Nature and animals

Animals and the landscape around a town. Almost every noun here has its own measure word, and the measure word follows the shape: 条(tiáo) for long things such as rivers, snakes and fish, 只(zhī) for most animals and birds, 棵(kē) for trees, 座(zuò) for mountains. Where English has one word, “river”, Chinese has two: 河(hé) in general and 江(jiāng) for the great rivers.