary. If your noun is not listed, it leaves the answer open instead of assigning 个 by guesswork.
Want the broader rules? Read the essential measure words guide or browse the complete classifier list. For a longer listening challenge, try the measure word quiz.
Questions
Is the measure word finder free?
Yes. No account, no limit, and nothing you search is stored or put in the address bar.
Why does my noun not appear?
The finder only shows pairings the site already teaches, with the noun's reading and meaning checked against its own dictionary. If a noun is not listed it leaves the answer open rather than guessing 个 for you — look the noun up in the dictionary, or read the complete classifier list.
Can a Chinese noun take more than one measure word?
Often, yes. A dog is 一只狗 or 一条狗, a map is 一张地图 or 一幅地图, and tea is counted by the cup, the bottle or the pot. This page shows one natural pairing, and Classifier Sprint never offers a classifier from the answer's own family as a wrong option, so the common alternatives are never the ones it marks wrong.
Can I just use 个 for everything?
In casual speech 个 is accepted for a great many nouns, which is why the sprint never offers it as a wrong answer. But 一个书 or 一个车 sounds wrong to a native speaker, and the specific classifier is what an exam or a careful listener expects.
How do the Classifier Sprint levels work?
Each pairing is levelled by the HSK level at which its harder character is first taught. Beginner deals HSK 1–2 nouns with three choices and the pinyin and meaning shown; Intermediate adds HSK 3 nouns and a fourth choice; Advanced adds HSK 4 and hides the pinyin; Expert deals every level with the hanzi alone. Harder levels start the clock tighter and multiply your score, and every two rounds the next level of nouns joins the deal.