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HSK 6 Dedicated Nominal Measure Words: 串, 滴, 枝, 扇, and 卷
This lesson covers six dedicated nominal measure words listed in the Level 6 grammar outline: 串 (chuàn), 滴 (dī), 枝 (zhī), 扇 (shàn), and the two entries 卷1 and 卷2. You will learn how each classifier reflects the physical shape, grouping, or literary division of its noun, how to place them in standard phrases, and how to avoid confusing shape-specific classifiers.
桌子上放着一串钥匙和两串紫葡萄。
串 counts both items threaded on a ring (keys) and fruit growing in a cluster (grapes).
× 请帮我把那枝玻璃窗关上。
Incorrect: A glass window (玻璃窗) is a flat panel, not a slender rod or branch, so 枝 cannot be used here. Replace 枝 with 扇 as shown in “请帮我把那扇玻璃窗关上。”.
Corrected example: 请帮我把那扇玻璃窗关上。
Read the full explanation and examples
What Are Dedicated Nominal Measure Words?
The HSK 6 outline groups 串, 滴, 枝, 扇 and two entries for 卷 as dedicated nominal measure words. Their associations with shape, arrangement or textual divisions help you learn them, but noun–classifier pairings are also conventional. Do not assume that 个 can replace every classifier, or that every similarly shaped object takes the same one.
Useful patterns include 两串葡萄, 这串葡萄 and 这两串葡萄. 几 and 每 also occur before a classifier. The noun can contain a modifier, as in 两串刚摘的葡萄, or be understood from context. Size adjectives can appear in combinations such as 一大串葡萄 and 一大卷纸; this is not a rule that every adjective fits before every classifier.
Strings, Clusters, and Droplets: 串 (chuàn) and 滴 (dī)
串 (chuàn) counts a string, cluster or connected sequence: 一串钥匙, 一串葡萄, 一串珠子, 一串烤肉, 一串鞭炮 or 一串数字. Some items are physically joined; others, such as numbers, form an abstract sequence. Learn the whole pairing: a necklace is 一条项链, while its strung beads can be 一串珠子.
桌子上放着一串钥匙和两串紫葡萄。
串 counts both items threaded on a ring (keys) and fruit growing in a cluster (grapes).
滴 (dī) counts individual drops of liquid, as in 一滴水, 三滴墨水, 汗滴 and 泪滴. The amount is conceptualized as a drop; it need not be a perfect sphere, and 滴 does not by itself imply scarcity or precise laboratory measurement.
她用滴管往清水里加了三滴墨水。
滴 measures small individual droplets of liquid.
Stems and Hinged Panels: 枝 (zhī) and 扇 (shàn)
The classifier 枝 (zhī) originally refers to a tree branch or twig, and as a measure word it counts long, slender, rod-shaped items, particularly flowers or plants cut with a stem—such as plum blossoms (梅花), roses (玫瑰), or willow twigs (柳条). It is also traditionally used for items like pens (笔), arrows (箭), rifles (枪), and candles (蜡烛).
她在花瓶里插了一枝刚剪下来的梅花。
枝 is used for flowers cut with a stem or branch.
扇 (shàn) is used with doors, windows and comparable panels, as in 一扇门 and 一扇窗. Glass or wood does not change that pairing. Shape helps explain the association, but flatness alone is insufficient: a sheet of paper is 一张纸. Other classifiers can reflect a different unit, such as 樘 for a whole door or window assembly.
微风吹开了朝南的那扇木窗。
扇 counts hinged or sliding panels such as doors and windows.
Cylindrical Rolls and Book Volumes: 卷1 and 卷2
The supplied outline lists two distinct entries: 卷1 and 卷2. Although the syllabus table provides only the character labels without explicit dictionary definitions, standard Chinese grammar distinguishes two primary nominal measure word uses of 卷 that differ in meaning and standard pronunciation.
- Physical cylindrical rolls (pronounced juǎn in third tone): Counts flexible materials wound into a spool or cylinder, such as toilet paper (卫生纸), photographic film (胶卷), adhesive tape (胶带), cloth (布), or rolled drawings and mats (画, 席子).
- Volumes or divisions of written works (juàn, fourth tone): used in 四卷史书, 第一卷 and 这部著作分为四卷. A 卷 may be a textual division rather than a separately bound book. 卷 is also a noun in 试卷, but exam papers are commonly counted with 张 or 份; do not transfer every noun sense directly into a classifier pairing.
摄影师在抽屉里找到了两卷旧胶卷和一大卷卫生纸。
卷 (juǎn) counts flexible items wound into a cylinder; note the adjective 大 before the classifier.
这部历史著作一共分为四卷。
卷 (juàn) counts volumes or major divisions of a book or collection.
Useful Contrasts and Common Learner Errors
At an advanced level, learners should pay attention to overlap and boundaries between similar classifiers:
- 枝 and 支 overlap for some long, slender objects. Learn 枝 with plant stems or branches, as in 一枝梅花, and 支 with examples such as 一支笔 and 一支手电筒. The 木 component is a memory aid, not a grammatical rule banning 枝 from all non-plant objects.
- 枝 and 朵: 一枝玫瑰 foregrounds a stem or spray; 一朵玫瑰 counts a flower or bloom. A flower counted with 朵 may still have its stem attached—the classifier changes the unit of attention, not necessarily the physical object.
- Individual items versus a string or bunch: 一颗葡萄 / 一颗珠子 count a grape or bead, while 一把钥匙 counts a key. 一串葡萄 / 一串珠子 / 一串钥匙 count a bunch or connected group. Choose both the unit and the noun-specific pairing; 颗 does not count a key.
In the next example, 枝 is a mismatch for the window being closed. 扇 supplies the appropriate panel classifier; this corrects the noun–classifier pairing without changing the request.
× 请帮我把那枝玻璃窗关上。
Incorrect: A glass window (玻璃窗) is a flat panel, not a slender rod or branch, so 枝 cannot be used here. Replace 枝 with 扇 as shown in “请帮我把那扇玻璃窗关上。”.
Corrected example: 请帮我把那扇玻璃窗关上。
请帮我把那扇玻璃窗关上。
Correct replacement for “请帮我把那枝玻璃窗关上。”: 扇 properly classifies windows and doors.
Frequently asked questions
When counting flowers, how do I choose between 枝 and 朵?
Use 枝 to foreground a stem or spray, and 朵 to count a flower or bloom. For example, 一枝玫瑰 draws attention to the stemmed flower, while 一朵玫瑰 counts the bloom; the latter can still be attached to a stem.
Why does 卷 have two entries in the syllabus list?
In standard Chinese, 卷 functions as a measure word in two distinct ways: pronounced juǎn (third tone) for cylindrical rolls of paper, film, or tape, and pronounced juàn (fourth tone) for volumes or divisions of books and historical texts.
Can 扇 be used for any flat object like a table or wall?
No. 扇 pairs with doors, windows and some comparable panels, not every flat object. Use 一张桌子 / 一张纸 for a table or sheet of paper, and 一面镜子 / 一面墙 for a mirror or wall. These are learned pairings, rather than a rule based only on physical shape.
