<p>三月 -&gt; March</p>
<p>三个月 -&gt; Three months</p>
<p>The usage without &quot;个&quot; is occupied by special meanings (a time point) so the &quot;个&quot; is added to express a period of time.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-04T15:33:44.027Z
2023-04-04T15:33:44.027Z
wznmickey
<p>A year has twelve months, 一年有十二<strong>個</strong>月。</p>
<p>A year has three hundred and sixty-five days, 一年有三百六十五天。</p>
<p>The question is when to use the measure word <strong>個</strong>, but when to not use it?</p>
<p>It depends on a couple of factors.</p>
<p>We say 一年有十二<strong>個</strong>月 but <strong>not</strong> say 一年有<strong>十二月</strong>. It is because 十二月 is the twelfth month of the year (December). That is why you have to say 十二<strong>個</strong>月 to avoid confusion.</p>
<p>You can say 二月有<strong>二十八天</strong>。No need to say 二月有二十八個天。The 28th day of the month is <strong>二十八号</strong>。</p>
<p>Another example of using 個, 这个月有二十一<strong>個</strong>工作日。</p>
<p>Also, 邓丽君演唱的《你怎么说》，“<strong>三百六十五個日子</strong>不好过，你心里根本没有我”.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-02T19:25:51.550Z
2023-04-02T23:29:21.070Z
2023-04-02T23:29:21.070Z
PdotWang
<p>Some nouns need a classifier, some don't; 月(month) needs one but 天(day) doesn't. </p>

<p>一年有十二個月 - 月(month) needs a classifier</p>

<p>一年有十二個月份 - 月份(month) needs a classifier</p>

<p>一年有五十二週 - 週(week) doesn't need a classifier</p>

<p>一年有五十二個星期 - 星期(week) needs a classifier</p>

<p>一年有三百六十五天 - 天(day) doesn't need a classifier</p>

<p>一年有四季 - 季(season) doesn't need a classifier</p>

<p>一年有四個季節 - 季節 (season) needs a classifier</p>

<p>一小時有六十分鐘 - 分鐘(minute) doesn't need a classifier</p>

<p>一分鐘有六十秒 - 秒(second) doesn't need a classifier</p>

<p>Generally, if a noun can be a classifier itself, it usually doesn't need a classifier. 週, 天, 季,  分鐘 and 秒 can all be classifier</p>

<p>Example: 三週工資, 兩天比賽, 一季收成, 幾分鐘路程, 幾秒時間</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-03T21:19:06.173Z
2020-05-08T00:06:28.417Z
2020-05-08T00:06:28.417Z
Tang Ho
<p>Consider the following two sentences:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A year has twelve months<br />
一年有十二個月<br />
<sub>yī nián yǒu shí’èr gè yuè</sub></p>
<p>A year has three hundred and sixty-five days<br />
一年有三百六十五天<br />
<sub>yī nián yǒu sānbǎi liùshíwǔ tiān</sub></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Why is the measureword 個 left out in the second sentence? What is the general grammar rule for cases like this?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-05-08T21:15:33.203Z
一年有十二月 Would mean "One year has December in it"
Curiosity
<measure-word>
Why is a measure word not required in 一年有三百六十五天?
# Why is a measure word not required in 一年有三百六十五天?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-11-03)

Consider the following two sentences:

> A year has twelve months  
> 一年有十二個月  
> yī nián yǒu shí’èr gè yuè
>
> A year has three hundred and sixty-five days  
> 一年有三百六十五天  
> yī nián yǒu sānbǎi liùshíwǔ tiān

Why is the measureword 個 left out in the second sentence? What is the general grammar rule for cases like this?

**Tags:** measure-word

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 一年有十二月 Would mean "One year has December in it"  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-11-03. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

Some nouns need a classifier, some don't; 月(month) needs one but 天(day) doesn't.

一年有十二個月 - 月(month) needs a classifier

一年有十二個月份 - 月份(month) needs a classifier

一年有五十二週 - 週(week) doesn't need a classifier

一年有五十二個星期 - 星期(week) needs a classifier

一年有三百六十五天 - 天(day) doesn't need a classifier

一年有四季 - 季(season) doesn't need a classifier

一年有四個季節 - 季節 (season) needs a classifier

一小時有六十分鐘 - 分鐘(minute) doesn't need a classifier

一分鐘有六十秒 - 秒(second) doesn't need a classifier

Generally, if a noun can be a classifier itself, it usually doesn't need a classifier. 週, 天, 季, 分鐘 and 秒 can all be classifier

Example: 三週工資, 兩天比賽, 一季收成, 幾分鐘路程, 幾秒時間


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### Answer by username_2 on 2023-04-04. Score: 0

三月 -> March

三个月 -> Three months

The usage without "个" is occupied by special meanings (a time point) so the "个" is added to express a period of time.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2023-04-02. Score: 0

A year has twelve months, 一年有十二**個**月。

A year has three hundred and sixty-five days, 一年有三百六十五天。

The question is when to use the measure word **個**, but when to not use it?

It depends on a couple of factors.

We say 一年有十二**個**月 but **not** say 一年有**十二月**. It is because 十二月 is the twelfth month of the year (December). That is why you have to say 十二**個**月 to avoid confusion.

You can say 二月有**二十八天**。No need to say 二月有二十八個天。The 28th day of the month is **二十八号**。

Another example of using 個, 这个月有二十一**個**工作日。

Also, 邓丽君演唱的《你怎么说》，“**三百六十五個日子**不好过，你心里根本没有我”.


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