measure word of 香蕉 (个，根，条，只)

[Altair]

a bunch of bananas.

I agree.

一串钥匙

In English, that's "a bunch of keys."

According to my feeling, the phrase "bunch of bananas" implies very strongly that the bananas are still connected at one end, like they were on the tree. Similarly, saying a "bunch of keys" implies that they normally cluster together at one end while threaded together on a ring, string, or chain.

The word "bunch" can also apply to any group of things that are close together, even people. Because of this usage, "bunch" could even be used informally to apply to group of individual bananas or keys in a bowl if the context were clear.

[chrix]

Now the right thing to say would be:

Thanks a bunch

[Erbse]

I give out a bunch of "thank you" to all those answers.

Seems like someone could create some academic paper about this.

[Kenny同志]

Thanks for your replies.

[trien27]

一只香蕉? Yes [depending on dialect], but grammatically, 只/隻, as a measure word is only used for animals: To the beginner student, this might be a new animal - What type of animal is 香蕉, if a comparison is made with 一只猫 or 一只狗? Each dialect uses words differently, due to different grammars per dialect, wherefore they use different vocabularies. Nothing peculiar.

[trien27]

一条烟 ususally contains ten packs of cigarettes

Does this mean 条 = carton? A carton = 10 packs of cigarettes, where there's 20 cigarettes per pack.

carton = 纸盒 or 纸板箱, not 一条X?

一盒烟 or 一箱烟 = a carton of 200 cigarettes.

十包烟 = 10 packs of cigarettes.

一支烟 and 一根烟

= 1 cigarette.

PS I don't smoke either, but know plenty of people who do smoke.

[Kenny同志]

一支（根）烟

一包烟

一条烟

一箱烟

一条烟、一箱烟用英文怎么说？

[HashiriKata]

一条烟、一箱烟用英文怎么说？

a cigarette, a cigarette carton/ a carton of cigarrettes.

Edit: I was confused. See the post below.

Edited March 8, 2010 at 08:20 AM by HashiriKata

[in_lab]

一条烟 a carton of cigarettes

一箱烟 a case or cigarettes, or master case

[Kenny同志]

多谢二位。

[Shi Tong]

Yo,

This is a pretty amusing conversation!

I was talking to my (Taiwanese) wife.. she told me it should be 一条香蕉.. I said.. what about 只, and she said, probably not.

However, she also said "this is what most people say (一条香蕉), but there is probably an official rule about it.

I said how come some people say 一条gou (one dog), and she said that this was also correct, more correct than 只, but that people use 只 for animals, so it does also get stuck to dogs.

Seems funny that you can have a 只 of a banana when it usually applies to animals and a 条 for a dog when it usually applies to bendy things like rope and string etc, but I suppose that's why it's hard to remember and learn!!

串 for me means something which is held together with an object, like a kebab.. but then again, I might be wrong!

[zhxlier]

I admit when I see the title I immediately think "it should be 根".

Then I realize I must have said "一个香蕉" etc. every day.

Another example that "native speakers know the correct counting word when asking, but will nevertheless use 个 in everyday speaking“.

[chrix]

zhxlier, that's a great example of how prescriptivism works

[Shi Tong]

What I also think is funny is how it varies.

I'm sure that most people in Taiwan use jian4 for clothes, but some people would be disgusted at this useage, since I know it's wrong for trousers and for coats (which I think is tao4 right?).

So I suppose we have to put up with the locals and say it like they do.. when in Rome.

[chrix]

As I said in post 31, due to the considerable variations native speakers across the Chinese speaking world exhibit, I think a learner should first learn the standard rules as can be found in any decent grammar, and then note local and dialectal variants accordingly.

[imron]

since I know it's wrong for trousers and for coats (which I think is tao4 right?).

I would use 条 for trousers only, and 套 if you meant a matching set of trousers/coat e.g. for things like suits 一套西服.

[Shi Tong]

I would use 条 for trousers only, and 套 if you meant a matching set of trousers/coat e.g. for things like suits 一套西服.

Thanks imron.. I think that 条was indeed the official name for trousers, something which I had forgotten, and something that they never use anymore in Taiwan (jian4 is the most common measure word), 套 is also a good word. I think I would most likely use that for a coat, but I reckon you could certainly use it for a whole set of clothes or a suit etc as you suggested.

These things are very interesting and vary so much!!

[amego]

People here say 一串香蕉 for a bunch and 一条香蕉 for one banana.