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! 🤩

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

Learn the numbers

Numbers from 1 to 10

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.

Try to replicate each hand position and at the same time read the character, pinyin and say the number aloud. Do this 10 times.

• 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

Count with your hands

• Practice your visual memory: Look at the photo with the hand position. Guess what number it is.

Hand position	Guess the number:
	? 10
	? 6
	? 4
	? 1
	? 2
	? 8
	? 7
	? 9
	? 5
	? 3

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)