Number + measure word + noun is obligatory
Chinese never goes straight from a number (or 这/那) to a noun -- a measure word (量词) must sit between them: Number + measure word + noun. Each noun has its own preferred measure word, so you cannot always default to the generic 个 (gè). Learn each noun with its measure word as one chunk: 一位老师 (yí wèi lǎoshī) a teacher, 一张照片 (yì zhāng zhàopiàn) a flat object, 一条鱼 (yì tiáo yú) a long thin thing, 一本书 (yì běn shū) a book, 一杯茶 (yì bēi chá) a cup of tea.
Build numbers in blocks; 两 vs 二
Numbers build in blocks with 十 (shí, ten), 百 (bǎi, hundred), 千 (qiān, thousand), using 零 (líng, zero) to fill an empty place: 二十二 (èrshí'èr) 22, 一百零一 (yìbǎi líng yī) 101. Inside a compound number of 20 or more always use 二 (èr), never 两: 二十二, not 两十两. But when "two" stands ALONE directly before a measure word (or before 点 for time or 岁 for age), use 两 (liǎng): 两个人 (liǎng gè rén) two people, 两点 (liǎng diǎn) two oclock.
Dates, time, age and money word order
All four use the same number blocks but each has a fixed order. Dates go year, month, day (reverse of British English): 二零二六年七月七号 (èr líng èr liù nián qī yuè qī hào) 7 July 2026 (号 hào spoken, 日 rì written). Time is hour + 点 + minute + 分, half past = 半: 三点半 (sān diǎn bàn) 3:30. Age is number + 岁 (suì), no measure word: 我十二岁 (wǒ shí'èr suì). Money runs largest unit first -- 块, 毛, 分: 两块五毛钱 (liǎng kuài wǔ máo qián) 2.5 yuan; ask a price with 多少钱 (duōshao qián).
Drawn from real examiner reports.
Defaulting to 个 for every noun
Every noun has its own measure word; 个 does not cover them all. ✗ 我要一个茶和一个鱼。(个 fits neither noun) ✓ 我要一杯茶和一条鱼。(Wǒ yào yì bēi chá hé yì tiáo yú.) -- I would like a cup of tea and a fish. Learn each noun with its measure word as a chunk: 杯 (liquids), 本 (books), 条 (long thin things), 位 (people), 张 (flat objects), 只 (animals).
Measure-word omission/misuse is on the Writing common-error list at both sittings (s22, s23).
Omitting 个 before 小时 (hours)
Some time nouns take no measure word (两天 two days, 两年 two years), but 小时 (xiǎoshí, hour) still needs 个 between the number and the noun. ✗ 我每天做三小时的作业。(个 missing before 小时) ✓ 我每天做三个小时的作业。(Wǒ měitiān zuò sān gè xiǎoshí de zuòyè.) -- I do three hours of homework every day. Do not assume every duration noun is self-measuring -- check each one.
A missing measure word before a duration noun (hours of homework) is named at s22 Speaking Card 2 and recurs on the Writing accuracy list (s22, s23).
Writing a date in Arabic numerals
A date, age or price must be written entirely in Chinese characters, never as digits inside the sentence -- digit form scores zero for that content. ✗ 我的生日是6月3日。(digits used for month and day) ✓ 我的生日是六月三号。(Wǒ de shēngrì shì liù yuè sān hào.) -- My birthday is 3 June. The same rule applies to ages and prices: spell the number out in characters.
Numerical digits in place of Chinese characters (e.g. 6月3日) score zero for that content -- an explicit Key Message at every Writing paper, both sittings (s22, s23).
Using 两 inside a compound number
两 replaces 二 only when "two" stands alone directly before a measure word, 点 or 岁 -- never inside a larger number. ✗ 我有两十两本书。(两 wrongly used inside the compound number 22) ✓ 我有二十二本书。(Wǒ yǒu èrshí'èr běn shū.) -- I have 22 books. Inside any compound number of 20 or more, and in dates, phone and room numbers, always use 二 (èr).
Dropping the measure word after 这/那
这 (this) and 那 (that) need a measure word before the noun, exactly as a number does -- you cannot go straight from 这/那 to the noun. ✗ 这书很有意思。(measure word missing after 这) ✓ 这本书很有意思。(Zhè běn shū hěn yǒuyìsi.) -- This book is very interesting. Use the noun-specific measure word here too: 这位老师, 那张照片, 这条鱼.
两 and 二 are not interchangeable
They are NOT interchangeable. 两 replaces 二 only when "two" stands alone directly before a measure word, 点 (oclock) or 岁 (age): 两个人, 两点, 两岁. 二 is used everywhere else -- counting aloud (一, 二, 三), inside a compound number (二十二), in dates (二月, 二号), and in phone or room numbers. ✗ 我有二本书，现在二点。 ✓ 我有两本书，现在两点。(Wǒ yǒu liǎng běn shū, xiànzài liǎng diǎn.) -- I have two books.
Chinese dates are not in English order
Chinese dates always run from the LARGEST unit to the smallest: year, then month, then day -- the opposite of the British day-month-year order, and of the American month-day-year order. ✗ 七号七月二零二六年 (day-month-year, copied from English) ✓ 二零二六年七月七号 (èr líng èr liù nián qī yuè qī hào) -- 7 July 2026, year first, then month, then day. This holds for a year-month pair too.
Pick the measure word first
Before writing a Number + noun phrase, decide what kind of thing you are counting -- a person, a flat object, a long thin object, a bound volume, an animal, a cup of liquid, or money -- and choose its specific measure word rather than reaching for 个: 一位老师, 一张照片, 一条鱼, 一本书, 一杯茶.
Build the number, then swap 二 for 两
Build the number in blocks with 十/百/千, adding 零 only where a middle place is empty (一百零一). Then swap 二 for 两 only when "two" stands alone directly before a measure word, 点 or 岁 -- keep 二 inside any compound number of 20 or more.
Sequence a date largest unit first
Write a date from the largest unit down -- year, then month, then day -- each followed by 年/月/号 (or 日 in writing), and spell every digit out in Chinese characters, never as an Arabic numeral: 二零二六年七月七号.
State a price largest unit first
For money, state the largest currency unit first -- 块 (yuan), then 毛, then 分 -- and use 多少钱 to ask the price of something: 两块五毛钱; 这本书多少钱？Keep every figure in Chinese characters.
In Chinese, you cannot go straight from a number (or 这/那, "this/that") to a noun the way English does. A measure word (量词, liang ci) must sit between the number and the noun: Number + measure word + noun. Each noun has its own preferred measure word -- you cannot always use the generic 个 (ge). Numbers, dates, clock time, ages and prices are all built from the same number blocks, but each follows its own fixed word order, so getting the pattern right matters across every skill: listening (catching a price or a time), reading (a date in a passage), speaking (giving your age) and writing (describing an event).
Fix the measure-word error: 我要一个茶。
请写出四个量词，并各举一个「数字+量词+名词」的例子（写出汉字和拼音）。
Level-of-response questions with model answers and mark scheme rubrics.
下个星期是你奶奶的生日。请给你的朋友写一条短信，介绍这件事。短信里要写清楚以下几点：（1）生日是几月几号；（2）你奶奶今年多大岁数；（3）你打算送什么礼物，一共花了多少钱（用对量词，全部用汉字，不要用阿拉伯数字）。请用中文（汉字）书写，约80-90字，注意短信的语气比较随意。（8分）
请用中文写一段话，介绍你今天在文具店买东西的经过。你要写清楚以下几点：（1）你买了几样东西，每样东西是什么（用对量词）；（2）一共花了多少钱（全部用汉字，不要用阿拉伯数字）；（3）简单说说你为什么买这些东西。请用中文（汉字）书写，约80-90字。（8分）
