Chinese numbers: counting from 1 to 100 and beyond
Chinese numbers are among the most logical in any language. Learn ten words, from 一 (yī, one) to 十 (shí, ten), and you can count to 99 by combining them: 十一 is "ten one" (11), 二十 is "two ten" (20). This guide covers counting the Chinese numbers 1 to 100, big numbers, the one-hand gestures, lucky numbers in Chinese (and unlucky ones), and how to say prices, phone numbers and dates.
By Zoey (Ziqiao Zang), Chinese teacher since 2011
Chinese numbers 1 to 10
| ▶ | Number | Pinyin | Value | Memory tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 零 | líng | 0 | Also written 〇 in dates | |
| 一 | yī | 1 | One stroke | |
| 二 | èr | 2 | Two strokes | |
| 三 | sān | 3 | Three strokes | |
| 四 | sì | 4 | Sounds like 死 "death": unlucky | |
| 五 | wǔ | 5 | ||
| 六 | liù | 6 | Lucky: "smooth" (流 liú) | |
| 七 | qī | 7 | ||
| 八 | bā | 8 | Very lucky: sounds like 发 "prosper" | |
| 九 | jiǔ | 9 | Lucky: sounds like 久 "long-lasting" | |
| 十 | shí | 10 | A cross |
That is the answer to how to say 1, 2, 3 … 10 in Chinese. Mind the tones: sì (4, falling) and shí (10, rising) are a classic pair to confuse, just like sì (4) and shí in 四十 (40). Practise 四是四，十是十sì shì sì, shí shì shí, the start of a famous tongue twister.
二 or 两?
Both mean two. Use 二 (èr) when counting and in numbers (二, 十二, 二十). Use 两 (liǎng) before a measure word: 两个人liǎng ge rén (two people), 两杯咖啡liǎng bēi kāfēi (two cups of coffee).
Chinese numbers 11 to 100
From 11 to 99 Chinese simply combines what you know:
| Pattern | Example | Literally |
|---|---|---|
| 十 + unit | 十一 shíyī = 11 | ten one |
| unit + 十 | 二十 èrshí = 20 | two ten |
| unit + 十 + unit | 三十五 sānshíwǔ = 35 | three ten five |
| 一百 | 一百 yìbǎi = 100 | one hundred |
| ▶ | Number | Pinyin | Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 十一 | shíyī | 11 | ||
| 十二 | shí'èr | 12 | ||
| 十九 | shíjiǔ | 19 | ||
| 二十 | èrshí | 20 | ||
| 二十一 | èrshíyī | 21 | ||
| 四十四 | sìshísì | 44 | A real tongue twister | |
| 六十八 | liùshíbā | 68 | Lucky: "smoothly prosper" | |
| 九十九 | jiǔshíjiǔ | 99 | "Long, long", used for lasting love | |
| 一百 | yìbǎi | 100 |
Big numbers: 百, 千, 万, 亿
The written Chinese numerals for large numbers follow the same building-block logic.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 百 | bǎi | 100 |
| 千 | qiān | 1,000 |
| 万 | wàn | 10,000 |
| 十万 | shíwàn | 100,000 |
| 百万 | bǎiwàn | 1,000,000 |
| 千万 | qiānwàn | 10,000,000 |
| 亿 | yì | 100,000,000 |
The tricky part is that Chinese counts big numbers in ten-thousands (万), not thousands. So 50,000 is 五万wǔwàn (five ten-thousands) and 1,000,000 is 一百万yìbǎiwàn (one hundred ten-thousands). A zero inside a number is said once: 105 is 一百零五yìbǎi líng wǔ. And 1,000 to 1,900 needs 一: 一千五百 (1,500), often shortened to 一千五.
Counting with your hands
Chinese speakers can show every number from 1 to 10 with one hand. Very practical in a noisy market, and you will see it everywhere:
- 1–5: like in Europe, but 3 is often shown with the last three fingers.
- 6: thumb and little finger out (六).
- 7: fingertips of thumb, index and middle finger pinched together.
- 8: thumb and index finger out, like an “L” (八).
- 9: a hooked index finger (九).
- 10: a fist, or two index fingers crossed to form 十.
Lucky and unlucky numbers
Numbers in Chinese culture often carry meaning through their sound:
| Number | Sounds like | Meaning | Lucky? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 八 bā | 发 fā | prosper | Very lucky |
| 6 六 liù | 流 liú / 溜 | flow smoothly | Lucky |
| 9 九 jiǔ | 久 jiǔ | long-lasting | Lucky (weddings, love) |
| 4 四 sì | 死 sǐ | death | Unlucky |
| 520 | 我爱你 | I love you | Romantic |
The Beijing Olympics opened on 8 August 2008 at 8:08 p.m., and phone numbers or number plates full of 8s sell for real money. Many buildings skip the fourth floor. In my lessons I tell a short story about exactly this:
The video loads from YouTube when you press play.
Numbers in daily life
Prices
| ▶ | Chinese | Pinyin | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 多少钱？ | duōshao qián? | how much? | ||
| 十五块 | shíwǔ kuài | 15 yuan | Spoken: 块; written: 元 (yuán) | |
| 三块五 | sān kuài wǔ | 3.50 yuan | 五 = five 毛 (tenths) | |
| 太贵了！ | tài guì le! | too expensive! | The start of bargaining | |
| 便宜一点吧 | piányi yìdiǎn ba | a bit cheaper, please? |
Phone numbers
Phone numbers are read digit by digit, and 1 is often said yāo instead of yī, so it isn’t confused with 7 (qī). 138 1234 5678 becomes 幺三八 幺二三四 五六七八yāo sān bā, yāo èr sān sì, wǔ liù qī bā.
Dates and time
Chinese dates go from big to small: year, month, day. 6 February 2027 is 二零二七年二月六日èr líng èr qī nián èr yuè liù rì. Years are read digit by digit. Months are simply numbered: 一月 (January), 二月 (February)… Days of the week too: 星期一 (Monday) to 星期六 (Saturday), with 星期天 for Sunday. Time: 三点十五分sān diǎn shíwǔ fēn (3:15).
Ordinal numbers
Add 第 (dì): 第一dì yī (first), 第二 (second), 第三 (third). 第一次 means “the first time”.
Next steps
Numbers go hand in hand with the basic Chinese phrases for shopping and ordering. Curious which animal year you were born in? Try the Chinese zodiac calculator. And if you want to learn properly from the start, see the course for beginners.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 1, 2, 3 … 10 in Chinese?
一 yī (1), 二 èr (2), 三 sān (3), 四 sì (4), 五 wǔ (5), 六 liù (6), 七 qī (7), 八 bā (8), 九 jiǔ (9), 十 shí (10). Zero is 零 líng. Before a measure word, two is usually 两 liǎng instead of 二: 两个人, two people.
Why is 8 a lucky number in Chinese?
Eight, 八 (bā), sounds similar to 发 (fā), as in 发财 (to get rich). That is why prices, phone numbers and dates with lots of 8s are popular; the Beijing Olympics opened on 8 August 2008 at 8:08 p.m. Six (smooth) and nine (long-lasting) are also considered lucky.
Why is 4 unlucky in Chinese?
Four, 四 (sì), sounds like 死 (sǐ), to die. Many buildings in China skip the fourth floor, or floors 14 and 24, and phone numbers with several 4s are cheaper. It is a superstition, not a rule, but you will notice it everywhere.
How do you say 10,000 in Chinese?
10,000 has its own word: 万 (wàn). Chinese groups large numbers in units of ten thousand, not a thousand, so 100,000 is 十万 (ten ten-thousands) and one million is 一百万 (a hundred ten-thousands). One hundred million is 亿 (yì).
Learn with Zoey
One-to-one or in a small group, online or in Amsterdam by arrangement. Tell Zoey what you want to achieve and she will suggest a plan.
Keep reading
-
Basic Chinese phrases
Hello, thank you, sorry, I love you: with characters, pinyin and audio.
-
Beginners
Start from zero: pinyin, tones, your first characters and real conversations.
-
Chinese zodiac calculator
Find your animal and element by birth date, with characters and pronunciation.
-
Chinese New Year 2027
The date, the Year of the Goat, traditions, wishes and Amsterdam celebrations.
About the author
Zoey (Ziqiao Zang, 臧子乔) has taught Chinese as a foreign language since 2011 and in the Netherlands since 2016. She holds a Master of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages from Zhejiang Normal University and set up and ran an official HSK online exam centre with more than 250 candidates.