 Different classifiers often correspond to different particular nouns . For example , books generally take the classifier 本 běn , flat objects take 张 ( 張 ) zhāng , animals take 只 ( 隻 ) zhī , machines take 台 tái , large buildings and mountains take 座 zuò , etc . Within these categories are further subdivisions — while most animals take 只 ( 隻 ) zhī , domestic animals take 头 ( 頭 ) tóu , long and flexible animals take 条 ( 條 ) tiáo , and horses take 匹 pǐ . Likewise , while long things that are flexible ( such as ropes ) often take 条 ( 條 ) tiáo , long things that are rigid ( such as sticks ) take 根 gēn , unless they are also round ( like pens or cigarettes ) , in which case in some dialects they take 枝 zhī . Classifiers also vary in how specific they are ; some ( such as 朵 duǒ for flowers ) are generally only used with one item , whereas others ( such as 条 ( 條 ) tiáo for long and flexible things , one @-@ dimensional things , or abstract items like news reports ) are much less restricted . Furthermore , there is not a one @-@ to @-@ one relationship between nouns and classifiers : the same noun may be paired with different classifiers in different situations . The specific factors that govern which classifiers are paired with which nouns have been a subject of debate among linguists . 
