下 趟 遍 次
Pattern
Verb + number + action classifier
Key words
Core idea
Action classifiers count actions the way measure words count nouns.
The pattern is:
verb + number + action classifierChoosing the classifier
下 often means a short action or a moment.
趟 counts trips.
遍 counts complete passes through an action.
次 is the general “times” classifier.
What learners often miss
Different classifiers highlight different shapes of action. Reading a text once through is not the same as going somewhere once.
Examples
请等我一下。
Qǐng děng wǒ yí xià.
Please wait for me a moment.
我去过台南一趟。
Wǒ qùguo Táinán yí tàng.
I have made one trip to Tainan.
这篇课文我读了三遍。
Zhè piān kèwén wǒ dú le sān biàn.
I read this text three times all the way through.
我见过他两次。
Wǒ jiànguo tā liǎng cì.
I have met him twice.
Common mistakes
Avoid
我去过台南一遍。
Use
我去过台南一趟。
Use 趟 for trips. 遍 is for doing something from beginning to end, such as reading through a text.