Chinese Numbers from 0 to 10,000
Quick answer
Chinese numbers follow one simple pattern. Learn 0 to 10 (líng, yī, èr, sān, sì, wǔ, liù, qī, bā, jiǔ, shí), then build: 20 is 二十 (èrshí, two tens) and 21 is 二十一 (èrshíyī). 100 is 一百 (yībǎi), 1,000 is 一千 (yīqiān), and 10,000 has its own word, 一万 (yīwàn).
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Chinese numbers 0 to 10 with pinyin
Learn these eleven words first, since every other number is built from them. Each row gives the character, its pinyin (the way you say it) and the number.
| Mandarin | Pronunciation | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 零 | líng | 0 | |
| 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 |
Say 11 to 19 as ten plus a digit
Say ten and then the digit, so 11 is ten one and 15 is ten five. There are no special words like eleven or twelve.
| Mandarin | Pronunciation | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 十一 | shíyī | 11 (10 + 1) | |
| 十二 | shí'èr | 12 (10 + 2) | |
| 十五 | shíwǔ | 15 (10 + 5) | |
| 十九 | shíjiǔ | 19 (10 + 9) |
Say the tens as a digit, then ten
Put the digit before 十 (shí). 42 is 四十二 (sìshí'èr): four tens and two. 99 is 九十九 (jiǔshíjiǔ).
| Mandarin | Pronunciation | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 二十 | èrshí | 20 | |
| 三十 | sānshí | 30 | |
| 四十 | sìshí | 40 | |
| 五十 | wǔshí | 50 | |
| 六十 | liùshí | 60 | |
| 七十 | qīshí | 70 | |
| 八十 | bāshí | 80 | |
| 九十 | jiǔshí | 90 |
Big numbers go up in groups of four zeros
After 1,000, Chinese counts in units of 10,000, called 万 (wàn). So 100,000 is ten wàn, and a million is one hundred wàn. When a digit in the middle is 0, say 零 (líng): 105 is one hundred, zero, five.
| Mandarin | Pronunciation | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一百 | yībǎi | 100 | |
| 一百零五 | yībǎi líng wǔ | 105 | |
| 一百一十四 | yībǎi yīshísì | 114 | |
| 一千 | yīqiān | 1,000 | |
| 一万 | yīwàn | 10,000 | |
| 十万 | shíwàn | 100,000 | |
| 一百万 | yībǎiwàn | 1,000,000 |
Two words for 2: 二 and 两
Use 二 (èr) when you count and inside numbers like 12 and 20. Use 两 (liǎng) before a measure word, the small word that goes between a number and a noun. For 200 and 2,000 you can say either.
| Mandarin | Pronunciation | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 二 | èr | 2, when you count | |
| 十二 | shí'èr | 12 | |
| 两个人 | liǎng gè rén | two people | |
| 两百 or 二百 | liǎngbǎi or èrbǎi | 200 | |
| 两千 or 二千 | liǎngqiān or èrqiān | 2,000 |
Prices and phone numbers
In writing the word is 元 (yuán), but in speech people say 块 (kuài). A tenth of a yuan is 毛 (máo) in speech. When you read a long number out one digit at a time, as with a phone or ID number, people often say 幺 (yāo) for 1 to make it clear.
| Mandarin | Pronunciation | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 元 | yuán | yuan, the written word | |
| 块 | kuài | yuan, the spoken word | |
| 毛 | máo | a tenth of a yuan, spoken | |
| 二十块 | èrshí kuài | 20 yuan | |
| 两块五毛 | liǎng kuài wǔ máo | 2.50 yuan | |
| 幺 | yāo | 1, when you read a number digit by digit |
Frequently asked questions
How do you count to 10 in Chinese?
yī (1), èr (2), sān (3), sì (4), wǔ (5), liù (6), qī (7), bā (8), jiǔ (9), shí (10). Zero is líng, and you need it for numbers like 105.
When do you use 两 instead of 二?
Use 两 (liǎng) for two of something, before a measure word: 两个人 (liǎng gè rén) is two people. Use 二 (èr) when you count, and in numbers like 12, 20 and 22.
How do you say 10,000 in Chinese?
10,000 is 一万 (yīwàn). Chinese groups big numbers by ten thousands, so 50,000 is 五万 (wǔwàn), five wàn, and 1,000,000 is 一百万 (yībǎiwàn), one hundred wàn.
How do you say a price in Chinese?
Say the number, then 块 (kuài): 二十块 (èrshí kuài) is 20 yuan. In writing you will see 元 (yuán). For a tenth of a yuan, people say 毛 (máo).
Why do some receipts show 壹 and 贰?
Chinese has a second set of number characters for money and accounts, called 大写 (dàxiě, big writing). 壹 is 1 and 贰 is 2. You read them out the same way as 一 and 二.
How can I practice Chinese numbers?
The SubjectCards iPhone app teaches Mandarin, and its Learn Mandarin Fast deck has a group of cards for numbers, time and money. Each card shows the characters with pinyin. The audio on every card is Google Cloud text-to-speech, made the first time you play it, and Mandarin uses a Standard voice. Every card is free to read. Pro costs $39.99 a year with a 7-day free trial, or $6.99 a month with no trial.
Where do these rules come from?
The number rules come from the Wikipedia page Chinese numerals. Wikipedia's Renminbi page gives the money words, and the Wiktionary entry for 幺 gives its use for 1. We read all three on October 21, 2026.
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