支 / 只 笔

[YuehanHao]

I had thought the measure word for pens and pencils should be 支 （or 枝）. Yet I have also seen 只 used on some web pages, and even have a dictionary which uses this as the measure word in places. I am wondering, should 只 be considered fully correct as a measure word for pens and pencils, non-standard but still acceptable, or mistaken?

Thank you for any thoughts about this small question of mine.

约翰好

[James86730]

只 is used to measure animals( usually small animals) while 支 is used to measure something like sticks. So 只 is not acceptable when measure a pen unless there's a mistake in typing.

[lemur]

Wait, pens are people too! You are supposed to use 个!

Actually, James86730's explanation sounds correct to me.

But I consider my cats to be people so I use 个 with them. According to my teacher (who is Taiwanese) some speakers of Mandarin who want to make a statement about the personhood of cats or other animals do the same.

[James86730]

chinese people rarely say 一个猫 even u consider it as a people.... that's sound very strange

[gkung]

Use 只 for 笔 is incorrect. You can use either 支, 枝 or 管.

[coke_lite]

支 is right for 笔。

管 is also right but not very formal.

只，as James86730 said , always been used fo some animals ! but not all kinds of animals.

枝, unless you want to descripe the small stick figure of a pen , don't use it.

[Hanyu'sWay]

Strictly speaking, one should use 隻 to refer to animals.

More examples on unit measure for animals:

一条牛

一头牛

一匹马

一条鱼

一尾鱼

一隻鸟

一隻蝴蝶

一条蛇

Use 隻 for all kinds of birds.

You can use 只 for a crab, a lobster, etc., that is being sold.

But I prefer 隻 if I see one swimming.

看，水里有一隻龙虾。 Look， there is a lobster in the water.

我要一只龙虾。 Ｉ　would like to buy a lobster.

[Annaliu]

只，支，枝

They are all quantifier with the same pronunciation.

这是三个读音相同的量词，一般用在数词与名词中间。

The quantifier use in the middle of numeral and noun.

Numeral + Quantifier+Noun

Of course, they can not be interchanged because they are special usage.

但是它们都属于专用量词，不能乱用，一般不能互换。

For example:

只：1. use in twin such as ears, socks and so on.

用于某些成对的东西：两只耳朵、一只袜子；

2. use in some animals such as chick, rabbit.

用于动物：一只鸡、两只兔子；

3.use in ship, boat.用于船：一只小船；

4. use in some instruments such as ark.用于某些器具：一只箱子。

支：1.use in army用于军队：一支部队、一支游击队；

2.use in music, one song.乐（歌）曲：唱一支歌；

3.use as measure of weave. 100 voile纺织行业纱线的计量单位：100支纱；

4.use in shaft such as one pen, three guns.

用于杆状的东西，等同于“枝”：一支钢笔、三支枪。

枝：it is branch, use in flowers, such as one rose. 一枝玫瑰花

the same usage with item 4 of 支. Only this condition, 支 and 枝

can be interchanged.

Example: 一支钢笔=一枝钢笔

同“支”的第4条，但是不能和其他三项互换，如不能“唱一枝歌”。

About quantifier, you have to learn them through more reading and deep understand Chinese culture, no quick way.