Writing
一 (yī) — how to say "one" in Chinese
一
One, 1
numeral
Radicals / Keys
一
One
#1 · yī · 1 stroke
Examples
我有一个朋友，我们都很高兴。
I have one friend, we are all very happy.
我有一本书
I have one book.
Mnemonic
[yī-] Yoshi is walking in the desert and finds a stick, with which he draws a horizontal line 一 in the sand, declaring: "This is my 一, my masterpiece of 1 creation!" 🐢. The single line reminds him of 1, the start of every new adventure.
Frequently asked questions
One in Chinese Mandarin
"one" in Chinese is 一 (yī).
What does 一 mean in Chinese?
一 (yī) means "One, 1".
One in Chinese pronunciation
It is pronounced yī (written as yi). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
One in Chinese character
It is written 一 and has 1 stroke. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 一?
一 belongs to the HSK 1 vocabulary list.
Tomyo
Learn Chinese words with spaced repetition
Add 一 to your vocabulary and remember it with smart reviews, audio and examples.
Grammar with 一
一些 — some
一些 (yìxiē) + Noun
星期 — days of the week
星期 (xīngqī) + Number
有 — existence with “there is”
Place + 有 (yǒu) + Obj.
一 + measure word + 地 — one by one before a verb
一 (yī) + Measure Word + 一 (yī) + Measure Word + 地 (de) + Verb
一起 — together
一起 (yìqǐ) + Verb
次 — verb measure words
Verb + Number + Measure Word