<p>Misusing quantifiers is a practice of rhetorics. Consider the examples of 一滩猫 and 一坨代码. 滩 gives a metaphor noting the liquidity of a cat, and 坨 implies that the code is badly programmed to look like shit.</p>

<p>In orthographic usages, 条 cannot quantify 猫. However, if you have a specific rhetorical purpose, you may quantify anything with any quantifier you prefer.</p>

<p>In this very particular case, when 条 is used to quantify 猫, it would seem that you are giving an explicit implication that the cat is pretty long or very thin; and note that context matters.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-04T08:27:13.677Z
2018-05-04T08:27:13.677Z
user3332315
<p>In a mistake, I have never heard anyone say 一条猫. It does not make sense.</p>

<p>Because when people choose a counter, he have 3 options,</p>

<p>1st: a description.</p>

<p>一根鱼竿, 一条鱼, </p>

<p>2nd: a common counter.</p>

<p>一个铅笔, 一位好人, </p>

<p>3rd: an emotional counter</p>

<p>一条好汉, 一条狗, 一头疯子</p>

<p>一条狗 originally implies a hungry dog that is hollow and skinny, though it becomes a common counter, it still includes the negative meanings.</p>

<p>If you use 条 with other things, means you treat them as dogs, just like 一条好汉.</p>

<p>If 一条瘦猫, that is much better, a hateful hungry cat.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-05T04:03:00.553Z
2018-05-05T04:03:00.553Z
sfy
<p>I learned that the measure word for 猫 is <code>只</code>.</p>
<p>However, my friend said 条 is the correct measure word for 猫.</p>
<p>The conversation with the friend is the following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>X: 你有养猫吗？</p>
<p>I: 哈哈 这只不是我的，我韩国旅游时的我的房东的。</p>
<p>X: 我家有一条</p>
<p>I: 猫应该是只还是条？</p>
<p>X: 条</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So she said clearly it should be 条, not 只.</p>
<p>But my Pleco only shows 只, while 网易有道词典 doesn't mention it.</p>
<p>Now I wonder in what cases 条 should be used instead of 只, and why 只 is not correct here.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-02T17:12:53.173Z
users are used to 条 for dogs, although 条猫 does not seem to exist, on the other hand although 条狗 may be more common, examples for 只狗 abound, iciba (cf. comment #1):伴着一声嗥叫，第二只狗扑向了他的脚后跟,库克叫这只狗的名字时，它的耳朵就会稍稍耷拉一下,那只狗阴郁地盯着我们看了几分钟
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-03T00:13:10.393Z
只 is right. I've never heard 一条猫, maybe it's her dialect.
Jason Swift
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-03T05:29:08.513Z
@JasonSwift Then where 条 is used more often?
Blaszard
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-03T05:30:28.530Z
@user6065 Even on 狗, isn't 只 way more common...?
Blaszard
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-03T06:41:51.357Z
Both 一条狗 and 一只狗 are common. Here's a discussion on Zhihu: https://www.zhihu.com/question/31086186
Jason Swift
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-03T08:40:19.237Z
see comment #1, 2nd "here": 如“一条狗”，也可叫“一只狗”，一般大个的狗用“条”，小个的狗
user6065
<grammar><measure-word>
In what cases should I use 条 for 猫?
# In what cases should I use 条 for 猫?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-05-02)

I learned that the measure word for 猫 is `只`.

However, my friend said 条 is the correct measure word for 猫.

The conversation with the friend is the following:

> X: 你有养猫吗？
>
> I: 哈哈 这只不是我的，我韩国旅游时的我的房东的。
>
> X: 我家有一条
>
> I: 猫应该是只还是条？
>
> X: 条

So she said clearly it should be 条, not 只.

But my Pleco only shows 只, while 网易有道词典 doesn't mention it.

Now I wonder in what cases 条 should be used instead of 只, and why 只 is not correct here.

**Tags:** grammar, measure-word

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: users are used to 条 for dogs, although 条猫 does not seem to exist, on the other hand although 条狗 may be more common, examples for 只狗 abound, iciba (cf. comment #1):伴着一声嗥叫，第二只狗扑向了他的脚后跟,库克叫这只狗的名字时，它的耳朵就会稍稍耷拉一下,那只狗阴郁地盯着我们看了几分钟  
> **username_2**: 只 is right. I've never heard 一条猫, maybe it's her dialect.  
> **username_0**: @username_2 Then where 条 is used more often?  
> **username_0**: @username_1 Even on 狗, isn't 只 way more common...?  
> **username_2**: Both 一条狗 and 一只狗 are common. Here's a discussion on Zhihu: https://www.zhihu.com/question/31086186  
> **username_1**: see comment #1, 2nd "here": 如“一条狗”，也可叫“一只狗”，一般大个的狗用“条”，小个的狗  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-05-04. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Misusing quantifiers is a practice of rhetorics. Consider the examples of 一滩猫 and 一坨代码. 滩 gives a metaphor noting the liquidity of a cat, and 坨 implies that the code is badly programmed to look like shit.

In orthographic usages, 条 cannot quantify 猫. However, if you have a specific rhetorical purpose, you may quantify anything with any quantifier you prefer.

In this very particular case, when 条 is used to quantify 猫, it would seem that you are giving an explicit implication that the cat is pretty long or very thin; and note that context matters.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2018-05-05. Score: 0

In a mistake, I have never heard anyone say 一条猫. It does not make sense.

Because when people choose a counter, he have 3 options,

1st: a description.

一根鱼竿, 一条鱼,

2nd: a common counter.

一个铅笔, 一位好人,

3rd: an emotional counter

一条好汉, 一条狗, 一头疯子

一条狗 originally implies a hungry dog that is hollow and skinny, though it becomes a common counter, it still includes the negative meanings.

If you use 条 with other things, means you treat them as dogs, just like 一条好汉.

If 一条瘦猫, that is much better, a hateful hungry cat.


---

