Usage note
篇是量词，用来数文章、作文。
piān shì liàng cí， yòng lái shù wén zhāng 、 zuò wén。
Piece/article is a measure word for articles and essays.
Context note
篇常出现在文章、课文和写作里。
piān cháng chū xiàn zài wén zhāng 、 kè wén hé xiě zuò lǐ。
Piece often appears in articles, texts, and writing.
5 examples
一篇文章。
yì piān wén zhāng。
An article.
我写了一篇作文。
wǒ xiě le yì piān zuò wén。
I wrote an essay.
这篇课文很短。
zhè piān kè wén hěn duǎn。
This text is short.
老师给我们一篇文章。
lǎo shī gěi wǒ men yì piān wén zhāng。
The teacher gave us an article.
请读这篇。
qǐng dú zhè piān。
Please read this piece.
5 mini stories
老师让我们写一篇作文。
lǎo shī ràng wǒ men xiě yì piān zuò wén。
The teacher asked us to write an essay.
我读了一篇有趣的文章。
wǒ dú le yì piān yǒu qù de wén zhāng。
I read an interesting article.
这篇课文我已经会读了。
zhè piān kè wén wǒ yǐ jīng huì dú le。
I can already read this text.
每篇文章都要认真看。
měi piān wén zhāng dōu yào rèn zhēn kàn。
Every article should be read carefully.
我想写一篇关于家庭的作文。
wǒ xiǎng xiě yì piān guān yú jiā tíng de zuò wén。
I want to write an essay about family.
Mini dialogue
读课文
A
老师让我们读哪篇课文？
Lǎoshī ràng wǒmen dú nǎ piān kèwén?
Which text did the teacher ask us to read?
B
读第五篇，关于春天的。
Dú dì wǔ piān, guānyú chūntiān de.
Read the fifth piece, the one about spring.
写日记
A
你昨天写了一篇日记吗？
Nǐ zuótiān xiě le yī piān rìjì ma?
Did you write a diary entry yesterday?
B
写了，那篇日记是关于我的小猫的。
Xiě le, nà piān rìjì shì guānyú wǒ de xiǎo māo de.
Yes, that diary entry was about my kitten.
Related words and contrasts
related
文章
wén zhāng
article; essay
篇 is the measure word; 文章 is the thing itself (an article).
contrast
本
běn
volume (measure word for books)
篇 is for a piece of writing; 本 is for a whole book.