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HSK 2

件

measure word for clothing, matters, items

measure wordneutral
件
jiàn4th tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
jiàn
Part of speech
measure word
Level
HSK 2
Strokes
6
Register
neutral

Stroke order for 件

件 is written with 6 strokes. The animation replays automatically.

What does 件 mean?

件 (jiàn) is a high-frequency Chinese measure word (classifier) that English doesn't translate directly — it sits between a number and certain nouns to count them.

Use 件 mainly for: (1) upper-body clothing — 一件衣服 (a piece of clothing), 一件衬衫 (a shirt), 一件外套 (a coat); (2) abstract 'matters / affairs' — 一件事 (one matter / one thing to handle), 一件大事 (a big deal), 三件事 (three things on my agenda); (3) certain individual items, especially luggage and packages — 一件行李 (one piece of luggage). Important pairings to remember: pants/skirts/shoes are NOT counted with 件 — pants take 条 (一条裤子), shoes take 双 (一双鞋).

Books take 本, cars take 辆. Mastering measure words is one of the harder parts of beginner Chinese because they're noun-specific; 件 is one of the first three or four you learn after 个.

Memory hook: Think of 件 as 'a piece of' — a piece of clothing, a piece of business, a piece of luggage.

Example sentences

我买了一件新衣服。

Wǒ mǎi le yí jiàn xīn yīfu.

I bought a new piece of clothing.

neutral

我有一件事想跟你说。

Wǒ yǒu yí jiàn shì xiǎng gēn nǐ shuō.

There's something I'd like to talk to you about.

spoken

这件衣服多少钱？

Zhè jiàn yīfu duōshao qián?

How much is this piece of clothing?

spoken

他送了我一件很贵的礼物。

Tā sòng le wǒ yí jiàn hěn guì de lǐwù.

He gave me a very expensive gift.

neutral

我只有一件行李。

Wǒ zhǐ yǒu yí jiàn xíngli.

I only have one piece of luggage.

spoken

Common phrases with 件

一件衣服yí jiàn yīfua piece of clothing
一件事yí jiàn shìone matter; one thing (to deal with)
一件礼物yí jiàn lǐwùone gift
一件行李yí jiàn xínglione piece of luggage
这件zhè jiànthis one (piece / matter)

Synonyms

个gè

个 is the universal default measure word — beginners can sometimes get away with using it for 'matters' (一个事), but native speakers prefer 件 for 事, clothing, and packages. 件 sounds more correct and educated for those nouns.

条tiáo

条 is for long, thin things — pants (裤子), skirts (裙子), fish (鱼), rivers (河). Don't use 件 for these. 一件裤子 is wrong; 一条裤子 is right.

Don't confuse 件 with

见jiàn

见 ('to see / meet,' as in 再见 'goodbye') sounds identical and looks similar but is a verb, not a measure word. 件 has the 亻 person radical on the left.

条tiáo

条 is the measure word for long, thin items (pants, fish, rivers). 件 is for clothing tops, matters, and packages. Confusing them is one of the most common HSK 2 mistakes.

本běn

本 is the measure word for books and bound volumes. 一件书 is wrong; 一本书 is right. Each Chinese noun has its 'correct' measure word — you have to learn the pairings.

FAQ

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