HSK 4
借用量词
jiè yòng liàng cí
Borrowed measure words (借用量词)
Explanation
This is the phenomenon of "borrowed measure words" (借用量词 jiè yòng liàng cí): a measure word (a unit-counting word, like "cái, con, quyển" in Vietnamese) that is not originally a dedicated measure word, but is temporarily borrowed from a noun (the name of an object or a body part) or from a verb (an action) to measure a temporary quantity. This way of speaking vividly evokes the image of being "full of, filled with".
一 (yī, one) + container-noun + content-noun, e.g. 一碗汤 (yī wǎn tāng = a bowl of soup, borrowing 碗 wǎn "bowl"), 一脸水 (yī liǎn shuǐ = a face full of water, borrowing 脸 liǎn "face"); or verb + number + verb-used-as-measure-word, e.g. 切两刀 (qiē liǎng dāo = to cut two slices, borrowing 刀 dāo "knife/cut"), 打一针 (dǎ yī zhēn = to give one injection, borrowing 针 zhēn "needle").
when you want to emphasize the feeling of "overflowing fullness", of a quantity covering an entire surface/space (一脸水, 一屋子人 = a whole room full of people), or to count the number of times of an action by the tool that performs it (切两刀, 打一针).
Vietnamese learners often pair the container noun wrongly with the content (saying *一杯人). You can only borrow when the object truly "contains/is covered in" that content; 一屋子人 is correct because the whole room is full of people, but you cannot say *一碗人. With the verb-borrowing form, the number (两, 一) must go before the verb-measure-word (切两刀), not after.
Examples
a bowl of soup, a face full of water, a hand covered in oil, a room full of people, a table piled with books
to cut two slices (with a knife), to give one injection (with a needle)
Practice
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Learn “借用量词” effectively
The grammar point “借用量词” (Borrowed measure words (借用量词)) is one of the key structures at HSK 4. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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