Numbers are everywhere: in your phone number, at the grocery store, and in your friend’s WeChat “red envelope”! Let's make sure Chinese numbers don’t make your brain feel like it’s doing calculus at 8am.
Learn the Basics (一: Ready, Steady, Count!)
零 (líng) - 0一 (yī) - 1二 (èr) - 2 (in counting)两 (liǎng) - 2 (used before a measure word)三 (sān) - 3四 (sì) - 4五 (wǔ) - 5六 (liù) - 6七 (qī) - 7八 (bā) - 8九 (jiǔ) - 9十 (shí) - 10百 (bǎi) - 100半 (bàn) - half
Counting: It’s (Almost) as Easy as Pie
11 = 十一 (shí yī) = 10 + 1
20 = 二十 (èr shí) = 2 × 10
25 = 二十五 (èr shí wǔ) = 2 × 10 + 5
100 = 一百 (yī bǎi)
115 = 一百一十五 (yī bǎi yī shí wǔ) = 1 × 100 + 1 × 10 + 5
206 = 二百零六 (èr bǎi líng liù)
二 vs 两: Not a Fight, Just Grammar
Use 二 (èr) when counting: 一, 二, 三...
Use 两 (liǎng) before a measure word (like 个, 本, etc.): 两个人 (liǎng ge rén) – two people, 两本书 (liǎng běn shū) – two books
For hundreds and thousands: 两百 (liǎng bǎi) – 200, 两千 (liǎng qiān) – 2000
Real Situations, Real Numbers
Time: 八点半 (bā diǎn bàn) – 8:30, literally “8 o’clock half”Half an hour: 半个小时 (bàn ge xiǎoshí)
Bonus: How do you say "55"? The number, not your age…
Remember: Counting in Chinese doesn’t require an abacus. But extra points if you have one!
1. (Fill in the blank) "Twelve" in Chinese is
2. (Picky grammar!) "Two people" is
3. "100" in Chinese?
4. Lili has
5. How would you write "206"?
6. Haoran arrives at 8:30. Write this in Chinese:
7. "Half an hour" in Chinese:
8. Zhiqiang bought 55 apples. Write the number "55" in Chinese:
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