How to Count in Chinese [0-100] — A Complete Pronunciation Guide
Numbers are essential vocabulary you’ll use in nearly every situation — shopping, prices, phone numbers, telling time, and more. Chinese numbers follow regular patterns, so once you know 1-10, you can count all the way to 100 with ease.
How to say 0-10
| Number | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 零 | líng |
| 1 | 一 | yī |
| 2 | 二 | èr |
| 3 | 三 | sān |
| 4 | 四 | sì |
| 5 | 五 | wǔ |
| 6 | 六 | liù |
| 7 | 七 | qī |
| 8 | 八 | bā |
| 9 | 九 | jiǔ |
| 10 | 十 | shí |
How to build 11-99
Chinese numbers are remarkably regular: you build them around 十 (shí, “ten”) — literally “ten-one,” “two-ten,” and so on, with no irregular forms to memorize.
- 11 = 十一 (shíyī), 12 = 十二 (shí’èr)
- 20 = 二十 (èrshí), 25 = 二十五 (èrshíwǔ)
- 99 = 九十九 (jiǔshíjiǔ)
“20” is 二十 (èrshí), “30” is 三十 (sānshí) — expressed as [digit] + 十 (shí).
Turn the Pattern Into Real-Life Numbers
Do not stop at reciting a number list. Use the same pattern in situations where beginners actually need it:
| Situation | Chinese | Why it uses this form |
|---|---|---|
| 2 o’clock | 两点 (liǎng diǎn) | 两 (liǎng) comes before the time measure word 点 (diǎn) |
| 20 yuan | 二十块 (èrshí kuài) | 20 is a counting number built with 二十 (èrshí) |
| 2 yuan | 两块 (liǎng kuài) | 两 (liǎng) comes before the spoken unit 块 (kuài) |
| February 2 | 二月二日 (èr yuè èr rì) | Dates normally read the digits with 二 (èr) |
Try saying the number before looking at the pinyin. If you can produce a time, price and date, you are using the number system rather than only memorizing it.
100 and beyond
- 100 = 一百 (yìbǎi) — note that 百 (bǎi, “hundred”) is always preceded by 一 (yī, “one”).
- 200 = 两百 (liǎngbǎi) or 二百 (èrbǎi)
For numbers with a missing place, say 零 (líng, “zero”) where the gap occurs: 101 is 一百零一 (yìbǎi líng yī). This is a useful pattern to learn now because it prevents the common mistake of reading 101 as only “one hundred one” without marking the empty tens place.
The difference between 二 (èr) and 两 (liǎng)
There are two ways to say “two” in Chinese — 二 (èr) and 两 (liǎng) — and they’re used differently.
- For counting numbers or reciting figures: use 二 (èr). Example: 二十 (èrshí), 第二 (dì-èr).
- Before a measure word, meaning “two [of something]”: use 两 (liǎng). Example: 两个 (liǎng ge) = two [items], 两本书 (liǎng běn shū) = two books.
If you’re ever unsure how to pronounce a number, a dictionary app’s text-to-speech feature is a reliable way to check as you learn.
Summary
- Chinese numbers are regular. Once you know 1-10, everything else is just built around 十 (shí).
- 100 is 一百 (yìbǎi) — it always needs a 一 (yī) before it.
- Use 两 (liǎng), not 二 (èr), before a measure word when saying “two of something” — this is the one point to watch out for.
- Practice numbers as times, prices and dates so that 二 (èr) and 两 (liǎng) become a choice you can make in context.