Classifiers (个 and 口)
In Chinese, you cannot place a number directly in front of a noun. You must insert a word called a "classifier" or "measure word." As the name suggests, the classifier categorizes the noun (flat objects, animals, people, etc.).
For example, the classifier for humans is 个 :
一个人 : one person
两个孩子 : two children
七个人 : seven people
There are many classifiers, but some nouns do not have a specific classifier, and 个 serves as the default classifier.
The classifier must also be used with demonstratives 这，那 (this, that) and the interrogative word 哪 (which?):
这个人 : this person
那个学生 : that student (over there)
哪个人？ : Which person?
To count the members of a family, the classifier 口 (mouth) is used:
我家有四口人。 My family has four people.
你家有几口人？ How many people are in your family?
Why 口 (mouth)?
The image is that of "mouths to feed." It is a classifier specific to the family context. Everywhere else, 个 is used to count people.
Use of the number 两
In Chinese, there are two ways to say "two":
- 二 : the number "two" used for counting (1, 2, 3…), in phone numbers, floors, etc.
- 两 : the number "two" used in front of a classifier.
Examples:
两个孩子 : two children
两口人 : two people (in a family)
WARNING
Do not say 二个孩子 but 两个孩子.
In front of a classifier, 两 is always used, not 二.
The verb 有 and its negation 没有
The verb 有 means "to have" or "there is/are." Its structure is the same as other verbs:
Examples from the dialogue:
我有两个孩子。 I have two children.
你有几个孩子？ How many children do you have?
WARNING
The negation of 有 is always 没 or 没有 . Never say 不有.
Examples:
我没有弟弟。 I do not have a younger brother.
你没有弟弟吗？ Don't you have a younger brother?
The conjunction 和
和 means "and." It is used to connect nouns or noun phrases together.
Examples from the dialogue:
一个女儿和一个儿子 : one daughter and one son
我的爸爸、妈妈、一个哥哥、一个姐姐、两个妹妹和我。 : My dad, mom, one older brother, one older sister, two younger sisters, and me.
WARNING
和 is not used to connect clauses. A clause in French is recognized when there is a conjugated verb.
On can say: 我学汉语和日语。 "I study Chinese and Japanese,"but one cannot say 我学中文和说汉语。 "I study Chinese and speak Chinese."
In French, "and" can connect both nouns and sentences, but not in Chinese.
The Chinese enumeration comma 、 (or "semi-comma")
You may have noticed the sign 、 (called 顿号 ) in the dialogue. This is the Chinese enumeration comma. It is used to separate items in a list, where French uses a regular comma.
Example: 我的爸爸、妈妈、一个哥哥、一个姐姐、两个妹妹和我。
In Chinese, the regular comma ， (called 逗号 ) is used to separate clauses in a sentence, not items in a list.
Absence of 的 in 你家
You may have noticed in the dialogue: 你家有几口人？ and not 你的家有几口人？.
When the relationship between the determiner and the determined is a very close one (family, body parts, intimate relationships), 的 is often omitted:
你家 your family / your home
我妈妈 my mom
他爸爸 his dad
To remember
With close family terms, 的 is naturally omitted. However, it can also be included (我的妈妈) without being incorrect—it is simply more formal.
