In this video lesson we'll learn how to use the Measure Word 张 and 把 in Chinese in Chinese. And we'll also learn how to use the Suffix 子 in Chinese to make nouns.
We've learned the usage of Measure Words in Chinese with two structures:
There are more than just a few Measure Words in Chinese. The two we're going to discuss today Measure Word 张 zhāng and Measure Word 把 bǎ, can sometimes also be used as verbs.
张 zhāng can also mean "to spread". 把 bǎ can also mean "to grab". Their meaning as verbs help form their usage as Measure Words.
Measure Word 张 zhāngs can be used for things that have a flat surface such as table, desk and bed.
Measure Word 把 bǎ can be used for things that have a handle or a handle-like part that's easy to grab.
NOTES: ① 椅子 can be used with both Measure Word 张 and 把, because 椅子 usually has a flat surface and for chairs that are easy to grab, 把 is also okay to use.
Suffix 子 in Chinese is a very common and useful building element of Chinese words. Words with Suffix 子 are most likely nouns.
We mentioned that 2-syllable words are pervasive in Chinese.
Even though 子 does not really mean anything, it comes quite handy to build 2-syllable words.
For example in the following words, the character in front of 子 already contains the meaning of the word and 子 mostly function as: (1) to make the word 2-syllable (2) to make the word a noun.