Writing
只 (zhī) — how to say "measure word for animals" in Chinese
只
Measure word for animals, etc.
noun measure word
How to use it
Goes between a number (or 这/那) and the noun; a number can't attach to a noun without it.
我有一只猫。
wǒ yǒu yī zhī māo
I have one cat.
Radicals / Keys
口
Mouth
#30 · kǒu · 3 strokes
Collocations
两只鸟
liǎng zhī niǎo
two birds
这只狗
zhè zhī gǒu
this dog
Examples
他今天只吃了一个苹果。
He only ate one apple today.
湖里游着几只鸭子。
Several ducks are swimming in the lake.
Mnemonic
[zhī-] Zippy the zebra is wandering through the zoo and sees a keeper drawing a 只 on each animal pen 🐅. Zippy counts the animals: "Wow, there’s exactly 只 one animal in each!" Mesmerized by the precision, Zippy paints a 只 sign next to the giraffe's enclosure.
Another reading
只zhǐ
adverb
only, just
只有他
zhǐ yǒu tā
only he
只吃一点儿
zhǐ chī yìdiǎnr
eat only a little
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "measure word for animals" in Chinese?
"measure word for animals" in Chinese is 只 (zhī).
What does 只 mean in English?
只 (zhī) means "Measure word for animals, etc.".
How is 只 pronounced?
It is pronounced zhī (written as zhi). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "measure word for animals" in Chinese characters?
It is written 只 and has 5 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 只?
只 belongs to the HSK 3 vocabulary list.
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