Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/Count-from-1-to-10

🇨🇳 Mandarin Chinese Vocabulary ➡ Count to 10 🔢

Hello Mandarin Chinese learners 😎

In today's lesson we will learn how to count from 1 to 10 in Mandarin Chinese.

Follow each step below. If you do it carefully, by the end of the lesson, chances are you will be able to count from 1 to 10 in Mandarin Chinese.

Isn't that fantastic? you will impress your friends! 🤩

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• Level: beginner
• Lesson duration: 30 minutes
• Difficulty: Medium

Learn the numbers

Numbers from 1 to 10 (character, pinyin, audio and example)

1. Listen to each recording, repeat out loud the number in your native language and in Mandarin Chinese.
2. Do this 10 times, each time in a different order. ➡ Tip: Click the arrow at the top of the column to shuffle the rows.

• This step will exercise your visual and auditory memory
• For more advanced learners, we have given you an example sentence with its meaning.

Numbers from 1 to 5

Number	Character	Pinyin	Pronunciation (audio)	Example	Meaning
1	一	yī		一帆風順／一帆风顺 (yīfānfēngshùn) Forvo1 Forvo2	Literally: propitious wind throughout the journey Meaning: Have a nice trip
2	二	èr		二人同心 (èrréntóngxīn)	Literally: two people are of the same mind, (-其利斷金／其利断金 their sharpness can cut through metal) Forvo
3	三	sān		三心二意 (sānxīn'èryì) Forvo	Literally: three hearts and two minds Meaning: unable to concentrate on completing one goal at a time, likely to change minds easily
4	四	sì		四通八達／四通八达 (sìtōngbādá) Forvo	Literally: roads open in all directions (idiom); Meaning: accessible from all sides
5	五	wǔ		五顏六色／五颜六色 (wǔyánliùsè) Forvo1 Forvo2	Literally: five or six colors

Numbers from 6 to 10

Number	Character	Pinyin	Pronunciation (audio)	Example	Meaning
6	六	liù		六神無主／六神无主 (liùshénwúzhǔ) Forvo	Literally: all six vital organs fail (idiom)
7	七	qī		七上八下 (qīshàngbāxià) Forvo	Literally: at 7 and 8 Meaning: perturbed state of mind
8	八	bā		八仙過海／八仙过海 (bāxiānguòhǎi) Forvo	Literally: The Eight Immortals cross the sea, (-各顯神通／各显神通 each revealing their divine power) (Idiom) Forvo Meaning: everybody using their talents to achieve a common goal
9	九	jiǔ		九霄雲外／九霄云外 (jiǔxiāoyúnwài) Forvo	Literally: beyond the topmost clouds (idiom) Meaning: unimaginably far away
10	十	shí		十全十美 (shíquánshíměi) Forvo	Literally: complete and beautiful Meaning: to be perfect (idiom)

Count with your hands

Now, let's learn how to count using hands. Look at the picture below.

• This step will exercise your visual memory

Learn like a song

A great way to remember numbers in Chinese is to learn them all together, from 1 to 10 and from 10 to 1, much like learning a song. At the same time, it will help you count things quickly. It will be very useful to you in your daily life.

• This step will exercise your auditory memory

Numbers from 1 to 10

• Listen to the following recording: 20 times.

Numbers from 10 to 1

• Listen to the following recording: 20 times.

Videos: Review what you have learned

Watch the following videos to review what you have just learned.

• This step will exercise both your visual and auditory memory

Count to 10 in Mandarin Chinese: lesson for children

Writing, Pronunciation and Hand:

Test your knowledge

Translate from Mandarin Chinese

This should be the easiest test:

• Practice your memory: from Mandarin Chinese writing, guess what number it is:

Mandarin Chinese	Guess the number:
四 (sì)	? 4
二 (èr)	? 2
十 (shí)	? 10
三 (sān)	? 3
八 (bā)	? 8
一 (yī)	? 1
七 (qī)	? 7
五 (wǔ)	? 5
九 (jiǔ)	? 9
六 (liù)	? 6

Listening comprehension

Here is a slightly more difficult test:

• Practice your listening comprehension: Listen to each recording. Guess what number it is.

Pronunciation (sound file)	Guess the number:
	? 10
	? 6
	? 4
	? 1
	? 2
	? 8
	? 7
	? 9
	? 5
	? 3

Translate to Mandarin Chinese

At last, the hardest test:

• Practice your memory and writing skills: write each number (character + pinyin).

Number	Type the answer:	See the answer:
2		? 二 (èr)
4		? 四 (sì)
1		? 一 (yī)
3		? 三 (sān)
8		? 八 (bā)

Number	Type the answer:	See the answer:
10		? 十 (shí)
9		? 九 (jiǔ)
5		? 五 (wǔ)
6		? 六 (liù)
7		? 七 (qī)