Classifier Confusion

[Guest mamba9]

Hello all. Im new to this forum, unfortunatly I couldn't find an "introduce yourself" section. So not to be so rude, I'll do that first before going onto my question. Ive always been interested in art, everything i do is based on my love of art - which brings me here. Ive only started learning Mandarin for a few weeks on my free time and all is going well ( except for the usual "I dont have a chinese friend to practice with" situation.) Im also taking Japanese classes ( sucks only 2 semesters offered ) and after that I'm thinking of taking Arabic. Right now im doing computer science, and perhaps one day (I wish) continue my studies into robotics and artificial intelligence in Japan. I hope to learn a lot from this forum! よろしくおねがいします!

So right now im having this problem with classifiers, more specifically with the "thin, slender objects." Over at wikibooks they have 根(gēn), but with the textbook im using it uses 枝(zhī), the same sound it makes as 隻, classifier for animals. So im really confused with this one. Well this is the drawback to self teaching, I have to use multiple resources because with self teaching - you could easily teach yourself something wrong, which is why im here! Thanks in advance for your help.

[Siori]

根 always use in plant,

一根水草

枝 can use in classify all the thin and slender object.

一枝樹梢

隻(只) can use in classify the small animals.

一隻小狗

頭(头) uses in classify the big animals.

一頭大狗

頑張れ！

[trevelyan]

Both are ok for pen. 根 might be more Beijinghua -- a customs official here once complimented me on my Chinese after hearing me use it instead of 支.

There is also 条 for things like rivers.

[zhwj]

枝 and 支 are mostly interchangeable, except for the use of 枝 as a quantifier of plants - a spray or sprig.

For lengths or sections of things - strands of wire or string or such - 根 is appropriate.

I get the sense that where 根 and 支 intersect, 根 is more often used for larger pole-like objects - utility poles, fluorescent tubes, and such - while 支 is more typical for smaller things like candles, pens, and guns.

[neverbt]

枝and 支 are not interchangeable, 枝 has"木" that means something related wood;

頭(头) uses in classify the big animals. However, it was never used to describe dog, we can say 一条狗， 一头猪，一头大象，一头狮子。但是"狼"要用匹，一匹狼。the same as horse:D

[Guest mamba9]

Thanks for the help, it clears some stuff up. But now ive come across a couple of more things i need help with. So instead of making a new thread for every single problem i come up with, ill just continue here.

I'll go straight to it: Whats the difference between 那個鉛筆 and 那鉛筆 (That pencil). Unfortunatly for me, the textbook im using should be called "Chinese for English Majors" because the explanation they give is:

"When these demonstrative pronouns are used as the subject of a copulative verb the meaning of which is to be completed by a predicate adjective, or as the object of a verb, or as the predicate noun of a copulative verb, then only 那個 and 這個 will be used."

...rrright. And one quick question, 這是書 means "This is a book", so to say just "This book" is it just 這書 ? Thanks again in advance.

[skylee]

And one quick question, 這是書 means "This is a book", so to say just "This book" is it just 這書 ?

Both 這書 and 這本書 are ok.

For example -

I like this book = 我喜歡這本書 = 我喜歡這書

I like that pencil = 我喜歡那枝鉛筆 = 我喜歡那鉛筆

But usually the measure words are used.

[flameproof]

I find this link REALLY useful:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_measure_word

[Koneko]

I think you can also use "根 and 支" for cigarettes.

They are interchangable