Traditional: 隻
zhī HSK 2

English Meaning

📚 Example Sentences

我有一只猫。
Wǒ yǒu yī zhī māo.
I have a cat.
他买了一只狗。
Tā mǎile yī zhī gǒu.
He bought a dog.
她看见一只鸟。
Tā kànjiàn yī zhī niǎo.
She saw a bird.
我看见一只鸟停在篱笆上。
Wǒ kànjiàn yī zhī niǎo tíng zài líba shàng.
I saw a bird sitting on the fence.
她误买了一只耳环。
Tā wù mǎi le yī zhī ěrhuán.
She bought a single earring by mistake.

💡 Memory Tip

Imagine 只 as a pair of wings (from its shape) to remember it's for small animals like birds, and associate it with common pets like cats or dogs to reinforce its usage.

📝 Usage Notes

Used in spoken and written Chinese to quantify nouns, typically placed between a number and the noun (e.g., 三只猫, sān zhī māo - three cats). It is informal and common in daily life, especially when referring to pets or wildlife. Avoid using it for large animals like elephants, where 头 (tóu) is more appropriate.

📖 Grammar Points

Follows the structure: number + 只 + noun (e.g., 五只鸟, wǔ zhī niǎo - five birds). Can be used with demonstratives like 这 (zhè - this) or 那 (nà - that) (e.g., 这只狗, zhè zhī gǒu - this dog). In questions, it pairs with 几 (jǐ - how many) to ask about quantity (e.g., 几只猫? jǐ zhī māo? - how many cats?).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, 只 reflects the close observation of nature and animals, often appearing in idioms or stories. Its use for small animals ties into traditional rural life and pet-keeping practices, emphasizing familiarity and care.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 个 (gè), a general measure word for people or objects, 只 is specific to small animals. Compared to 条 (tiáo) for long, flexible animals like fish or snakes, 只 is used for compact, often land-based animals.

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