Counting Numbers in Mandarin
In Mandarin Chinese, numbers are simple to learn once you know the basic digits. Here are the first ten numbers:
| Number | Chinese Character | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 零 | líng | Zero |
| 1 | 一 | yī | One |
| 2 | 二 | èr | Two |
| 3 | 三 | sān | Three |
| 4 | 四 | sì | Four |
| 5 | 五 | wǔ | Five |
| 6 | 六 | liù | Six |
| 7 | 七 | qī | Seven |
| 8 | 八 | bā | Eight |
| 9 | 九 | jiǔ | Nine |
Numbers 10 to 99
To form numbers from 10 to 99, we combine the digits for 1-9 with the word for ten (十, shí). For example:
- 10 → 十 (shí)
- 11 → 十一 (shí yī)
- 20 → 二十 (èr shí)
- 21 → 二十一 (èr shí yī)
- 30 → 三十 (sān shí)
This pattern continues, so 99 would be 九十九 (jiǔ shí jiǔ).
Special Usage of 二 (èr) and 两 (liǎng)
- 二 (èr): Mainly used for numbers themselves, such as when expressing a numeral, sequence, or code number. It is generally not directly followed by a measure word (with a few exceptions).
- 两 (liǎng): Used when expressing a quantity, and must be followed by a measure word or a noun. For example:
- 两个 (liǎng gè) → two (of something)
- 两本书 (liǎng běn shū) → two books
- 两张纸 (liǎng zhāng zhǐ) → two pieces of paper
In Chinese, 个 (gè) is one of the most commonly used measure words (classifiers), and it can be used for a wide range of objects, especially when you don’t have a specific measure word for the noun you're counting. It’s often used for general items and people.
For example:
一个人 (yī gè rén) → one person
两个苹果 (liǎng gè píng guǒ) → two apples
三个书包 (sān gè shū bāo) → three backpacks
While 个 (gè) is versatile, it’s important to remember that in specific contexts, other measure words might be more appropriate, depending on the noun you're counting. For example, for books, we use 本 (běn) instead of 个 (gè): 两本书 (liǎng běn shū) → two books.
This concept will be covered more thoroughly in a later lesson, but for now, just know that 个 (gè) is used broadly and is especially useful when you’re unsure which classifier to use.
Age in Mandarin
To ask someone’s age, you can use the following two sentences (they both mean “how old are you?”):
- 你多大？ (nǐ duō dà?)
- 你几岁了？(nǐ jǐ suì le?)
To answer:
- 我XX岁。 (wǒ XX suì) → I am XX years old.
For example:
- 我二十岁。 (wǒ èr shí suì) → I am 20 years old.
- 我三十一岁。 (wǒ sān shí yī suì) → I am 31 years old.
Note: You use the regular number system for your age, with 二 (èr) or 两 (liǎng) based on the context:
- 二十 (èr shí) → 20 (for counting years directly).
- 两岁 (liǎng suì) → two years old (for talking about age of a small child).