零
líng
0 — zero
Chinese numbers
The numbers 0 to 10 with audio, the rules that turn them into any number, and when 两 replaces 二. Further down: the everyday topics built on numbers — dates, time, money and phone numbers.
Any number in Chinese
Type a number to see how it is written in characters and how it sounds.
Numbers from 0 to 10
These characters are enough to say any number up to a hundred million. The button on a card plays the sound; the card itself opens the word page with examples and stroke order.
How to build any number
A Chinese number reads like an abacus: a digit, then its place. 三十五 is "three tens five", 二百四十 is "two hundreds four tens".
- 11 to 19 are 十 plus a digit: 十一 (11), 十五 (15). At the start of a number the one before 十 is dropped.
- Tens are a digit plus 十: 二十 (20), 九十 (90). 21 is 二十一, "two tens one".
- Hundreds and thousands work the same way: 一百 (100), 三百零五 (305), 一千二百 (1,200).
- Inside a longer number the ten is said in full: 110 is 一百一十, not 一百十.
- Past 9,999 Chinese counts in ten-thousands, 万: 10,000 is 一万, 100,000 is 十万.
Grammar rule: Numbers up to 9999
十一
shí yī
11
十五
shí wǔ
15
二十
èr shí
20
二十一
èr shí yī
21
三十五
sān shí wǔ
35
九十九
jiǔ shí jiǔ
99
一百
yì bǎi
100
一百一十
yì bǎi yī shí
110
三百零五
sān bǎi líng wǔ
305
一千二百
yì qiān èr bǎi
1,200
一万
yí wàn
10,000
十万
shí wàn
100,000
二 or 两
Chinese has two words for "two", and they are not interchangeable.
- 二 (èr) is for counting, for numbers you read out and inside a number: 十二, 二十, 第二, 二月.
- 两 (liǎng) goes before a measure word when you count things or people: 两个人 (two people), 两本书 (two books), 两点 (two o’clock).
- Before 千, 万 and 亿 people usually say 两: 两千 (2,000), 两万 (20,000). Before 百 both are fine: 二百 and 两百.
- In the ones and tens it is always 二: 十二, 二十二, 十二万.
Grammar rule: The measure word 个
两个人
liǎng ge rén
Two people
两本书
liǎng běn shū
Two books
两千
liǎng qiān
2,000
两万
liǎng wàn
20,000
二十二
èr shí èr
22
第二
dì èr
Second
How zero is read
- A zero inside a number is said once, however many zeros there are in a row: 105 is 一百零五, 1,005 is 一千零五.
- Zeros at the end are not read: 1,500 is 一千五百, or just 一千五 in speech.
- A gap after the ten-thousands is marked with zero too: 10,050 is 一万零五十.
- In years and numbers you read digit by digit, every zero is said: the year 2005 is 二〇〇五年.
一百零五
yì bǎi líng wǔ
105
一千零五
yì qiān líng wǔ
1,005
一千五百
yì qiān wǔ bǎi
1,500
一万零五十
yí wàn líng wǔ shí
10,050
Counting on one hand
In China every number from one to ten is shown on one hand. It is how prices are shown at a market or numbers across a noisy room.
一1yī
The index finger.
二2èr
The index and middle fingers.
三3sān
The middle, ring and little fingers; the thumb holds down the index finger.
四4sì
Four fingers, the thumb folded in.
五5wǔ
An open palm.
六6liù
The thumb and little finger.
七7qī
The tips of the thumb, index and middle fingers pinched together.
八8bā
The thumb and index finger in an L shape.
九9jiǔ
The index finger bent into a hook.
十10shí
The index and middle fingers crossed like 十. A fist works too.
More about numbers
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 10 in Chinese?
10 is 十 (shí). All the tens are built from it — 二十 (20), 三十 (30) — and 11 to 19 are 十 plus a digit: 十一, 十二.
How do you write the Chinese numbers 1 to 10?
一 (yī), 二 (èr), 三 (sān), 四 (sì), 五 (wǔ), 六 (liù), 七 (qī), 八 (bā), 九 (jiǔ), 十 (shí). Zero is 零 (líng).
What is the difference between 二 and 两?
Both mean "two". 二 is for counting and inside numbers (十二, 第二); 两 goes before a measure word (两个, 两本) and usually before 千, 万 and 亿.
How do you say 100 and 1,000 in Chinese?
100 is 一百 (yì bǎi), 1,000 is 一千 (yì qiān) and 10,000 is 一万 (yí wàn).
Why is 一 sometimes yī and sometimes yì?
On its own and at the end of a number 一 is yī (十一 is shí yī). Before 百 and 千 its tone changes to yì, before 万 and 亿 to yí.
Tomyo
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