A method and apparatus for transmitting a downlink channel measurement reference signal and a method and apparatus for receiving the downlink channel measurement reference signal are provided in the present invention. The transmission method comprises the following steps: a network side determines other Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols except the OFDM symbols used for transmitting control signal, the OFDM symbols used for transmitting the Cell specific Reference Signal (CRS) and the OFDM symbols used for transmitting the Demodulation Reference Signal (DM-RS), and transmitting the downlink channel measurement reference signal (CSI-RS) on the determined other OFDM symbols. The specific solution that a transmitter transmits the downlink channel measurement reference signal and a UE receives the CSI-RS signal is provided by the present invention, and transmitter could transmit and receive the CSI-RS signal according to the solution provided by the present invention.