<p>I think there are a couple of issues here, because all modifiers and all &quot;nouns&quot; are not treated the same.</p>
<p>First, the usual order is (number/determiner)(measure word)(adjective)(noun).  If there is a relative clause ending in 的 used as a modifier, it can be placed either before the number slot or before the adjective slot.  Therefore you can say either:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>那个戴眼镜的很高的人,or</p>
<p>戴眼镜的很高的那个人</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In a given phrase, one order or the other may be clearer or allow you to omit or at least not repeat 的.  Repeating 的 is often awkward or bad style.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I have also seen 这是简单的一天。 as another example.</p>
<p>Would 这是一简单的天。 be wrong?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The problem with 天 is that it is both a free noun meaning &quot;sky&quot; and a measure word meaning &quot;day.&quot;  Its meaning is also vaguer than a translation as &quot;day&quot; might indicate.  In the quoted example 天 in the meaning of &quot;day&quot; is &quot;fortified&quot; by adding 一 before it and forming a two-syllable word to allow the two syllables to be used as a free noun together in this meaning.  The placement of 简单的 is then unremarkable.  If you replaced 一天 with 日子, I believe you would say: 一个简单的日子</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-01T16:14:54.657Z
2022-07-01T16:14:54.657Z
Vegawatcher
<blockquote>
<p>他在一间自己家附近的办公室里工作. &lt;--right</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>这是一简单的天 &lt;--wrong</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>put it in another way,  could be<code>这是简单的一天</code></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-30T06:18:18.283Z
2022-06-30T06:18:18.283Z
envs_h_gang_5
<p>There is no mistake that an adjective can be added before a noun to modify the noun. For example, &quot;我今天吃了好几碗白米饭&quot;, &quot;明天将是一个下雨的天&quot;</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-01T02:13:34.577Z
Never heard any 一个XX的天 before...一天 is often used as a complete word. 个 is OK. 这是一个阴沉的雨天.
Krahmal
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-01T02:30:36.863Z
Although this is grammatical, the Chinese rarely say it.
Ceasar
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-01T02:32:49.050Z
We usually say "这雨天很阴沉"
Ceasar
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-01T07:27:08.873Z
这雨天很阴沉 and 这是一个阴沉的雨天 express a different focus. 这雨天很阴沉 is grammatical, the Chinese rarely say it.
Krahmal
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-30T05:58:03.973Z
2022-06-30T05:58:03.973Z
Ceasar
<p>You are very perspicacious!</p>
<p>他在家附近工作。<br />
他在一间办公室里工作。<br />
他在家附近的一间办公室里工作。<br />
他在一间家附近办公室里工作。</p>
<p>在 ... 里 is a locator, tells us where something happens.<br />
家附近 neighbourhood tells us where the office is.<br />
So we have two locators: one locates the office (家附近的), the other locates the work (办公室里)</p>
<p>The location of the office and the work coincide, but neighbourhood is less specific than office</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-30T09:50:16.680Z
2022-06-30T09:50:16.680Z
Pedroski
<p>So far, I have learned that adjectives come after classifiers and before nouns.</p>
<p>For example,</p>
<p>一只黑猫:a black cat</p>
<p>During my studies, I came across this sentence:</p>
<p>他在<strong>自己家附近</strong>的一间办公室里工作。</p>
<p>In this sentence, 自己家附近 acts as an adjective for 办公室, but has come before the classifier 间.</p>
<p>Is
他在一间自己家附近的办公室里工作。
wrong?</p>
<p>I have also seen
这是简单的一天。
as another example.</p>
<p>Would
这是一简单的天。
be wrong?</p>

<measure-word><word-order>
Adjectives before or after classifiers in Chinese
# Adjectives before or after classifiers in Chinese

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-06-30)

So far, I have learned that adjectives come after classifiers and before nouns.

For example,

一只黑猫:a black cat

During my studies, I came across this sentence:

他在**自己家附近**的一间办公室里工作。

In this sentence, 自己家附近 acts as an adjective for 办公室, but has come before the classifier 间.

Is
他在一间自己家附近的办公室里工作。
wrong?

I have also seen
这是简单的一天。
as another example.

Would
这是一简单的天。
be wrong?

**Tags:** measure-word, word-order


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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-07-01. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

I think there are a couple of issues here, because all modifiers and all "nouns" are not treated the same.

First, the usual order is (number/determiner)(measure word)(adjective)(noun). If there is a relative clause ending in 的 used as a modifier, it can be placed either before the number slot or before the adjective slot. Therefore you can say either:

> 那个戴眼镜的很高的人,or
>
> 戴眼镜的很高的那个人

In a given phrase, one order or the other may be clearer or allow you to omit or at least not repeat 的. Repeating 的 is often awkward or bad style.

> I have also seen 这是简单的一天。 as another example.
>
> Would 这是一简单的天。 be wrong?

The problem with 天 is that it is both a free noun meaning "sky" and a measure word meaning "day." Its meaning is also vaguer than a translation as "day" might indicate. In the quoted example 天 in the meaning of "day" is "fortified" by adding 一 before it and forming a two-syllable word to allow the two syllables to be used as a free noun together in this meaning. The placement of 简单的 is then unremarkable. If you replaced 一天 with 日子, I believe you would say: 一个简单的日子


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### Answer by username_2 on 2022-06-30. Score: 1

> 他在一间自己家附近的办公室里工作. <--right

> 这是一简单的天 <--wrong

> put it in another way, could be`这是简单的一天`


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### Answer by username_3 on 2022-06-30. Score: 1

There is no mistake that an adjective can be added before a noun to modify the noun. For example, "我今天吃了好几碗白米饭", "明天将是一个下雨的天"

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Never heard any 一个XX的天 before...一天 is often used as a complete word. 个 is OK. 这是一个阴沉的雨天.  
> **username_3**: Although this is grammatical, the Chinese rarely say it.  
> **username_3**: We usually say "这雨天很阴沉"  
> **username_4**: 这雨天很阴沉 and 这是一个阴沉的雨天 express a different focus. 这雨天很阴沉 is grammatical, the Chinese rarely say it.  

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### Answer by username_5 on 2022-06-30. Score: 0

You are very perspicacious!

他在家附近工作。  
他在一间办公室里工作。  
他在家附近的一间办公室里工作。  
他在一间家附近办公室里工作。

在 ... 里 is a locator, tells us where something happens.  
家附近 neighbourhood tells us where the office is.  
So we have two locators: one locates the office (家附近的), the other locates the work (办公室里)

The location of the office and the work coincide, but neighbourhood is less specific than office


---

