册、朵、幅、届、颗、匹、扇: level-5 measure words
【五02】名量词 / measure words
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
Seven measure words match the shape or kind of the noun: 册 (bound volumes), 朵 (flowers, clouds), 幅 (paintings, maps, widths of cloth), 届 (sessions of a regular event, a graduating class), 颗 (small round things), 匹 (horses, rolls of cloth) and 扇 (doors, windows). Like every measure word they stand between the numeral (or 这、那、每、几) and the noun: 一朵花, 那扇窗, 每一幅画.
The all-purpose 个 would still be understood, but it sounds vague or plain wrong with these nouns (✗ 一个画). These words cover what 本 (books), 张 (flat surfaces), 条 (long things) or 件 (clothes) do not: 朵 for a flower or a cloud, 颗 for anything small and round (一颗糖, 一颗星, 一颗心), 扇 for what opens and closes.
册 counts the volumes of a multi-volume work (第二册, 上册、下册); for an ordinary book you say 本. 幅 is more polished than 张 for a picture (一幅画, 一幅地图) and also counts a width of cloth. 匹 counts horses and bolts of cloth. 届 never counts objects: it is the number of an edition (第三届, 上一届) or of a graduating class (这一届毕业生).
These measure words are at home in writing, in descriptions, narratives and museum labels; in speech you mostly hear 朵、颗、扇 and 匹 with their usual nouns.
Examples
桌子上放着一朵小白花。
Zhuōzi shang fàng zhe yì duǒ xiǎo bái huā.A little white flower sits on the table.
弟弟的口袋里有一颗糖。
Dìdi de kǒudai li yǒu yì kē táng.There is a sweet in my little brother's pocket.
墙上挂着一幅很大的画。
Qiáng shang guà zhe yì fú hěn dà de huà.A very large painting hangs on the wall.
那扇门后面是一个安静的小院子。
Nà shàn mén hòumiàn shì yí ge ānjìng de xiǎo yuànzi.Behind that door is a quiet little courtyard.
这匹蓝布上开着一朵朵白色的花。
Zhè pǐ lán bù shang kāi zhe yì duǒ duǒ báisè de huā.White flowers bloom, one after another, on this bolt of blue cloth.
这一届的学生每人都有一册新教材。
Zhè yí jiè de xuésheng měi rén dōu yǒu yì cè xīn jiàocái.Every student in this year's class has a new volume of the textbook.
Common mistakes
✗ 一个画 → ✓ 一幅画 (a painting is counted with 幅, not with the all-purpose 个).
✗ 一朵糖 → ✓ 一颗糖 (朵 is for flowers and clouds; 颗 counts small round things).
✗ 一扇桌子 → ✓ 一张桌子 (扇 only counts what opens and closes: doors, windows).