只 zhī

The Chinese measure word for animals and one of a pair.

只 counts most animals, from cats and dogs to birds and chickens. It also counts one item of a pair, such as one hand, one eye or one shoe. In simplified Chinese it looks the same as 只 zhǐ, “only”; in traditional characters the measure word is 隻.

一只猫yì zhī māoa cat
两只鸟liǎng zhī niǎotwo birds
一只手yì zhī shǒuone hand

95 nouns that take 只

Most common first

手shǒuhand; (formal) to hold 狗gǒudog 眼睛yǎn jingeye 象xiàngelephant; shape 船chuánboat; vessel 脚jiǎofoot; leg (of an animal or an object)包bāoto cover; to wrap 眼yǎneye; small hole 猫māocat; (dialect) to hide oneself 鸡jīfowl; chicken 动物dòng wùanimal 鞋xiéshoe 鸟niǎobird; "bird" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 196)箱子xiāng zisuitcase; chest 鼻子bí zinose 老鼠lǎo shǔrat; mouse 狼lángwolf 耳朵ěr duoear; handle (on a cup)棒球bàng qiúbaseball 手指shǒu zhǐfinger 虫chónglower form of animal life, including insects, insect larvae, worms and similar creatures; (fig.) person with a particular undesirable characteristic 猴子hóu zimonkey 胳膊gē boarm 碗wǎnbowl; cup 兔子tù zihare; rabbit 篮球lán qiúbasketball 虫子chóng ziinsect; bug 羊yángsheep; goat 手套shǒu tàoglove; mitten 蜜蜂mì fēngbee; honeybee 桶tǒngbucket; (trash) can 虎hǔtiger 杯子bēi zicup; glass 袜子wà zisocks; stockings 手表shǒu biǎowristwatch 狮子shī zilion 大象dà xiàngelephant 蝴蝶hú diébutterfly 老虎lǎo hǔtiger 游艇yóu tǐngbarge; yacht 锅guōpot; pan; wok; cauldron; pot-shaped thing 青蛙qīng wāfrog; (old) (slang) ugly guy 铃líng(small) bell 猴hóumonkey 耳环ěr huánearring 苍蝇cāng yinghousefly 恐龙kǒng lóngdinosaur; (old) (slang) ugly person 鹅égoose 照相机zhào xiàng jīcamera 避孕套bì yùn tàocondom 鸭yāduck; (slang) male prostitute 螃蟹páng xiècrab 熊猫xióng māopanda 昆虫kūn chónginsect 拖鞋tuō xiéslippers; sandals 篮子lán zibasket 铃铛líng danglittle bell 墨镜mò jìngsunglasses 书包shū bāoschoolbag; satchel 西红柿xī hóng shìtomato 鼻孔bí kǒngnostril 桨jiǎngoar; paddle 隐形眼镜yǐn xíng yǎn jìngcontact lens 羚羊líng yángantelope 长颈鹿cháng jǐng lùgiraffe 蛙wāfrog 蝇yíngfly; musca 饺子jiǎo zidumpling; pot-sticker 钻戒zuàn jièdiamond ring 筐kuāngbasket 蝌蚪kē dǒutadpole 茶杯chá bēiteacup; tea-glass 胳臂gē beiarm 安全帽ān quán màosafety helmet 镯子zhuó zibracelet 布鞋bù xiécloth shoes 牛马niú mǎoxen and horses; beasts of burden 大雁dà yànwild goose 食火鸡shí huǒ jīcassowary (genus Casuarius), large flightless bird native to northeastern Australia and New Guinea 保险套bǎo xiǎn tàocondom 卫生套wèi shēng tàocondom 安全套ān quán tàocondom 木蠹mù dùwood moth; carpenter moth 木蠹蛾mù dù éwood moth; carpenter moth 海鹫hǎi jiùsea eagle 狗獾gǒu huānbadger 狗鹫gǒu jiùroyal eagle 窃蠹甲qiè dù jiǎdrugstore beetle 羌鹫qiāng jiùsea eagle 翅子chì zishark's fin; wing 耳坠子ěr zhuì zieardrops (pendant jewelry); earrings 花豹huā bàoleopard 蠹鱼dù yúsilverfish 蠹鱼子dù yú zisilverfish 阴茎套yīn jīng tàocondom

More measure words

The nouns come from the measure-word notes in CC-CEDICT, ordered by how often each word appears in film and TV subtitles. Many nouns take more than one measure word, and 个 often works in casual speech.