Classifier For Light Or Lamp - 盏?

[gedawei]

While browsing a Chinese dictionary, I saw that zhan3 is the classifier for light or lamp 电灯 or 灯. In all my years of speaking Chinese on-and-off, I don't recall hearing this classifier being used. Seems like the simple ge 个 is much more commonly used, at least in speech. Any observations about this? And is zhan3 盏 used for other nouns?

[Etwood]

I'm not sure about this measure word, but I will say that I've noticed some of my Chinese friends just using 个 instead of the "proper" MW. I can't remember the specific example, but I corrected my Chinese friend's MW use once (in jest) and she just laughed and told me to stop being anal. *shrugs*

[anonymoose]

I think 盏 is used, although as said, often 个 is used to substitute all kinds of measure words.

[xiaocai]

I think originally 盏 was the name of some sort of container, since 灯 was basically a very small plate filled with oil with a wick on the side many many years ago, at least in a chinese sense. So sometimes you can also see words like 一盏茶 or 一盏酒 and such, even they are much less commonly used than 一盏灯 now.

[aristotle1990]

I think originally 盏 was the name of some sort of container, since 灯 was basically a very small plate filled with oil with a wick on the side many many years ago, at least in a chinese sense. So sometimes you can also see words like 一盏茶 or 一盏酒 and such, even they are much less commonly used than 一盏灯 now.

Yes, 盏 originally meant a small bowl/cup used for drinking tea or wine, something like this.

[Daan]

It's certainly what I was taught in Taiwan, although I do not recall ever hearing it outside of the classroom.

[SiMaKe]

Google shows 2,890,000 hits for 盏灯 and 2,000,000 for 盏电灯. So it looks like someone still uses it. (Maybe just lamp dealers;).)

[tooironic]

I've definitely heard it used, but like any MW it is often substituted by 個 in real life.

[rob07]

Just heard it in 王菲's 乘客 - 第一盏路灯开了.

Apart from as a measure word, I've also seen 灯盏 used to mean lamp - eg: 华大妈在枕头底下掏了半天，掏出一包洋钱，交给老栓，老栓接了，抖抖的装入衣袋，又在外面按了两下；便点上灯笼，吹熄灯盏，走向里屋子去了。（药 by 鲁迅）

[gougou]

Apart from as a measure word, I've also seen 灯盏 used to mean lamp

There's a couple of words that are used as generic nouns and are formed by adding the measure word, such as 花朵 or 船只。

[rob07]

There's a couple of words that are used as generic nouns and are formed by adding the measure word, such as 花朵 or 船只

Interesting, hadn't really noticed that before.

I think originally 盏 was the name of some sort of container, since 灯 was basically a very small plate filled with oil with a wick on the side many many years ago, at least in a chinese sense.

I think 灯盏 implies that the lamp in question is just that sort of old-fashioned lamp - nciku defines it as "A coverless oil lamp; broadly: a lamp.". But there's no such implication with 一盏灯.

[Guoke]

I use "一盏灯" most of the time and rarely say "一个灯"。

[gedawei]

Thank you all for an interesting discussion and the useful answers. This forum is great.

[Kobo-Daishi]

Dear all,

I was watching a rerun of an old episode of the American police procedural series "Without A Trace" with Netizen-provided Chinese subtitles and what should coincidentally pop up.

measure word for lamp

The agent was calling her supervisor to tell him that they'd found the lamp which was used as the murder weapon.

Kobo-Daishi, PLLA.

[gedawei]

Kobo - Great capture, as we say in the photo-sharing world!

[Shi Tong]

I've not heard zhan3 before myself, but then that's not surprising.. I wonder if they use the same MW for when it's a 灯笼 or lantern? Probably.. right?

[Zomac]

I could understand if someone says "一个灯" but like "一个马", "一个书", "一个海报", saying "一个灯" doesn't sound right to me.

However, when using it with 这, it sounds okay.

这个(盏)灯泡、这个(盏)灯笼.

"哎哟, 这个灯(light bulk) 又坏了, 快点找人来修一下".