Verbal Classifiers

Column key: Trad. is Traditional, Simp. shows changes made for the simplified variant (if any).

Trad.	Simp.	Pinyin	Cantonese	Main uses
遍		biàn	bin3 pin3	the number of times an action has been completed
場	场	chǎng	cheung4	a length of an event taking place within another event
次		cì	chi3	times (unlike 遍, 次 refers to the number of times regardless of whether or not it was completed)
頓	顿	dùn	deun6	actions without repetition
回		huí	wui4	occurrences (used colloquially)
聲	声	shēng	seng1/sing1	cries, shouts, etc.
趟		tàng	tong3	trips, visitations, etc.
下		xià	ha5/ha6	brief and often sudden actions (much more common in Cantonese than in North dialects).

Informal Classifiers

In modern colloquial speech of certain Chinese dialects, 俩 (liǎ) is sometimes used in lieu of 两个 (liǎng ge), thereby assuming the identity of a measure word meaning "two of (such and such)". The same holds true for 仨 (sā), three (items of a general nature).

Examples

Colour-coding measure words are in green and nouns are in purple.

• 去年我騎了一匹馬。(去年我骑了一匹马。)

Last year, I rode a horse.

• 這臺電視看了一次就壞了。(这台电视看了一次就坏了。)

This television set broke after one viewing.

• 我訂了這兩班車。(我订了这两班车。)

I've reserved (tickets for) these two buses.

• 下完這陣雨我才會爬那座山。(下完这阵雨我才会爬那座山。)

Only after this rain passes will I climb that mountain.

• 一根頭髮。(一根头发。)

A hair, a strand of hair.

• 五分(鐘)。(五分(钟)。)

Five minutes(' time)

• 十天(時間)。(十天(时间)。)

Ten days(' time)

• 一百頭牛。(一百头牛。)

A hundred oxen, a hundred head of cattle.

• 一個蘋果。(一个苹果。)

An apple

• 一斤蘋果。(一斤苹果。)

A pound of apples.