In Burmese

Burmese language

The Burmese language is the official language of Burma. Although the constitution officially recognizes it as the Myanmar language, most English speakers continue to refer to the language as Burmese. Burmese is the native language of the Bamar and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as...

, measure word

Measure word

In linguistics, measure words are words that are used in combination with a numeral to indicate an amount of some noun. They denote a unit or measurement and are used with nouns that are not countable. For instance, in English, is a mass noun and thus one cannot say *"three muds", but one can say...

s, in the form of particles, are used when counting or measuring nouns. They immediately follow the number, unless the number is a round number

Round number

A round number is mathematically defined as the product of a considerable number of comparatively small factors as compared to its neighbouring numbers, such as 24 = 2*2*2*3 .However, a round number is informally considered to be an integer that ends with one or more zeroes , such...

 (ends in a zero), in which case, the measure word precedes the number. Nouns to which the classifiers refer to can be omitted if the context allows, because many classifiers have implicit meanings.

The only exceptions to this rule are measurements of time or age (minutes, hours, days, years, etc.), where a preceding noun is not required, as the time measurement acts as a measure word.

Classifiers

See IPA for Burmese for an explanation of the phonetic symbols used in this section.

Burmese	IPA	Transliteration	Main usage
People and animals
	[kàuɴ]	kaung	animals
	[pá]	pa	sacred persons (such as Buddhist monks and nuns)
	[jauʔ]	yauk	persons (general classifier)
	[ʃíɴ]	shin	pairs of draught cattle
	[ʔú]	u	people, monks and nuns
Other measure words
	[kóuɴ]	koun	garlands, necklaces, stringed items
	[tɕaiʔ]	kyaik	draughts gulped down
	[tɕeiʔ]	kyeik	items in 'tens'
	[kʰà]	kha	number of times
	[kʰṵ]	khu	items (general classifier)
	[kʰɛʔ]	khet	branches, sprays of flowers
	[kʰìɴ]	khin	skeins of wool or cotton
	[kʰáuɴ]	khaung	skeins of yarn
	[kʰàiɴ]	khaing	bunches of flowers, fruits
	[kʰauʔ]	khauk	trips
	[kʰwè]	khway	rings, coils
	[kʰúɴ]	khun	words
	[tɕʰì]	chi	performances or shows
	[dʑó]	cho	components of a ratio
	[tɕʰɛʔ]	chet	strokes, blows, hits, points strokes of clocks, drums, gongs, etc.
	[tɕʰáuɴ]	chaung	thin, long items (like pencils, sticks)
	[tɕʰaʔ]	chat	flat items (like tables)
	[tɕʰì]	chi	rings, bangles
	[sí]	si	vehicles and transport animals
	[sí]	si	bundles
	[síɴ]	sin	long-shaped items (like arrows, boats, cars)
	[sàuɴ]	saung	literary pieces, documents, letters, etc.
	[sòuɴ]	soun	sets or pairs
	[sʰa̰]	hsa	number of times per equal amount
	[sʰù]	hsu	sacred objects and parabaik (Pali manuscripts)
	[sʰàuɴ]	hsaung	buildings (like houses, monasteries and royal buildings)
	[sʰáiɴ]	hsaing	work shifts, work gangs, packets of gold foil
	[tàɴ]	tan	different legs of a journey, component parts of abstract concepts
	[ta̰ɴ]	tan	bars, stripes, etc
	[touʔ]	touk	carcasses of hares
	[twɛ́]	twe	items in pairs, bunches or clusters
	[twɛʔ]	twet	snapping of fingers
	[tʰaʔ]	htat	layers, strata, storeys of buildings, etc.
	[tʰáɴ]	htan	loads carried with a shoulder pole (yoke)
	[tʰauʔ]	htauk	stages of a journey, width of a point or tip of something
	[tʰɛ̀]	hte	articles of clothing
	[tʰouʔ]	htout	packages
	[tʰóuɴ]	htoun	knots, coils, etc.
	[tʰwà]	htwa	number of hand spans
	[tʰwè]	htwei	varied items; melds of playing cards
	[naʔ]	nat	meals
	[pá]	pa	sacred persons or objects (such as Buddhist monks)
	[pɔ́]	paw	bundles of seedlings
	[pauʔ]	pauk	dots or drops
	[pàiɴ]	paing	monk's robe; piece of silk used as headdress
	[páiɴ]	paing	part or division of something
	[paʔ]	pat	weeks
	[pìɴ]	pin	tall upright things (trees, plants, poles, etc); long strands (hair, thread, etc).
	[paiʔ]	paik	paragraphs
	[pouʔ]	poud	pieces of writing (such as articles,verse, songs, etc.)
	[pòuɴ]	poun	piles of material
	[pjiʔ]	pyit	mats of palm thatching
	[pjú]	pyu	items in twos or pairs.
	[pjaiʔ]	pyaik	frequency of rain and snow
	[pjìɴ]	pyin	doctrines, concepts, dictums, etc.
	[pjàɴ]	pyan	number of times
	[pwɛ́]	pwe	dishes; offertories
	[pʰí]	hpi	hands of bananas or plantains
	[pʰàuɴ]	hpaung	height or depth equal to the height of a person standing with upraised hands (i.e. from the soles of his feet to the tips of his upraised hands)
	[pʰòuɴ]	hpoun	things in heaps, batches or packs
	[pʰàɴ]	hpan	denotes frequency
	[pʰjà]	hpya	denotes variety, diversity
	[pʰwà]	hpwa	number of puffs (from cigarettes, etc.)
	[mjì]	myi	ingredients of a drug; kinds of dishes served
	[mjù]	myu	pots of toddy wine Palm wine Palm wine also called Palm Toddy also called "Kallu" written in Malayalam and கள்ளு in Tamil or simply Toddy is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, and coconut palms...
	[mjeʔ]	myet	bundles of loops in a skein of cotton
	[m̥ouʔ]	hmout	number of scoops with a dipper or ladle
	[m̥wà]	hmwa	segments of fruit (such as cloves of garlic); parts of a multiparous birth (such as twins)
	[m̥ja̰uɴ]	hmyaung	longitudinally divided segments (such as cloves of garlic)
	[jà]	ya	betel Betel The Betel is the leaf of a vine belonging to the Piperaceae family, which includes pepper and Kava. It is valued both as a mild stimulant and for its medicinal properties...  quids
	[ʃɛʔ]	shek	thin slices of food (such as pancake, waffle, etc.)
	[jàɴ]	yan	objects in pairs
	[jaʔ]	yat	itemisation; expressing things in terms of a man's height
	[jé]	yei	stretches of sleep
	[jè zí]	yei zi	leaves in a parabaik (Pali manuscripts)
	[jaiʔ]	yaik	lengths measured with a bamboo pole
	[jiʔ]	yit	instalments, stages, chevrons, stripes, etc.
	[jwɛʔ]	ywet	counting sheets
	[lá]	la	races in a contest consisting of a series of cart or boat races
	[lì]	li	multiples, frequencies
	[lé]	lei	used in connection with multiples or in replicate, parts of a ratio
	[lɔ́]	law	number of times
	[lɛʔ]	lek	elongated items; turns in the game of dice
	[louʔ]	lout	mouthfuls of food
	[lóuɴ]	loun	round, globular things
	[l̥áiɴ]	hlaing	sheaves of paddy
	[l̥wà]	hlwa	layers, strata, etc.
	[wá]	wa	handsbreadth
	[θá]	tha	number of ticals or fractions of a tical or viss
	[θouʔ]	thouk	movements in groups or operations in shifts
	[θwɛ̀]	thwe	long, sinuous things (such as strands of pearls, garlands of flowers); paths, ways, methods, means, etc.

See also

• Burmese units of measurement
  Burmese units of measurement
  Burmese units or the Burmese system is a collection of units of measurement used in Burma. Burma is one of three countries that still predominantly uses a non-metric system of measure...
  
  
• Burmese language
  Burmese language
  The Burmese language is the official language of Burma. Although the constitution officially recognizes it as the Myanmar language, most English speakers continue to refer to the language as Burmese. Burmese is the native language of the Bamar and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as...
  
  
• Burmese numerals
  Burmese numerals
  Burmese numerals are a set of numerals traditionally used in the Burmese language, although the Arabic numerals are also used. Burmese numerals follow the Hindu-Arabic numeral system commonly used in the rest of the world.-Main numbers:-Zero to nine:...
  
  
• Measure word
  Measure word
  In linguistics, measure words are words that are used in combination with a numeral to indicate an amount of some noun. They denote a unit or measurement and are used with nouns that are not countable. For instance, in English, is a mass noun and thus one cannot say *"three muds", but one can say...