Editing Chinese classifier (section)

==Usage==
In Chinese, a [[numeral (linguistics)|numeral]] cannot usually quantify a [[noun]] by itself; instead, the language relies on [[classifier (linguistics)|classifier]]s, commonly also referred to as [[measure word]]s.<ref group=note>Across different [[varieties of Chinese]], classifier-noun clauses have slightly different interpretations (particularly in the interpretation of [[definiteness]] in classified nouns as opposed to [[bare nouns]]), but the requirement that a classifier come between a number and a noun is more or less the same in the major varieties {{Harv|Cheng|Sybesma|2005}}.</ref> When a noun is preceded by a number, a [[demonstrative]] such as ''this'' or ''that'', or certain [[quantifier (linguistics)|quantifiers]] such as ''every'', a classifier must normally be inserted before the noun.<ref name=LiThomp104>{{Harvnb|Li|Thompson|1981|p=104}}</ref> Thus, while English speakers say "one person" or "this person", [[Mandarin Chinese]] speakers say respectively:

{{columns-start}}
{{fs interlinear|lang=zh|indent=2|一 {{uline|个}} 人|yí {{uline|ge}} rén|one {{uline|CL}} person|"one person"}}
{{column}}
{{fs interlinear|lang=zh|indent=2|这 {{uline|个}} 人|zhè {{uline|ge}} rén|this {{uline|CL}} person|"this person"}}
{{columns-end}}

If a noun is preceded by both a demonstrative and a number, the demonstrative comes first.<ref name=Hu13>{{Harvnb|Hu|1993|p=13}}</ref> (This is just as in English, e.g. "these three cats".) If an [[adjective]] modifies the noun, it typically comes after the classifier and before the noun. The general structure of a classifier phrase is
<div class="center"><blockquote style="font-size: 120%;">{{green|demonstrative}}&nbsp;–&nbsp;{{teal|number}}&nbsp;–&nbsp;{{red|{{du|classifier|red}}}}&nbsp;–&nbsp;{{brown|adjective}}&nbsp;–&nbsp;{{purple|noun}}</blockquote></div>

The tables below give examples of common types of classifier phrases.<ref>The examples are adapted from those given in {{Harvtxt|Hu|1993|p=13}}, {{Harvtxt|Erbaugh|1986|pp=403–404}}, and {{Harvtxt|Li|Thompson|1981|pp=104–105}}.</ref> While most English nouns do not require classifiers or measure words (in English, both “five dogs” and “five cups of coffee” are grammatically correct), nearly all Chinese nouns do; thus, in the first table, phrases that have no classifier in English have one in Chinese.

{| style="border:1px solid darkgray; margin: 1em auto;"
|-style="height:30px"
!  !! {{green|demonstrative}} !! {{teal|number}} !! {{red|{{du|classifier|red}}}} !! {{brown|adjective}} !! {{purple|noun}}!! style="width:7%"|&nbsp; !! English equivalent
|-
| '''{{teal|NUM}}-{{red|CL}}-{{purple|N}}''' ||  || {{teal|{{ruby-zh-p|三|sān}}}}<br>three || {{red|{{ruby-zh-p|只|zhī}}}}<br>{{du|CL}} ||  || {{purple|{{ruby-zh-p|猫|māo}}}}<br>cat ||  || "three cats"
|-
| '''{{green|DEM}}-{{red|CL}}-{{purple|N}}''' || {{green|{{ruby-zh-p|这|zhè}}}}<br>this ||  || {{red|{{ruby-zh-p|只|zhī}}}}<br>{{du|CL}} ||  || {{purple|{{ruby-zh-p|猫|māo}}}}<br>cat ||  || "this cat"
|-
| '''{{teal|NUM}}-{{red|CL}}''' ||  || {{teal|{{ruby-zh-p|三|sān}}}}<br>three || {{red|{{ruby-zh-p|只|zhī}}}}<br>{{du|CL}} ||  ||  ||  || "three (of them)"{{efn|name=context|When "cats" is already evident from the context, as in "How many cats do you have?" "I have three."/"Three."}}
|-
| '''{{teal|NUM}}-{{red|CL}}-{{brown|ADJ}}-{{purple|N}}''' ||  || {{teal|{{ruby-zh-p|三|sān}}}}<br>three || {{red|{{ruby-zh-p|只|zhī}}}}<br>{{du|CL}} || {{brown|{{ruby-zh-p|黑|hēi}}}}<br>black || {{purple|{{ruby-zh-p|猫|māo}}}}<br>cat ||  || "three black cats"
|-
| '''{{green|DEM}}-{{teal|NUM}}-{{red|CL}}-{{brown|ADJ}}-{{purple|N}}''' || {{green|{{ruby-zh-p|这|zhè}}}}<br>this || {{teal|{{ruby-zh-p|三|sān}}}}<br>three || {{red|{{ruby-zh-p|只|zhī}}}}<br>{{du|CL}} || {{brown|{{ruby-zh-p|黑|hēi}}}}<br>black || {{purple|{{ruby-zh-p|猫|māo}}}}<br>cat ||  || "these three black cats"
|-
| '''{{teal|NUM}}-{{red|CL}}-{{brown|ADJ}}''' ||  || {{teal|{{ruby-zh-p|三|sān}}}}<br>three || {{red|{{ruby-zh-p|只|zhī}}}}<br>{{du|CL}} || {{brown|{{ruby-zh-p|黑的|hēi&nbsp;de}}}}{{efn|When an adjective in Chinese appears by itself, with no noun after it, {{lang|zh|的}} is added to identify it as an adjective because many nouns can be used as verbs, adjectives and/or adverbs (e.g. 统一 "unite" can be used as verb, adjective and adverb; 黑 "black" can be used as noun (as the color), verb (transferred meanings, "defame" and "hack into"; but cannot be used as "to make something black"), adjective and adverb). The use of {{lang|zh|的}} in this example is not related to the presence of classifiers.}}<br>black ||  ||  || "three black ones"{{efn|name=context}}
|-
|colspan="8" |{{notelist}}
|}

{| style="border:1px solid darkgray; margin: 1em auto;"
|-style="height:30px"
!  !! {{green|demonstrative}} !! {{teal|number}} !! {{red|{{du|classifier|red}}}} !! {{brown|adjective}} !! {{purple|noun}}!! style="width:7%"|&nbsp; !! English equivalent
|-
| '''{{teal|NUM}}-{{red|CL}}-{{purple|N}}''' ||  || {{teal|{{ruby-zh-p|五|wǔ}}}}<br>five || {{red|{{ruby-zh-p|头|tóu}}}}<br/>{{du|CL}} ||  || {{purple|{{ruby-zh-p|牛|niú}}}}<br/>cattle ||  || "five head of cattle"
|-
| '''{{green|DEM}}-{{red|CL}}-{{purple|N}}''' || {{green|{{ruby-zh-p|这|zhè}}}}<br>this ||  || {{red|{{ruby-zh-p|头|tóu}}}}<br/>{{du|CL}} ||  || {{purple|{{ruby-zh-p|牛|niú}}}}<br/>cattle ||  || "this head of cattle"
|-
| '''{{teal|NUM}}-{{red|CL}}''' ||  || {{teal|{{ruby-zh-p|五|wǔ}}}}<br>five || {{red|{{ruby-zh-p|头|tóu}}}}<br/>{{du|CL}} ||  ||  ||  || "five head"{{efn|name=context|When "cattle" is already evident from the context, as in "How many cattle do you have?" "I have five head."}}
|-
| '''{{teal|NUM}}-{{red|CL}}-{{brown|ADJ}}-{{purple|N}}''' ||  || {{teal|{{ruby-zh-p|五|wǔ}}}}<br>five || {{red|{{ruby-zh-p|头|tóu}}}}<br/>{{du|CL}} || {{brown|{{ruby-zh-p|大|dà}}}}<br/>big || {{purple|{{ruby-zh-p|牛|niú}}}}<br/>cattle ||  || "five head of big cattle"
|-
| '''{{green|DEM}}-{{teal|NUM}}-{{red|CL}}-{{brown|ADJ}}-{{purple|N}}''' || {{green|{{ruby-zh-p|这|zhè}}}}<br>this || {{teal|{{ruby-zh-p|五|wǔ}}}}<br>five || {{red|{{ruby-zh-p|头|tóu}}}}<br/>{{du|CL}} || {{brown|{{ruby-zh-p|大|dà}}}}<br/>big || {{purple|{{ruby-zh-p|牛|niú}}}}<br/>cattle ||  || "these five head of big cattle"
|-
| '''{{teal|NUM}}-{{red|CL}}-{{brown|ADJ}}''' ||  || {{teal|{{ruby-zh-p|五|wǔ}}}}<br>five || {{red|{{ruby-zh-p|头|tóu}}}}<br/>{{du|CL}} || {{brown|{{ruby-zh-p|大的|dàde}}}}{{efn|When an adjective in Chinese appears by itself, with no noun after it, {{lang|zh|的}} is added. The use of {{lang|zh|的}} in this example is not related to the presence of classifiers.}}<br/>big ||  ||  || "five head of big ones"{{efn|name=context}}
|-
|colspan="8" | {{notelist}}
|}

On the other hand, when a noun is not counted or introduced with a demonstrative, a classifier is not necessary:<ref name="Zhang47">{{Harvnb|Zhang|2007|p=47}}</ref> for example, there is a classifier in
{{fs interlinear|lang=zh|indent=2|三 {{uline|辆}} 车|sān liàng chē|three {{uline|CL}} car|'three cars'}}

but not in
{{fs interlinear|lang=zh|indent=2|我 的 车|wǒ de chē|me POSS car|'my car'}}

Furthermore, numbers and demonstratives are often not required in Chinese, so speakers may choose not to use one—and thus not to use a classifier. For example, to say "[[Zhang San]] turned into a tree", both are acceptable:<ref name=Li1119>{{Harvnb|Li|2000|p=1119}}</ref> The use of classifiers after demonstratives is in fact optional.<ref>{{Harvnb|Sun|2006|p=159}}</ref>

{{fs interlinear|lang=zh|indent=2|张 三 变成 了 一 {{uline|棵}} 树|Zhāng Sān biànchéng -le yì {{uline|kē}} shù|Zhang San become PAST one {{uline|CL}} tree|}}
{{fs interlinear|lang=zh|indent=2|张 三 变成 了 树|Zhāng Sān biànchéng -le shù|Zhang San become PAST tree|}}

It is also possible for a classifier alone to qualify a noun, the numeral being omitted, as in
{{fs interlinear|lang=zh|indent=2|买 {{uline|匹}} 马|mǎi {{uline|pǐ}} mǎ|buy {{uline|CL}} horse|"buy a horse"<ref>{{Harvnb|Sun|2006|p=160}}</ref>}}

===Specialized uses===
[[File:Trafficjamdelhi.jpg|right|thumb|The phrase {{fs interlinear|lang=zh|indent=1|车 {{uline|辆}}|chē {{uline|liàng}}|car {{uline|CL}}|}} has the classifier after the noun. It could refer, for example, to "the cars on the road".|alt=A traffic jam]]

In addition to their uses with numbers and demonstratives, classifiers have some other functions. A classifier placed after a noun expresses a plural or indefinite quantity of it. For example:

{{fs interlinear|lang=zh|indent=2|书 {{uline|本}}|shū {{uline|běn}}|book {{uline|CL}}|'the books' (e.g. on a shelf, or in a library)}}

whereas the standard pre-nominal construction
{{fs interlinear|lang=zh|indent=2|一 {{uline|本}} 书|yī {{uline|běn}} shū|one {{uline|CL}} book|'one book'<ref name=LiThomp82>{{Harvnb|Li|Thompson|1981|p=82}}</ref>}}

Many classifiers may be [[reduplicated]] to mean 'every'. For example:

{{fs interlinear|lang=zh|indent=2|{{uline|个}} {{uline|个}} 人
|{{uline|gè}} {{uline|ge}} rén
|{{uline|CL}} {{uline|CL}} person
|'every person'<ref group="note">Although {{zhi|c=每{{uline|每}}个人}} is more generally used to mean 'every person' in this case.</ref><ref name=LiThomp34-5>{{Harvnb|Li|Thompson|1981|pp=34–35}}</ref>
}}

A classifier used along with 一 ({{Transliteration|zh|yī}} 'one') and after a noun conveys a meaning close to 'all of' or 'the entire' or 'a ___full of'.<ref name=LiThomp111>{{Harvnb|Li|Thompson|1981|p=111}}</ref> This sentence uses the classifier {{lang|zh|片}}&nbsp;({{Transliteration|zh|piàn}} 'slice'), which refers to the sky, not the clouds.<ref group=note>See, for example, similar results in the Chinese corpus of the Center for Chinese Linguistics at [[Peking University]]: [http://ccl.pku.edu.cn:8080/ccl_corpus/search?dir=xiandai&q=%E5%A4%A9%E7%A9%BA%E4%B8%80%E7%89%87&neighborSortLength=0&maxLeftLength=30&maxRightLength=30&start=0&num=50&index=FullIndex&outputFormat=HTML&orderStyle=score&encoding=UTF-8 天空一片], retrieved on 3 June 2009.</ref>

{{fs interlinear|lang=zh|indent=2
|天空 一 {{uline|片}} 云
|tiānkōng yī {{uline|piàn}} yún
|sky one {{uline|CL}} cloud
|"the sky was full of clouds"}}

Classifiers may also indicate possession. For example, the Standard Chinese equivalent of 'my book' would often be {{lang|zh|我的书}}&nbsp;({{Transliteration|zh|wǒ de shū}}), but in Cantonese this would typically be expressed as

{{fs interlinear|lang=yue|indent=2
|我 {{uline|本}} 书
|ngo4 bun2 syu1
|me CL.POSS book
|"my book"}}

with the classifier serving as a possessive marker roughly equivalent to English ''s''.