Numfred Blog

How to Learn Chinese Numbers: The Logical System Simply Explained

Imagine a number system without irregular exceptions like “eleven” or “twelve” – one that follows clear, consistent logic, like a simple building block system. That’s exactly how the Chinese number system works.

This article walks you through that logic step-by-step. You'll learn the basic building blocks and discover how to construct and understand any number with them.

The Basics: Numbers from 0 to 10

Everything begins with these ten simple characters. They are the building blocks for all other numbers and are easy to learn:

• 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)

Logical Structure: Numbers from 11 to 99

Here, the elegance of the system becomes clear. Unlike in English, there are no irregular exceptions. Numbers are simply constructed by combining these building blocks:

• 11 = 十一 (shí yī) → "ten one"
• 20 = 二十 (èr shí) → "two ten"
• 21 = 二十一 (èr shí yī) → "two ten one"
• 99 = 九十九 (jiǔ shí jiǔ) → "nine ten nine"

Pretty simple, right? Up to 99, everything follows this clear principle.

Test Your Chinese Number Understanding: Can You Get These Numbers Right?

Hundreds and Thousands

For larger numbers, new characters are added that follow the same logical structure.

• 100: 百 (bǎi)
• 1,000: 千 (qiān)

Here as well, the structure is predictable:

• 123 = 一百二十三 (yī bǎi èr shí sān) → "one-hundred two-ten three"
• 4,567 = 四千五百六十七 (sì qiān wǔ bǎi liù shí qī)

Zero, 零 (líng), plays an important role. It's always spoken when a digit place is "skipped":

• 101 = 一百零一 (yī bǎi líng yī) → "one-hundred zero one"
• 2,023 = 两千零二十三 (liǎng qiān líng èr shí sān) → "two-thousand zero two-ten three"

The Crucial Difference: Thinking in Ten Thousands

Now we come to the heart of the Chinese system: the number 万 (wàn).

• 10,000 = 万 (wàn)

While in English we think of large numbers in thousands (thousand, million, billion), in Chinese 万 (wàn) is the central unit. Everything larger than 9,999 is expressed as multiples of 10,000.

This initially requires a mental shift:

• 10,000 = 1 万 (yī wàn)
• 20,000 = 2 万 (èr wàn)
• 100,000 = 10 万 (shí wàn) → "ten ten-thousand"
• 1,000,000 = 100 万 (yī bǎi wàn) → "one hundred ten-thousand"
• 10,000,000 = 1,000 万 (yī qiān wàn) → "one thousand ten-thousand"

The next large unit is 亿 (yì), which equals 100 million (ten thousand times ten thousand).

Let's look at a large number: 12,345,678 For orientation, we group it in blocks of four from the right: 1234,5678.

• The comma marks the 万 (wàn) boundary for easier reading.
• We read the number before it: 1234 → 一千二百三十四 (yī qiān èr bǎi sān shí sì)
• We attach 万 (wàn) to it.
• Then we read the rest: 5678 → 五千六百七十八 (wǔ qiān liù bǎi qī shí bā)

Put together, this gives us: 一千二百三十四万五千六百七十八.

The Peculiarity of Two: 二 (èr) vs. 两 (liǎng)

A subtle but important rule concerns the number two.

• 二 (èr) is used purely for counting (1, 2, 3...) and within a number (e.g., 22: 二十二).
• 两 (liǎng) is used as a quantity marker before the units 百 (hundred), 千 (thousand), 万 (ten thousand), and 亿 (hundred million).

Examples:

• 200 = 两百 (liǎng bǎi)
• 2,000 = 两千 (liǎng qiān)
• 2,222 = 两千二百二十二 (liǎng qiān èr bǎi èr shí èr)

Pro Tip: Learn Numbers Playfully on the Side

Learning new numbers works best when you repeat them regularly and in a relaxed manner. Numfred is a special learning app for iPhone that lets you specifically learn Chinese numbers.

Numfred offers playful listening comprehension training specifically for numbers – not only in Chinese, but also in Japanese, Korean, English, Spanish, French, and many other languages. The app can be downloaded in its basic version for free, works offline, and is completely ad-free.

You can find more information directly on the Numfred website – or download the app directly from the Apple App Store:

Frequently Asked Questions About Chinese Numbers

• Why does Chinese group in ten thousands? The vigesimal system (based on 20) or the myriad system (based on 10,000) are historical counting systems that were widespread in many ancient cultures. While the thousand system settled on in Europe, the system around 万 (wàn) has persisted in East Asia to this day.

• Is the system difficult to learn? Initially, it requires a mental adjustment. However, the actual logic is very consistent and free of exceptions. Once "thinking in 万" becomes a habit, the system feels natural.

• Does the Chinese number system enhance mathematical understanding? Studies show that children in China often develop good number sense earlier. This is partly due to the clear and regular structure of number words, which facilitates learning and eases the introduction to arithmetic.

Conclusion: More Logical Than Expected

The Chinese number system may initially seem unfamiliar. But beneath its surface lies a consistent, elegant mathematical logic. Since irregular exceptions are absent, the system is easy to learn.

The key lies in breaking away from thousand-based thinking and internalizing 万 (wàn) as the new reference point. As always, practice makes perfect.