学习用品
Xuéxí yòngpǐn — School Supplies
The things in a pencil case, and the grammar point that comes with them: measure words. Chinese never says “three book” — it says “three volume book” — and this is the unit where that becomes a habit.
Unit objectives
- Name eight school objects
- Count objects using the right measure word
- Ask to borrow something politely
- Read and write eight new characters
Key vocabulary
书 铃笔 橡皮 纸 书包 尺子 剑刀 借
Four measure words, and a safety net
The pattern is always number + measure word + noun:
三本书 three books — 本 for bound things
两支铃笔 two pencils — 支 for long thin things
一张纸 one sheet of paper — 张 for flat things
四个朋友 four friends — 个, the general one
When in doubt, use 个. Native speakers do exactly the same thing and everyone understands.
What’s in your bag
Eight objects
Flashcards, then the real pencil case — students empty it out and name everything they own.
Counting properly
The four measure words, sorted by shape. Students group objects by which word they take.
May I borrow…?
A genuinely useful role-play: asking a classmate for a pencil, and saying thank you when it arrives.
The four treasures of the study
Long before pencil cases, a Chinese student’s kit was the 文房四宝 — the four treasures: brush, ink stick, paper and ink stone. They’re still sold, still used for calligraphy, and still a lovely thing to show a seven-year-old who has just learned the word for “paper.” If you can get hold of a brush and let children write 一 二 三 with it, the difference in how the strokes feel makes stroke order suddenly make sense.
Unit 2 progress check
A light, no-pressure way to see what’s sticking:
- Can your child name five things in their bag?
- Do they put a measure word between number and noun at all?
- Can they ask to borrow something?
Using 个 for everything is a pass. Choosing the right one every time is a Grade 4 skill.