Scale Quantity

When indicating a quantity in terms of scale, we use this special pattern:

Number + Adjective + Classifier + Noun

Note that the classifier varies according to the noun that follows it.

e.g.

今天太热了，快给我一大杯冰咖啡！(Jīntiān tài rè le, kuài gěi wǒ yī dà bēi bīng kāfēi!) It’s so hot today, quickly get me a large cup of iced coffee!

今天我跟孩子说了一长串话，他好像什么都没听明白。(Jīntiān wǒ gēn háizi shuō le yī cháng chuàn huà, tā hǎoxiàng shénme dōu méi tīng míngbái.) Today I said a long string of words to the child, but it seems he didn’t understand anything.

我一般晚上只吃三小碗沙拉。(Wǒ yībān wǎnshàng zhǐ chī sān xiǎo wǎn shālā.) I usually only eat three small bowls of salad in the evening.

早餐我最喜欢喝一大杯牛奶，再吃一小碟水果。(Zǎocān wǒ zuì xǐhuān hē yī dà bēi niúnǎi, zài chī yī xiǎo dié shuǐguǒ.) For breakfast, I like to drink a large cup of milk and then eat a small plate of fruit.

你收拾一下玩具吧！三大箱玩具里全是灰尘。(Nǐ shōushi yīxià wánjù ba! Sān dà xiāng wánjù lǐ quán shì huīchén.) Clean up the toys! The three large boxes of toys are full of dust.

如果你明天来上课，请帮我带两小袋薯片吧。(Rúguǒ nǐ míngtiān lái shàngkè, qǐng bāng wǒ dài liǎng xiǎo dài shǔpiàn ba.) If you come to class tomorrow, please bring me two small bags of chips.