Mastering Chinese Numbers: The Complete Guide
Numbers are the foundation of daily communication, and in Mandarin Chinese, they follow a beautifully logical system. From buying groceries to making appointments, mastering numbers is one of the most practical skills you can acquire. This guide will take you from counting 1-10 all the way to handling complex figures, money, dates, and phone numbers with confidence.
Foundation: Counting from 0 to 99
0 to 10: The Essential Building Blocks
These eleven characters are the DNA of all Chinese numbers. Learn them by heart.
| Number | Character | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 零/〇 | líng |
| 1 | 一 | yī |
| 2 | 二 | èr |
| 3 | 三 | sān |
| 4 | 四 | sì |
| 5 | 五 | wǔ |
| 6 | 六 | liù |
| 7 | 七 | qī |
| 8 | 八 | bā |
| 9 | 九 | jiǔ |
| 10 | 十 | shí |
我有三个苹果。 Wǒ yǒu sān gè píngguǒ. I have three apples.
11 to 19: Simple Addition
For the teens, simply say "ten" (十 shí) followed by the unit digit. Eleven is "ten-one" (十一 shíyī), twelve is "ten-two" (十二 shí'èr), and so on.
现在是十一月。 Xiànzài shì shíyī yuè. It is now November. (Month eleven)
20 to 99: The Tens + Units Pattern
For numbers 20 and above, say the tens digit, then 十 (shí), then the unit digit. For multiples of ten like 20, 30, etc., you just say the digit followed by 十. If there is a "0" in the unit place, you typically don't say "零".
- 20 = 二 + 十 = 二十 (èrshí)
- 25 = 二 + 十 + 五 = 二十五 (èrshíwǔ)
- 99 = 九 + 十 + 九 = 九十九 (jiǔshíjiǔ)
我爷爷今年八十五岁。 Wǒ yéye jīnnián bāshíwǔ suì. My grandfather is 85 years old this year.
Tip: The number "1" (一 yī) before 十 in numbers like 10, 11, 12... is often dropped. You rarely hear "一十" for 10; it's simply 十.
Big Numbers: Hundreds, Thousands, 万, and 亿
Hundreds and Thousands
The pattern continues logically. The key characters are 百 (bǎi) for hundred and 千 (qiān) for thousand.
- 100: 一百 (yībǎi)
- 205: 二百零五 (èrbǎi líng wǔ) - Note the use of 零 for the missing tens.
- 1,000: 一千 (yīqiān)
- 3,456: 三千四百五十六 (sānqiān sìbǎi wǔshíliù)
The Game-Changer: 万 (wàn) for "Ten Thousand"
This is a crucial concept. Unlike English, which groups numbers in thousands (thousand, million, billion), Chinese has a unit for 10,000: 万 (wàn).
- 10,000 = 一万 (yī wàn)
- 12,345 = 一万二千三百四十五 (yī wàn èr qiān sān bǎi sìshíwǔ)
- 100,000 = 十万 (shí wàn) = "ten ten-thousands"
- 1,000,000 = 一百万 (yībǎi wàn) = "one hundred ten-thousands"
这个城市有五百万人。 Zhège chéngshì yǒu wǔbǎi wàn rén. This city has five million people.
The Next Level: 亿 (yì) for "Hundred Million"
Following 万, the next major unit is 亿 (yì), which equals 100,000,000 (one hundred million).
- 100,000,000 = 一亿 (yī yì)
- 1,000,000,000 = 十亿 (shí yì) = "ten hundred-millions"
Common Pitfall: Directly translating numbers like "one million" from English will trip you up. Always think in terms of 万 and 亿. "One million" is not "一百万" (yī bǎi wàn) but one hundred ten-thousands.
A Crucial Distinction: 两 (liǎng) vs. 二 (èr)
Both mean "two," but their usage is strictly defined.
| Use 两 (liǎng) | Use 二 (èr) |
|---|---|
| Before measure words and most nouns (e.g., 个, 本, 块). | When counting (1, 2, 3...), in phone numbers, or saying numbers digit-by-digit. |
| Before the words 百 (bǎi), 千 (qiān), 万 (wàn), and 亿 (yì). | For the number 2 by itself, or in the tens/units place (e.g., 十二, 二十). |
我要买两本书。 Wǒ yào mǎi liǎng běn shū. I want to buy two books.
这是二百元，不是二十元。 Zhè shì èrbǎi yuán, bùshì èrshí yuán. This is two hundred yuan, not twenty yuan.
Tip: A good rule of thumb: If you're about to say a measure word (个, 张, 杯), you must use 两, not 二.
Handling Money: 块, 元, 毛, and 角
The basic unit of Chinese currency is the Renminbi (RMB), commonly called 元 (yuán) or, more colloquially, 块 (kuài). Smaller units are 角 (jiǎo) or 毛 (máo) for 1/10 of a yuan, and 分 (fēn) for 1/100 of a yuan (rarely used now).
- ¥3.50 = 三块五 (毛) (sān kuài wǔ (máo)) - The 毛 is often omitted in speech.
- ¥12.80 = 十二块八 (毛) (shí'èr kuài bā (máo))
- ¥0.50 = 五毛 (wǔ máo) or 五角 (wǔ jiǎo)
这杯咖啡二十五块。 Zhè bēi kāfēi èrshíwǔ kuài. This cup of coffee is twenty-five yuan.
请给我两毛钱。 Qǐng gěi wǒ liǎng máo qián. Please give me twenty cents (two mao).
Saying Dates: Year, Month, Day
Dates follow a logical big-to-small order: Year + Month + Day. You simply read each number. The words for year (年 nián), month (月 yuè), and day (号 hào or 日 rì) are added.
- Year: Read each digit individually. 2023 = 二零二三年 (èr líng èr sān nián).
- Month: Use the number + 月. January = 一月 (yī yuè).
- Day: Use the number + 号 (more common in speech) or 日 (more formal/written).
我的生日是十月八号。 Wǒ de shēngrì shì shí yuè bā hào. My birthday is October 8th.
今天是二零二四年七月十五日。 Jīntiān shì èr líng èr sì nián qī yuè shíwǔ rì. Today is July 15th, 2024.
Phone Numbers: Digit by Digit
Phone numbers are easy: you read each digit individually from left to right. The number 1 is pronounced 一 (yī). The number 0 can be pronounced as 零 (líng) or, informally, as 〇 (líng). The word for "number" is 号 (hào).
我的电话号码是一三九零一二三四五六七。 Wǒ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì yāo sān jiǔ líng yāo èr sān sì wǔ liù qī. My phone number is 139-0123-4567.
Tip: In phone numbers and other serial numbers, the digit "1" is sometimes pronounced as 幺 (yāo) to avoid confusion with the sound of 七 (qī) over poor connections.
Practice
Try to say or write these in Mandarin:
- The number 7,892.
- The price ¥45.60.
- The date September 1st, 2025.
- "I need two tickets and two hundred and fifty yuan."
- Recite the phone number: 188-0010-8888.
Key Takeaways
- Chinese numbers are logical and additive (e.g., 25 = "two-ten-five").
- Master the 万 (10,000) system; don't think in English "millions."
- Use 两 (liǎng) before measure words and the units 百, 千, 万, 亿. Use 二 (èr) for counting and in the tens/units place.
- With money, 块/元 = yuan, 毛/角 = 10 cents.
- Dates follow Year+Month+Day order, read as numbers.
- Phone numbers are read digit-by-digit.
With consistent practice, these patterns will become second nature. Start by counting objects around you in Chinese, and soon you'll be negotiating prices and scheduling meetings with ease!