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Simple Chinese: Numbers


Cardinal Numbers
Number PinYin Audio
0 ling2
1 yi1
2 ar4, liang3
3 san1
4 si4
5 wu3
6 liu4
7 qi1
8 ba1
9 jiu3
10 shi2
11 shi2 yi1
ten one
12 shi2 ar4
ten two
13 shi2 san1
ten three
Number PinYin Audio
20 ar4 shi2
two ten
21 ar4 shi2 yi1
two ten one
30 san1 shi2
three ten
40 si4 shi2
four ten
58 wu3 shi2 ba1
five ten eight
96 jiu3 shi2 liu4
nine ten six
100 yi4 bai3
one hundred
104 yi4 bai3 ling2 si4
one hundred zero four
527 wu3 bai3 ar4 shi2 qi1
five hundred two ten seven
1,000 yi4 qian1
one thousand
10,000 yi2 wan4
one ten-thousand
Ordinal Numbers
Number PinYin Audio
1st di4 yi1
ordinal one
2nd di4 ar4
ordinal two
3rd di4 san1
ordinal three
4th di4 si4
ordinal four
56th di4 wu3 shi2 liu4
ordinal 56
Note:
An ordinal number in Chinese is created by placing a di4 before the cardinal.
Decimals
Number PinYin Audio
0.1 ling2 dian3 yi1
zero point one
2.35 ar4 dian3 san1 wu3
two point three five
9.08 jiu3 dian3 ling2 ba1
nine point zero eight
10.764 shi2 dian3 qi1 liu4 si4
ten point seven six four
Note:
Reading decimals in Chinese is same as English. You first read the number on the left of decimal point, then the point (dian3), and then the decimal part.
Fraction
Number PinYin Audio
a half yi2 ban4
one half
1/2 ar4 fen1 zhi1 yi1
two divided 's one
(one of two)
5/8 ba1 fen1 zhi1 wu3
eight divided 's five
(five of eight)
4/3 san1 fen1 zhi1 si4
three divided 's four
(four of three)
1 7/9 yi1 you4 jiu3 fen1 zhi1 qi1
one and nine divided 's seven
(one and seven of nine)
Note:
A fraction in Chinese is referred to as 'dividing into x parts, of which y part(s) is (are) taken. For example, san1 fen1 zhi1 ar4 (2/3) means 'dividing a unit into three parts, and of which taking two parts.' Please note that the Chinese order is different from English. The English order says the numerator first, then denominator, such as 'two thirds'. The Chinese order is opposite: the denominator is referred to before the numerator.
Percentage
Number PinYin Audio
1% bai3 fen1 zhi1 yi1
hundred divided 's one
(one of a hundred)
20% bai3 fen1 zhi1 ar4 shi2
hundred divided 's two ten
(two ten of a hundred)
49.7% bai3 fen1 zhi1 si4 shi2 jiu3 dian3 qi1
hundred divided 's four ten nine point seven
(four ten seven nine point seven of a hundred)
100% bai2 fen1 zhi1 (yi4) bai3
hundred divided 's (one) hundred
(hundred of hundred)
360% bai2 fen1 zhi1 san1 bai3 liu4 shi2
hundred divided 's three hundred six ten
(three hundred six ten of hundred)
Note:
Percentage in Chinese is read exactly as fraction with denominator of 100.

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