Difference between revisions of "Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/Numbers"

So let's get started!

== Count with your hands from 1 to 10 in Chinese ==

To start this lesson, let's learn how to count using hands.  

Pay attention to the pronunciation of tones. Its very important.

<span class="notranslate"><youtube>WoKI-FUQRGw</youtube></span>

== Write numbers from 0 to 10 in Chinese==

It is quite easy to count from 0 to 10 in Chinese, apart from the writing of zero: <span class="notranslate">零 líng</span>.  

After 10, the result is quite logical:

*<span class="notranslate">11 十一</span>

*<span class="notranslate">19 十九</span>

Then:  

*<span class="notranslate">22 二十二</span>

etc.

It is very easy and there is nothing special except that we should not add a "one" from 10 to 19: Do not write: "<span class="notranslate">一 十, 一 十一</span>", etc.

<!--SPLIT-->

== Write big numbers in Chinese==

Here's how to write big numbers:

The date is built from the most general to the most precise:

<code>Year + month + day of the month + day of the week</code>

The year is constructed by listing the numbers in front of the word "year" <span class="notranslate">年 nián</span>:

Thus, 2012 is written <span class="notranslate">二零一二年 èr líng yí èr nián</span>.  

So we say "year two, zero, one, two." We must not say two thousand, etc.

The months are constructed by putting the number or the number (10, 11, 12) before the word "month" <span class="notranslate">月 yuè</span>:

...

* October: <span class="notranslate">十月 shí yuè</span>

* November: <span class="notranslate">十一月 shí yí yuè</span>

* December: <span class="notranslate">十二月 shí èr yuè</span>

Only the year is built by listing the numbers.

*The thirtieth <span class="notranslate">三十 日 sān shí rì</span>,  

*The thirty-first <span class="notranslate">三十 一日 sān shí yí rì</span>, etc.

December 21, 2012 is written: <span class="notranslate">二零 一 二年 十二月 二十 一日 (2012 Nián 12 yuè 21 rì)</span>.

In Chinese, the word week is called 星期 xīngqī (literally "period of stars"). The day of the week is built by adding the number '''after''' the word week 星期:

* Friday <span class="notranslate">星期五 xīngqī wǔ</span>

* Saturday <span class="notranslate">星期六 xīngqī liù</span>

The word "Sunday" is special and is either <span class="notranslate">星期天 xīngqī tiān</span> (day of the sky) or <span class="notranslate">星期日 xīngqī rì</span> (day of the sun).

===Ask for a date in Chinese===

* <span class="notranslate">今天 几 月 几 日? Jīntiān jǐ yuè jǐ rì?</span> (for the short form)

* <span class="notranslate">今天 几年 几 月 几 日 星期 星期 几? Jīntiān jǐ nián jǐ yuè jǐ rì xīngqī jǐ?</span> (for the long form)

To ask for the anniversary date we will say:

* <span class="notranslate">你的生日是几月几日？ Nǐ de shēngrì shì jǐ yuè jǐ rì ?</span>

And the answer:

In Chinese, the word <span class="notranslate"><code>多</code> duō</span>  can also be translated as "how many?" when he is in front of a verb.

This use of the verb 多 makes it possible to make questions that are difficult to translate into another language, but which do exist in Chinese:

* <span class="notranslate">他 多 好?</span>   

<blockquote>How much is he nice?</blockquote>

The answer to the question is built without verb using the word <span class="notranslate"><code>岁</code> (suì)</span>:

<code>Subject + number + <span class="notranslate">岁 (suì)</span>.</code>

Example:  

* <span class="notranslate">你 几岁? Nǐ jǐ suì?</span>

<blockquote>How old are you?</blockquote>

Actually, <span class="notranslate"><code>几岁</code></span> is used when the response is estimated to be less than 10 years old (approximately).  

When pronuncing a phone number or a year, it must be done digit by digit.

When pronuncing phone numbers for instance, the Chinese often replace "<span class="notranslate">一</span>" by "<span class="notranslate">幺 <yāo></span>". Because in these cases, the sound changes of 一 are not applied, its pronunciation is similar to <span class="notranslate">七</span>'s.

The year "<span class="notranslate">2014</span>" is "<span class="notranslate">二〇一四(年) ‹ èr líng yī sì (nián) ›" and not "<span class="notranslate">二千〇一十四</span>".

https://chine.in/mandarin/methode/index.php?lecon=6

{{#seo:

}}

* [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/而-ér-also,-and,-yet,-but|而 ér also, and, yet, but]]

* [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/教-jiào-teach;-teaching;-religion-jiāo-teach|教 jiào teach; teaching; religion jiāo teach]]

[[Category:0-to-A1-Course]]

[[Category:Mandarin-chinese-0-to-A1-Course]]