In Burmese, classifiers or measure words, in the form of particles, are used when counting or measuring nouns. They immediately follow the number, unless the number is a round number (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/Burmese for an explanation of the phonetic symbols used in this section.
BurmeseIPATransliterationMain usage People and animalskaunganimalspasacred persons (such as Buddhist monks and nuns)yaukpersons (general classifier)shinpairs of draught cattleupeople, monks and nuns Other measure wordskoungarlands, necklaces, stringed itemskyaikdraughts gulped downkyeikitems in 'tens'khanumber of timeskhuitems (general classifier)khetbranches, sprays of flowerskhinskeins of wool or cottonkhaungskeins of yarnkhaingbunches of flowers, fruitskhauktripskhwayrings, coilskhunwordschiperformances or showschocomponents of a ratiochetstrokes, blows, hits, pointsstrokes of clocks, drums, gongs, etc.chaungthin, long items (like pencils, sticks)chatflat items (like tables)chirings, banglessivehicles and transport animalssibundlessinlong-shaped items (like arrows, boats, cars)saungliterary pieces, documents, letters, etc.sounsets or pairsnumber of times per equal amounthsusacred objects and parabaik (Pali manuscripts)hsaungbuildings (like houses, monasteries and royal buildings)hsaingwork shifts, work teams, packets of gold foiltandifferent legs of a journey, component parts of abstract conceptstanbars, stripes, etc.toukcarcasses of harestweitems in pairs, bunches or clusterstwetsnapping of fingershtatlayers, strata, storeys of buildings, etc.htanloads carried with a shoulder pole (yoke)htaukstages of a journey, width of a point or tip of somethingarticles of clothinghtoutpackageshtounknots, coils, etc.htwanumber of hand spanshtweivaried items; melds of playing cardsnatmealspasacred persons or objects (such as Buddhist monks)pawbundles of seedlingspaukdots or dropspaingmonk's robe; piece of silk used as headdresspaingpart or division of somethingpatweekspintall upright things (trees, plants, poles, etc.); long strands (hair, thread, etc.).paikparagraphspoudpieces of writing (such as articles, verse, songs, etc.)pounpiles of materialpyitmats of palm thatchingpyuitems in twos or pairs.pyaikfrequency of rain and snowpyindoctrines, concepts, dictums, etc.pyannumber of timespwedishes; offertorieshpihands of bananas or plantainshpaungheight 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)hpounthings in heaps, batches or packshpandenotes frequencyhpyadenotes variety, diversityhpwanumber of puffs (from cigarettes, etc.)myiingredients of a drug; kinds of dishes servedmyupots of toddy winemyetbundles of loops in a skein of cottonhmoutnumber of scoops with a dipper or ladlehmwasegments of fruit (such as cloves of garlic); parts of a multiparous birth (such as twins)hmyaunglongitudinally divided segments (such as cloves of garlic)yabetel quidsshekthin slices of food (such as pancake, waffle, etc.)yanobjects in pairsyatitemisation; expressing things in terms of a man's heightyeiperiods of sleepyei zileaves in a parabaik (Pali manuscripts)yaiklengths measured with a bamboo poleyitinstalments, stages, chevrons, stripes, etc.ywetcounting sheetslaraces in a contest consisting of a series of cart or boat raceslimultiples, frequenciesleiused in connection with multiples or in replicate, parts of a ratiolawnumber of timeslekelongated items; turns in the game of diceloutmouthfuls of foodlounround, globular itemshlaingsheaves of paddyhlwalayers, strata, etc.wahandsbreadththanumber of ticals or fractions of a tical or vissthoukmovements in groups or operations in shiftsthwelong, sinuous things (such as strands of pearls, garlands of flowers); paths, ways, methods, means, etc.
See also
Burmese units of measurement Burmese language Burmese numerals Measure word