HSKReadyGet the appHSK 2 · Word classes › Measure words › Verbal measure words
HSK 2 Verbal Measure Word 次 (cì): Counting Actions and Occurrences
In Mandarin Chinese, counting how many times an action happens requires a verbal measure word (动量词). At Level 2 of the supplied HSK outline, 次 (cì) is the core verbal measure word used to express the frequency or number of occurrences of an action.
我听了一次。
Correct: The verbal measure phrase 一次 (once) follows directly after the verb 听 and the aspect particle 了.
× 我见过两次他。
Incorrect: In Chinese, a frequency complement like 两次 cannot separate a verb from a personal pronoun object (他). Replace with 我见过他两次。
Corrected example: 我见过他两次。
Read the full explanation and examples
What Is the Verbal Measure Word 次?
When you count objects or people in Chinese, you use nominal measure words such as 个 (gè) or 本 (běn) between a number and a noun. When you count how many times an action takes place, you need a verbal measure word (动量词, dòngliàngcí). In the Level 2 grammar syllabus of the supplied HSK outline, 次 (cì) is introduced as the primary verbal measure word for counting occurrences.
The word 次 (cì) translates closely to English "time" or "times" in phrases like "one time" (一次, yī cì), "twice" (两次, liǎng cì), or "three times" (三次, sān cì). It is neutral and versatile, focusing simply on the number of occasions an event or action happens rather than the duration or the start-to-finish thoroughness of the process.
Basic Sentence Structure and Post-Verbal Placement
In the basic neutral pattern, number + 次 follows the verb (and a verb-attached 了 or 过). 我去过三次北京 is a useful model. A count can also occur before the verb in marked or written-style expressions, so distinguish the complement pattern taught here from every possible count phrase.
我听了一次。
Correct: The verbal measure phrase 一次 (once) follows directly after the verb 听 and the aspect particle 了.
他昨天打球打了两次。
Correct: With the verb-object phrase 打球 (to play ball), repeating the verb 打 allows 两次 (twice) to follow immediately after the second verb.
For everyday “twice”, 两次 is the usual choice. 二次 also occurs in formal or technical counting, so it is not reserved only for 第二次. In natural speech, 一 in 一次 changes to second tone before fourth-tone 次 (yí cì); the displayed citation spelling is yī cì. In 第一次, 一 retains first tone.
Word Order When the Verb Has an Object
When the verb takes an object, where you put Number + 次 (cì) depends on what kind of noun or pronoun the object is. Getting this word order right is one of the most important skills when using verbal measure words.
- Personal pronouns (such as 我, 你, 他, 她, 它): The pronoun object must come immediately after the verb (and any aspect particle), and Number + 次 goes at the very end.
- Place names and location words (such as 北京, 中国, 学校, 这儿): Number + 次 normally goes before the place object, right after the verb and aspect particle, though placing it after a location noun is also possible in some contexts.
- General noun objects (such as 电影, 药, 球): Number + 次 typically comes before the noun object, or the verb is repeated so that the object follows the first verb and Number + 次 follows the repeated verb.
我去过三次北京。
Correct: When the object is a place name like 北京 (Beijing), 三次 (three times) naturally goes between the verb phrase 去过 and the destination.
姐姐来过一次这儿。
Correct: The frequency phrase 一次 (once) stands after 来过 and before the location word 这儿 (here).
我见过他两次。
Correct: Because the object 他 (him) is a personal pronoun, it must sit immediately after 见过, with 两次 (twice) placed after the pronoun.
Expanding Usage: Ordinals and Demonstratives with 次
While counting post-verbal actions is the primary function of 次 (cì), it also combines naturally with the ordinal prefix 第 (dì) and demonstratives like 这 (zhè, "this"), 那 (nà, "that"), 上 (shàng, "last/previous"), and 下 (xià, "next").
这次, 下次, and 第一次 identify a particular occasion rather than merely tallying occurrences. They often appear before a verb or modify an event noun, as in the examples below.
这次考试不难。
Correct: Here 这次 (this time) modifies the event noun 考试 (exam) and sits at the beginning of the clause.
这是我第一次做中国菜。
Correct: Combined with 第 to form an ordinal phrase, 第一次 (the first time) precedes the verb phrase 做中国菜 to frame the occasion.
Useful Contrasts and Common Learner Mistakes
Learners often wonder how 次 (cì) differs from other ways of counting or expressing time. First, do not confuse 次 (cì) with 个 (gè). While 个 (gè) counts people and things, it cannot count how many times an action happens. Second, as you progress in Chinese, you may encounter another verbal measure word, 遍 (biàn). Whereas 次 (cì) simply tallies occurrences regardless of whether the action was finished from beginning to end, 遍 (biàn) emphasizes completing the entire process of an action from start to finish (such as reading an entire book through once). For simple frequency counts of visits, meetings, or everyday events, 次 (cì) is the standard choice.
Practise a neutral count after the verb, and keep a personal-pronoun object before that count: 我见过他两次. The alternative pre-verbal count below illustrates emphasis or written style, not a universally invalid sentence.
我三次去过北京。
This order can occur when the count is foregrounded, especially in written or emphatic language. For a neutral beginner answer, prefer 我去过三次北京 or 我去过北京三次. A difference in register is not a universal grammatical ban.
× 我见过两次他。
Incorrect: In Chinese, a frequency complement like 两次 cannot separate a verb from a personal pronoun object (他). Replace with 我见过他两次。
Corrected example: 我见过他两次。
Frequently asked questions
If 次 means 'time', can I use it to ask what time it is or how much time I have?
No. English uses the word 'time' for clock time, duration, and frequency, but Chinese keeps them completely separate. Use 点 (diǎn) for clock time, 时间 (shíjiān) for general time or duration, and 次 (cì) strictly for counting separate occasions or occurrences.
Should I say 二次 or 两次 for 'twice'?
Use 两次 as the normal conversational form for “twice”. 二次 can appear in formal or technical counting too. 第二次 means “the second time”, which is an ordinal and does not mean “twice”.
Does the particle 了 or 过 go before or after 次?
Aspect particles like 了 (le) and 过 (guo) attach directly to the verb, so they go before the Number + 次 phrase. For example, say 去过一次 (qù guo yī cì) or 看了两次 (kàn le liǎng cì).
