Learning numbers in Mandarin Chinese is fun and essential for everyday life. Whether you’re ordering food, shopping, or just chatting, knowing how to count helps you connect better. Here’s a simple and engaging guide to counting from 1 to 20 and beyond!
NUMBERS 0 – 10
Zero (零)
- Mandarin: líng
- Pronunciation: /ling/ (like the “ling” in “linguistics”)
One (一)
- Mandarin: yī
- Pronunciation: /ee/ (like the “ee” in “see”)
Two (二)
- Mandarin: èr
- Pronunciation: /ar/ (like “car” but shorter)
Three (三)
- Mandarin: sān
- Pronunciation: /sahn/
Four (四)
- Mandarin: sì
- Pronunciation: /suh/ (similar to “suit” but without the “t”)
Five (五)
- Mandarin: wǔ
- Pronunciation: /woo/ (with a slight “w” sound)
Six (六)
- Mandarin: liù
- Pronunciation: /lyoo/ (like “leo” but with an “l” sound)
Seven (七)
- Mandarin: qī
- Pronunciation: /chee/ (like “cheese” without the “s”)
Eight (八)
- Mandarin: bā
- Pronunciation: /bah/ (like “bar”)
Nine (九)
- Mandarin: jiǔ
- Pronunciation: /jyo/ (like “jew” with a soft “j”)
Ten (十)
- Mandarin: shí
- Pronunciation: /shuh/ (like “shush”)
NUMBERS FROM 11 – ∞
In Mandarin Chinese, numbers from 11 to ∞ are formed by combining the numbers 0 through 10. This means that once you learn the basic numbers, you can easily construct larger numbers by following a simple pattern.
Let’s break it down with the example of 20.
- 20 is expressed as «二十» (èr shí) in Mandarin.
- Here, «二» (èr) means «2», and «十» (shí) means «10».
- So, «二十» (èr shí) literally means «2 tens» or «20».
When you want to say 21, you combine the numbers 20 and 1:
- 21 is «二十一» (èr shí yī).
- «二十» (èr shí) means «20».
- «一» (yī) means «1».
- Putting them together, «二十一» (èr shí yī) means «20 + 1» or «21».
Counting in Hundreds and Thousands
Hundreds (百):
- 100 is «一百» (yī bǎi).
- «一» (yī) means «1» and «百» (bǎi) means » one hundred».
Thousands (千):
- 1,000 is «一千» (yī qiān).
- «一» (yī) means «1» and «千» (qiān) means «one thousand».
Special Counting System
In Mandarin, the term «万» (wàn) represents 10,000 and is a unique aspect of Chinese numerical expression. This system is different from many Western counting systems, where we simply continue with thousands. Instead, Chinese uses «万» (wàn) to denote ten thousand, making it a crucial part of understanding large numbers.
