名 (míng): Chinese measure word
How to use 名 (míng), the Chinese measure word for people in formal or official contexts: example nouns with pinyin, sentences and common mistakes.
Last updated 2026-10-30
名
míng
people in formal or official contexts
What it's used for
名 counts people by their role in formal or written Chinese: students, employees, soldiers, patients, winners. It's also used for rankings: 第一名 (first place).
Common nouns with 名
- 一名运动员 yì míng yùn dòng yuán athlete
- 一名大使 yì míng dà shǐ ambassador
- 一名候选人 yì míng hòu xuǎn rén candidate
- 一名工人 yì míng gōng rén worker
- 一名老人 yì míng lǎo rén old man or woman
- 一名男生 yì míng nán shēng schoolboy
- 一名女生 yì míng nǚ shēng schoolgirl
- 一名网友 yì míng wǎng yǒu online friend
- 一名学生 yì míng xué sheng student
- 一名医生 yì míng yī shēng doctor
- 一名大学生 yì míng dà xué shēng university student
- 一名小学生 yì míng xiǎo xué shēng primary school student
- 一名中学生 yì míng zhōng xué shēng middle-school student
- 一名家长 yì míng jiā zhǎng head of a household
- 一名经理 yì míng jīng lǐ manager
- 一名考生 yì míng kǎo shēng exam candidate
Example sentences
-
我们班有三十名学生。
Wǒ men bān yǒu sān shí míng xué sheng.
There are thirty students in our class.
-
公司招了五名新员工。
Gōng sī zhāo le wǔ míng xīn yuán gōng.
The company hired five new employees.
-
他在比赛中得了第一名。
Tā zài bǐ sài zhōng dé le dì yī míng.
He came first in the competition.
Common mistake
名 sounds formal in casual speech. With friends, 个 is more natural: 我们班有三十个学生.
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