bu4 部 usage....

[杰声]

Hello all, my first post here ^_^ First of all just want to say I'm glad I found this forum, it's already helped me with a lot of stuff and i onyl found it yesterday ^_^

I've just started studying chinese as part of my degree at uni and I've come across the measure word 部 (bu4), I know you use it for works of liturature and films etc but the fact that you also use it for machines is kinda confusing me. Is there a general sort of rule for it's usage? Like 条 (tiao2) being for long wavy/flexible things and 把 (ba3) being for things you use with your hands?

Btw I put in the pinyin as it seems a lot of people on here use traditional and I only learn simplified ^_^

[Quest]

That's the way it is. It's used for both literature/films and machines/vehicles/electronics.

[florazheng]

Jackson

[xiaocai]

I think it is the proper usage, but no a strict rule.

[trevelyan]

If you're really unsure, just use 个....

Measure words are tough. I think its basically impossible to get used to them without actually spending time in China and hearing people use them. If you're planning on spending time in China later, don't worry so much about using them, because its an easy transition to use the right one once you know what it is.

[ced1zh]

部门：（外交部，农业部etc.)department 部委：ministries and commissions

部首（偏旁）：(lg.)radicals by which characters are arranged in dictionary

部队：army, troops

部署：dispose, deploy, arrange, lay out

部分，部件：part, section, portion, disposition, components

部位: position, aspect

部落：tribe, 部族：tribe, clan

部下：subordinate

量词：一部汽车，a car, 一部电话，a telephone...etc.

[杰声]

Heh guess I'll just stick to learning it use by use then ^^