在一元店买电池和讲解量词“板”

What does the measure word “板 (bǎn)” mean in Chinese?

板 (bǎn) means plank or board. As a measure word, it counts things sealed into a flat, rigid backing — a blister pack of batteries, a strip of pills, a card of chewing gum. If the items sit in individual pockets pressed into a sheet of plastic or foil, one 板 covers the whole sheet. It is one of the less-taught measure words, used regionally for items fixed in a flat strip or blister pack; usage varies, and some speakers would simply say 盒 (box) or count individual units.

The clip shows the vlogger buying 一板电池 (yī bǎn diànchí, one pack of batteries) at a 一元店 (yīyuándian, dollar store — literally “one-yuan shop”). She explains: 一板 means the entire flat blister-packaged unit containing three cells, not just one cell. The same word applies to 一板药片 (a strip of tablets) and, in some regions, 一板口香糖 (a card of chewing gum). Related measure words: 颗 (kē) for a single pill or battery cell, 盒 (hé) for a box, 袋 (dài) for a bag — each reflects the packaging shape.