Measure word finder

Measure word for camera

相机 xiàng jī camera HSK 3

  • 一台相机 yì tái xiàngjī

    台 tái · For machines and performances

  • 一部相机 yí bù xiàngjī

    部 bù · For films, books and vehicles

Also counted with 台

Type a noun in English, pinyin or Chinese.

    What is the measure word for camera in Chinese?

    Camera is 相机 (xiàng jī), and its measure word is 台 or 部: one camera is 一台相机. The dictionary also gives 部 (一部相机).

    What is a measure word?

    In Chinese a number can’t go straight before a noun: you say 一本书 (one “volume” of book), not 一书. The word in the middle is the measure word, or classifier. Each noun takes its own, often by its shape: 张 for flat things, 条 for long thin ones, 本 for books.

    What if I don’t know the measure word?

    个 (gè) works for people and most things, and native speakers use it a lot in speech. The right measure word sounds more natural, and some nouns never take 个.

    Why is 一 said yí here?

    一 is said yí before a fourth tone (一个 yí ge, 一件 yí jiàn) and yì before the other tones (一本 yì běn, 一张 yì zhāng).

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    Measure words from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0), for the official HSK word list. Speakers use others too.