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[[File:Numbers-chinese.jpg|thumb]]
[[File:Numbers-chinese.jpg|thumb]]
<div class="pg_page_title">Learn how to count in Chinese</div>
Hey there, Chinese learners!


Are you ready to add Chinese numbers to your language toolbox? In this lesson, we'll be covering everything you need to know about counting in Chinese. Whether you're a beginner or intermediate level learner, we've got you covered with step-by-step instructions on how to count with your hands, pronounce numbers, write numbers, and even write the date in Chinese. You'll also learn how to ask someone's age and how to pronounce years and phone numbers in Chinese. By the end of this lesson, you'll be well on your way to becoming a fluent Chinese speaker!
Welcome to this Mandarin Chinese lesson for beginners and intermediate levels.


So let's get started!
Today you will learn how to count and pronounce numbers in Chinese.


__TOC__
== Count with your hands from 1 to 10 in Mandarin Chinese ==
 
To start this lesson, let's learn how to count using our hands.  
Upon mastering this content, you might be interested in pursuing these relevant subjects: [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/%E7%88%B1-%C3%A0i|爱 ài]], [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/Introducing-Each-Other-%28Business-vocabulary%29|Introducing Each Other (Business ...]], [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/够(夠)-gòu-enough|够(夠) gòu enough]] & [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/Polyphonic-characters|Polyphonic characters]].
== Count with your hands from 1 to 10 in Chinese ==
To start this lesson, let's learn how to count using hands.  


Look at the picture below:
Look at the picture below:
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[[File:Count-in-chinese-polyglot-wiki.jpg]]
[[File:Count-in-chinese-polyglot-wiki.jpg]]


==Pronounce numbers from 0 to 10 in Chinese==
==Pronounce numbers from 0 to 10 in Mandarin Chinese==


Watch this video to learn how to pronounce numbers from 0 to 10.  
Watch this video to learn how to pronounce numbers from 0 to 10.  
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Pay attention to the pronunciation of tones. Its very important.
Pay attention to the pronunciation of tones. Its very important.


<span class="notranslate"><youtube>WoKI-FUQRGw</youtube></span>
<youtube>WoKI-FUQRGw</youtube>
 
== Write numbers from 0 to 10 in Mandarin Chinese==


== 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>.  
It is quite easy to count from 0 to 10 in Chinese, apart from the writing of zero: <span class="notranslate">零 líng</span>.  
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Zero can also be written <span class="notranslate">〇</span> which is simpler but less traditional.  
Zero can also be written <span class="notranslate">〇</span> which is simpler but less traditional.  


In Chinese, we often use Arabic numerals. However, you also have to know the Chinese characters that are commonly used.
 
<!--SPLIT-->
In Chinese, we often use Arabic numerals. However, you also have to know the Chinese figures that are commonly used.
 
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!Numbers
!Numbers
Line 43: Line 40:
|-
|-
|<span class="notranslate">1</span>
|<span class="notranslate">1</span>
|一 / 幺
|一
|<span class="notranslate">yī , yí , yì / yāo</span>
|<span class="notranslate">yī / yí / yì / yāo</span>
|-
|-
|<span class="notranslate">2</span>
|<span class="notranslate">2</span>
Line 83: Line 80:
|}
|}


== Write numbers after 10 in Chinese ==
== Write numbers after 10 in Mandarin Chinese ==


After 10, the result is quite logical:
After 10, the result is quite logical:


*<span class="notranslate">11 十一</span>
*<span class="notranslate">11 十一</span>
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*<span class="notranslate">19 十九</span>
*<span class="notranslate">19 十九</span>


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


etc.
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.
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.
== Write big numbers in Mandarin Chinese==


<!--SPLIT-->
== Write big numbers in Chinese==


Here's how to write big numbers:
Here's how to write big numbers:


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!Numbers
|Numbers
!Chinese
|Chinese
!pinyin
|pinyin
|-
|-
|<span class="notranslate">100</span>
|<span class="notranslate">100</span>
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| <span class="notranslate">shí yì</span>
| <span class="notranslate">shí yì</span>
|}
|}
<!--SPLIT-->


== Write the date in Chinese ==
== Write the date in Mandarin Chinese ==


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


<code>Year + month + day of the month + day of the week</code>
<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>:
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>.  
 
Thus, 2012 is written <span class="notranslate">二零一二年 è èr líng yí èr nián</span>.  
 


So we say "year two, zero, one, two." We must not say two thousand, etc.
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>:
The months are constructed by putting the number or the number (10, 11, 12) before the word "month" <span class="notranslate">月 yuè</span>:
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...
...


* October: <span class="notranslate">十月 shí yuè</span>
* October: <span class="notranslate">十月 shí yuè</span>
* November: <span class="notranslate">十一月 shí yí yuè</span>
* November: <span class="notranslate">十一月 shí yí yuè</span>
* December: <span class="notranslate">十二月 shí èr yuè</span>
* December: <span class="notranslate">十二月 shí èr yuè</span>


Only the year is built by listing the numbers.
Only the year is built by listing the numbers.
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April 1998 is therefore: <span class="notranslate">一 九九 八年 四月</span>.
April 1998 is therefore: <span class="notranslate">一 九九 八年 四月</span>.


<!--SPLIT-->
 
The day of the month is constructed by putting the number or number in front of the word "day" <span class="notranslate">日 rì</span>.
The day of the month is constructed by putting the number or number in front of the word "day" <span class="notranslate">日 rì</span>.


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*The thirty-first <span class="notranslate">三十 一日 sān shí yí rì</span>, etc.
*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:
December 21, 2012 is written: <span class="notranslate">二零 一 二年 十二月 二十 一日</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:
* Monday <span class="notranslate">星期一 xīngqī yī</span>
* Monday <span class="notranslate">星期一 xīngqī yī</span>
* Tuesday <span class="notranslate">星期二 xīngqī èr</span>
* Tuesday <span class="notranslate">星期二 xīngqī èr</span>
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* Friday <span class="notranslate">星期五 xīngqī wǔ</span>
* Friday <span class="notranslate">星期五 xīngqī wǔ</span>
* Saturday <span class="notranslate">星期六 xīngqī liù</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).
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===
And yes, the week is not Chinese tradition but Judeo-Christian.
 
 
 
===Ask for a date in Mandarin Chinese===
To ask for the date, two questions are possible:
To ask for the date, two questions are possible:
* <span class="notranslate">今天 的 日期 是 什么? Jīntiān de rìqī shì shénme?</span>
* <span class="notranslate">今天 的 日期 是 什么? Jīntiān de rìqī shì shénme?</span>
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* <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 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)
* <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:
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>
* <span class="notranslate">你的生日是几月几日？ Nǐ de shēngrì shì jǐ yuè jǐ rì ?</span>


And the answer:
And the answer:
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===Which calendar is used in China?===
===Which calendar is used in China?===
[[File:Lunar calendar polyglot club2.jpg|thumb|none]]
The Chinese calendar is a lunar calendar.  
The Chinese calendar is a lunar calendar.  


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For work and administration, the so-called "solar calendar" is used.
For work and administration, the so-called "solar calendar" is used.
<!--SPLIT-->


=="How old are you?" in Chinese==
=="How old are you?" in Mandarin Chinese==


* <span class="notranslate">你 多大? Nǐ duō dà?</span>  
* <span class="notranslate">你 多大? Nǐ duō dà?</span>  
<blockquote>How old are you?</blockquote>
<blockquote>How old are you?</blockquote>


The adjectival verb <span class="notranslate"><code>大</code> dà</span>  can be translated as "to be big" in the sense of size and age.
The adjectival verb <span class="notranslate">大 dà</span>  can be translated as "to be big" in the sense of size and age.
* <span class="notranslate">中国 很大 Zhōngguó Hěn dà</span>  
* <span class="notranslate">中国 很大 Zhōngguó Hěn dà</span>  
<blockquote>China is very big.</blockquote>
<blockquote>China is very big.</blockquote>


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.
In Chinese, the word <span class="notranslate">多 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">她 多 美?</span> 
The answer to the question is built without verb:
<blockquote>How much is she pretty?</blockquote>


* <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>


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


Example:  
Example:  
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<blockquote>I am 17 years old </blockquote>
<blockquote>I am 17 years old </blockquote>


<!--SPLIT-->
 
When we talk to a child, we can use the interrogative word "how much?" <span class="notranslate"><code>几岁</code> jǐ suì</span>:
When we talk to a child, we can also say :
* <span class="notranslate">你 几岁? Nǐ jǐ suì?</span>
* <span class="notranslate">你 几岁? Nǐ jǐ suì?</span>
<blockquote>How old are you?</blockquote>
<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).


For an answer greater than 10 years old, use <span class="notranslate"><code>多大</code></span>.
In reality, the interrogative word "how much?" <span class="notranslate">几 jǐ</span> is used when the response is estimated to be less than 10 (approximately).  


==How to pronounce years and phone numbers in Chinese==
For an answer greater than ten, there is another interrogative word that is constructed with <span class="notranslate">多 duō</span>.
 
==How to pronounce years and phone numbers in Mandarin Chinese==


When pronuncing a phone number or a year, it must be done digit by digit.
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>".
== Practice Phrases: ==


# 你多大？(Nǐ duō dà?) - How old are you?
When pronuncing phone numbers for instance, the Chinese often replace "<span class="notranslate">一</span>" by "<span class="notranslate">幺 <yāo></span>".
# 今天是几月几日？(Jīntiān shì jǐ yuè jǐ rì?) - What is today's date?
# 我的电话号码是一三五七九。(Wǒ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì yī sān wǔ qī jiǔ.) - My phone number is 13579.
# 我有两个姐姐。(Wǒ yǒu liǎng gè jiějiě.) - I have two older sisters.
# 你的生日是几月几日？(Nǐ de shēngrì shì jǐ yuè jǐ rì?) - When is your birthday?
# 今天是星期天。(Jīntiān shì xīngqītiān.) - Today is Sunday.
# 请问，现在是几点？(Qǐngwèn, xiànzài shì jǐ diǎn?) - Excuse me, what time is it now?
# 五加六等于十一。(Wǔ jiā liù děngyú shíyī.) - Five plus six equals eleven.
# 我需要买三张票。(Wǒ xūyào mǎi sān zhāng piào.) - I need to buy three tickets.
# 他今年三十五岁。(Tā jīnnián sānshíwǔ suì.) - He is thirty-five years old this year.
# 二十乘以四等于八十。(Èrshí chéngyì sì děngyú bāshí.) - Twenty multiplied by four equals eighty.
# 你家有几口人？(Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?) - How many people are there in your family?
# 九减四等于五。(Jiǔ jiǎn sì děngyú wǔ.) - Nine minus four equals five.


== Quiz: ==


# How do you pronounce the number "3" in Chinese? a) sān b) èr c) sì
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 ‹ Yīqiān yībǎi yīshísì ›</span>".
# How do you write the number "7" in Chinese? a) 五 b) 六 c) 七
# How do you say "April 1998" in Chinese? a) 一九九八年四月 b) 一九九八年三月 c) 一九九八年五月
# How do you ask someone's age in Chinese when speaking to a child? a) 你多大？ b) 你几岁？ c) 你多少岁？
# How do you pronounce the year 2023 in Chinese? a) 二〇二二年 b) 二〇二三年 c) 二〇二四年
# How do you write the number "6" in Chinese? a) 八 b) 九 c) 六
# How do you say "Today is Wednesday" in Chinese? a) 今天是星期二。 b) 今天是星期三。 c) 今天是星期四。
# Which of these means "eight" in Chinese? a) bā b) wǔ c) qī
# How do you say "nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine" in Chinese? a) 九千九百九十九 b) 九千八百八十八 c) 八千九百九十九
# How do you ask "How many people are there in your family?" in Chinese? a) 你家有几口人？ b) 你家有多少人？ c) 你家有多少口人？
# How do you say "two thousand" in Chinese? a) 一千 b) 两千 c) 三千
# What is the Chinese character for "zero"? a) 五 b) 零 c) 一
# How do you say "forty thousand" in Chinese? a) 四万 b) 五万 c) 六万
# How do you say "Friday" in Chinese? a) 星期五 b) 星期六 c) 星期日
# How do you say "I am 25 years old" in Chinese? a) 我二十五岁。 b) 我二十岁。 c) 我二十六岁。
 
=== Answers: ===
 
# a) sān
# c) 七
# a) 一九九八年四月
# b) 你几岁？
# b) 二〇二三年
# c) 六
# b) 今天是星期三。
# a) bā
# a) 九千九百九十九
# a) 你家有几口人？
# b) 两千
# b) 零
# a) 四万
# a) 星期五
# a) 我二十五岁。


==Sources==
==Sources==
* http://www.chine-culture.com/chinois/cours-de-chinois-5-grammaire.php
* https://chine.in/mandarin/methode/index.php?lecon=6
{{#seo:
|title=Learn how to count in Chinese (lesson)
|keywords=numbers, dates, year, months, week, day, big numbers, age, calendar, phone number
|description=This is a complete lesson (beginner, intermediate level) to know everything about numbers in Chinese.
|og:image=https://polyglotclub.com/wiki/images/0/0d/Count-in-chinese-polyglot-wiki.jpg
}}
==Other Lessons==
* [[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]]
* [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/社-shè-society;-organized-body|社 shè society; organized body]]
* [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/划(劃)-huà-plan|划(劃) huà plan]]
* [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/查-chá-examine,-check,-Zhā-Zha-(a-surname)|查 chá examine, check, Zhā Zha (a surname)]]
* [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/视(視)-shì-look-at,-regard,-inspect|视(視) shì look at, regard, inspect]]
* [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/At-Home|At Home]]
* [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/Difference-between-漢語-and-中文|Difference between 漢語 and 中文]]
* [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/占(佔)-zhàn-occupy|占(佔) zhàn occupy]]
* [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/How-to-build-a-sentence-in-Chinese|How to build a sentence in Chinese]]


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http://www.chine-culture.com/chinois/cours-de-chinois-5-grammaire.php


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