How to Learn Chinese Number Words

1. Numbers Are Simple but Hard to Master

In learning any language, numbers are a very important part. Numbers themselves are not complicated, but to use them fluently and naturally is not easy. Even many foreigners who have studied Chinese for years still feel that numbers are unfamiliar. Why is that?

2. Difference Between Chinese and Western Number Systems

Difference:

The difference comes from the way numbers are grouped. In English, people are used to counting every three digits, such as thousand, million, and billion. In Chinese, however, each unit is counted by four digits, such as “万” (ten thousand) and “亿” (hundred million).

For example, the number 999,999,999 in English is read as “nine hundred ninety-nine million, nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine.” But in Chinese, you must divide it as 9,9999,9999 and read it as “九亿九千九百九十九万九千九百九十九.”

Why Chinese Numbers Feel Unnatural:

Therefore, English speakers often first understand numbers by their English grouping, then convert them into Chinese four-digit groups, and finally translate them into Chinese pronunciation. This mental process of “English → Chinese structure → Chinese expression” is the main reason why Chinese numbers feel unnatural. The longer the number, the more obvious this difficulty becomes.

3. How to Improve Fluency

To speak Chinese numbers fluently, the key is to build a Chinese way of thinking and eliminate translation between Chinese and English. Through repeated practice, let number expressions become “muscle memory.”

Of course, this process can be dull and hard to keep up with, so I designed a series of games to make the training more fun.You can play the games directly or continue reading the article.

4. Basic Chinese Numbers and Large Units

5. Number Combinations

Chinese numbers follow a consistent pattern of decimal stacking. For example:

• 11 = 十一 (shí yī)
• 12 = 十二 (shí èr)
• 13 = 十三 (shí sān)
• 19 = 十九 (shí jiǔ)
• 20 = 二十 (èr shí)
• 22 = 二十二 (èr shí èr)
• 100 = 一百 (yì bǎi)
• 142 = 一百四十二 (yì bǎi sì shí èr)
• 1523 = 一千五百二十三 (yì qiān wǔ bǎi èr shí sān)

6. How to Read “零” (Zero)

① At the End

When zero is at the end of a number group, it is not read.

• 100 → 一百
• 1,100 → 一千一百
• 10,000 → 一万

② In the Middle (Continuous)

When there are consecutive zeros in the middle, only one “零” is read.

• 10,001 → 一万零一

③ In the Middle (Separated)

When zeros appear in separate positions, each “零” should be read out.

• 10,101 → 一万零一百零一