Chinese Numbers 1-100: Complete Guide with Pinyin, Audio & Pronunciation (2026)
Whether you're traveling to China, learning Mandarin, or just curious — numbers are the first and most useful thing you can learn. Unlike English, Chinese numbers follow an incredibly logical system. Once you know 0-10, you can count to 99,999 without memorizing anything new.
Let's dive in. 🏮
Chinese Numbers 0-10: The Foundation
These are the only ten characters you need to memorize. Everything else builds from them.
| Number | Character | Pinyin | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 零 | líng | Sounds like "ling" as in "linger" |
| 1 | 一 | yī | One horizontal line — the easiest character ever |
| 2 | 二 | èr | Two horizontal lines — seriously, that's it |
| 3 | 三 | sān | Three horizontal lines. Chinese is easy sometimes! |
| 4 | 四 | sì | Sounds like "suh" (unlucky — more on that below) |
| 5 | 五 | wǔ | Sounds like "woo" with a falling-rising tone |
| 6 | 六 | liù | Sounds like "lyo" (lucky!) |
| 7 | 七 | qī | Sounds like "chee" |
| 8 | 八 | bā | Sounds like "ba" (the luckiest number!) |
| 9 | 九 | jiǔ | Sounds like "jyoh" (sounds like 久 = long-lasting) |
| 10 | 十 | shí | Sounds like "shr" |
👉 Want to hear how these sound? Try our free Chinese Number Converter with Audio — type any number and hear it spoken by a native Chinese voice.
Counting 11-19: Simple Multiplication
This is where Chinese gets beautifully logical. Once you know 1-10, the teens are trivial:
| Number | Chinese | Pinyin | Logic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 十一 | shí yī | 10 + 1 |
| 12 | 十二 | shí èr | 10 + 2 |
| 13 | 十三 | shí sān | 10 + 3 |
| 14 | 十四 | shí sì | 10 + 4 |
| 15 | 十五 | shí wǔ | 10 + 5 |
| 19 | 十九 | shí jiǔ | 10 + 9 |
No weird words like "eleven" or "twelve." Just ten-one, ten-two, ten-three.
Counting 20-99: Even More Logical
In English we say "twenty," "thirty" — separate words. In Chinese, it's pure math:
| Number | Chinese | Pinyin | Logic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 二十 | èr shí | 2 × 10 |
| 21 | 二十一 | èr shí yī | 2 × 10 + 1 |
| 25 | 二十五 | èr shí wǔ | 2 × 10 + 5 |
| 30 | 三十 | sān shí | 3 × 10 |
| 40 | 四十 | sì shí | 4 × 10 |
| 55 | 五十五 | wǔ shí wǔ | 5 × 10 + 5 |
| 88 | 八十八 | bā shí bā | 8 × 10 + 8 (super lucky!) |
| 99 | 九十九 | jiǔ shí jiǔ | 9 × 10 + 9 |
That's it. No new words to memorize. If you know 0-10, you know everything up to 99.
Big Numbers: 100, 1,000, 10,000 and Beyond
| Number | Chinese | Pinyin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 一百 | yì bǎi | "one hundred" |
| 200 | 两百 | liǎng bǎi | Note: 两 (liǎng), not 二! |
| 1,000 | 一千 | yì qiān | "one thousand" |
| 10,000 | 一万 | yí wàn | This is the big one |
⚠️ The #1 Mistake: 万 (wàn) = 10,000
In English, we count in thousands: 10 thousand, 100 thousand, 1 million.
In Chinese, they count in ten-thousands:
- 10,000 = 一万 (yí wàn) = "one ten-thousand"
- 100,000 = 十万 (shí wàn) = "ten ten-thousands"
- 1,000,000 = 一百万 (yì bǎi wàn) = "one hundred ten-thousands"
So when a Chinese person says "这个要十万" (zhège yào shí wàn), they mean 100,000, not 10,000! This trips up every beginner.
The Famous 二 (èr) vs 两 (liǎng) Confusion
Both mean "two," but they're used in completely different situations:
Use 二 (èr) for:
- Counting and numbers: 一、二、三 (one, two, three)
- Phone numbers: 我的电话是二一二... (my number is 2-1-2...)
- The second of something: 第二 (dì èr = second)
- Prices: 两块二 (liǎng kuài èr = 2 yuan 2 mao)
Use 两 (liǎng) for:
- "Two of something" with measure words:
- 两个人 (liǎng ge rén) = two people
- 两天 (liǎng tiān) = two days
- 两百 (liǎng bǎi) = two hundred
- 两千 (liǎng qiān) = two thousand
- 两万 (liǎng wàn) = twenty thousand
Rule of thumb: If you can say "a couple of" in English, use 两. If it's just the number 2, use 二.
Lucky & Unlucky Numbers in Chinese Culture
Numbers in China carry enormous cultural weight. This matters for prices, phone numbers, license plates, and even apartment buildings.
🍀 Lucky Numbers
| Number | Why It's Lucky |
|---|---|
| 8 (八 bā) | Sounds like 发 (fā) as in 发财 (fā cái) = "get rich." The #1 luckiest number. Phone numbers and license plates with 8s cost a fortune. The 2008 Beijing Olympics opened on 8/8/08 at 8:08 PM. |
| 6 (六 liù) | Sounds like 溜 (liū) = "smooth/slippery." 六六大顺 (liù liù dà shùn) = "everything goes smoothly." |
| 9 (九 jiǔ) | Sounds like 久 (jiǔ) = "long-lasting." Associated with eternity and the Emperor (who wore nine-dragon robes). |
| 88 | Double 8 = double fortune. Also, 88 looks like "bye-bye" in Chinese internet slang! |
⚠️ Unlucky Numbers
| Number | Why It's Unlucky |
|---|---|
| 4 (四 sì) | Sounds nearly identical to 死 (sǐ) = "death." Buildings often skip the 4th floor (like 13 in the West). Hospitals avoid room 4. Phone numbers ending in 4 are cheaper. |
| 14 | Sounds like "must die" — especially unlucky. |
| 250 (二百五) | A Chinese insult meaning "idiot/fool." Never price anything at 250! |
Practical tip for China: You'll see prices like ¥88, ¥188, ¥888 everywhere. If you're selling or bargaining, ending in 8 is good marketing. Avoid 4s and 250.
Essential Number Phrases for Travelers
Asking Prices
- 多少钱？ duōshao qián? = How much?
- 这个多少钱？ zhège duōshao qián? = How much is this?
- 太贵了！ tài guì le! = Too expensive!
- 便宜一点？ piányi yīdiǎn? = A little cheaper?
- 可以打折吗？ kěyǐ dǎzhé ma? = Can you give a discount?
Paying
- 微信支付。 Wēixìn zhīfù. = I'll pay with WeChat.
- 支付宝。 Zhīfùbǎo. = Alipay.
- 现金。 xiànjīn. = Cash.
- 刷卡。 shuākǎ. = Credit card.
Ordering Quantities
- 一个。 yí ge. = One (of something).
- 两个。 liǎng ge. = Two (note: 两, not 二!).
- 三个。 sān ge. = Three.
- 一瓶水。 yì píng shuǐ. = One bottle of water.
- 两杯茶。 liǎng bēi chá. = Two cups of tea.
How Chinese People Actually Communicate Numbers
🤙 The Hand Gestures
Chinese number gestures (手指表示法) are used everywhere — especially in markets, across loud rooms, and in bargaining. Learn 1-10 hand signals and you can communicate without saying a word!
📱 The Calculator Shuffle
In markets across China, shopkeepers will type a price into a calculator and silently turn it toward you. You type your counteroffer and hand it back. No language needed — this is how bargaining happens.
💰 Talking About Money
Chinese currency is 元 (yuán) or colloquially 块 (kuài):
- 1元 = 一块 (yí kuài)
- 10元 = 十块 (shí kuài)
- 100元 = 一百块 (yì bǎi kuài)
The smaller unit is 毛 (máo) or 角 (jiǎo) = 1/10 of a yuan:
- 0.5元 = 五毛 (wǔ máo)
Learn Chinese Numbers the Easy Way
You don't need flashcards or apps. Our free Chinese Number Converter lets you:
✅ Type any number (up to trillions)
✅ See it in beautiful Chinese characters
✅ Get the correct pinyin pronunciation
🔊 Hear it spoken by a native Chinese voice
✅ Learn from the 0-10 reference table
✅ Get traveler tips on bargaining and lucky numbers
→ Try the Chinese Number Converter (Free, No Signup)
Common Questions
How do you say 0 in Chinese?
零 (líng). It's used both as "zero" and for "more than zero" — like 105 is 一百零五 (yì bǎi líng wǔ), meaning "one hundred AND five."
What about ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd)?
Just add 第 (dì) before the number: 第一 (dì yī) = first, 第二 (dì èr) = second, 第三 (dì sān) = third.
How do I say "half"?
半 (bàn). 一个半 (yí ge bàn) = one and a half. 半天 (bàn tiān) = half a day.
Do Chinese numbers have gender?
No! Chinese has no grammatical gender at all. Numbers, nouns, and adjectives don't change form based on gender.
You're Ready!
Now that you can count in Chinese, you're ready to bargain at markets, read prices, and exchange phone numbers. Numbers are the gateway to the language — and the culture.
→ Open the Free Chinese Number Converter to practice with any number.
And if you're heading to China, ChinaPal AI has you covered with free AI translation for menus, signs, and conversations — no VPN required. 🏮
