Animal names in Mandarin Chinese 2

Measure words for animals

Let’s learn some common measure words for animals!

1. yī zhǐ xīngxing (一只猩猩, one gorilla)
2. yī tiáo máomaochóng (一条毛毛虫, one caterpillar)
3. yī zhǐ zhū (一只猪, one pig)
4. yī tóu niú (一头牛, one cow)
5. yī zhǐ mòyú (一只墨鱼, one squid)
6. yī tóu dàxiàng (一头大象, one elephant)
7. yī tiáo jīnyú (一条金鱼, one goldfish)
8. yī pī mǎ (一匹马, one horse)
9. yī zhǐ wúwěixióng (一只无尾熊, one koala)

The measure word 只 is used for most of the animals, but not all the animals.

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