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    Chinese Grammar

    Using the classifier 本 (běn) for books

    Numbers & Quantity

    Structure

    Number + 本 + Noun (book/magazine)

    Explanation

    本 (běn) is a measure word (classifier) used to count books, notebooks, magazines, and other bound publications. In Chinese, a number or demonstrative must be followed by an appropriate classifier before the noun, so you say 一本书 (one book), not 一书. It is one of the most commonly used classifiers in everyday Chinese.

    Examples

    • 我昨天在书店买了三本小说。

      wǒ zuótiān zài shūdiàn mǎi le sān běn xiǎoshuō.

      I bought three novels at the bookstore yesterday.

    • 桌子上放着一本很厚的词典。

      zhuōzi shàng fàngzhe yì běn hěn hòu de cídiǎn.

      There is a very thick dictionary on the table.

    • 你能推荐一本学中文的好书吗？

      nǐ néng tuījiàn yì běn xué zhōngwén de hǎo shū ma?

      Can you recommend a good book for learning Chinese?

    Using the classifier 本 (běn) for books | Chinese Grammar