How to Say Numbers in Mandarin – A Practical Guide to Numerals and Number Expressions

? 1. Why Understanding Numbers Matters in Mandarin

Numbers are everywhere — from street signs and menus to job interviews, business meetings, and everyday conversations.

If you’re learning Mandarin, being able to read, say, and understand numbers correctly is not just a basic skill — it’s essential for real-life communication.

But unlike English, where number expressions are fairly consistent, Mandarin uses a unique structure , especially when dealing with large numbers like 万 (wàn – ten thousand) and 亿 (yì – hundred million).

Getting this right will help you:

• Understand prices, salaries, and budgets
• Read dates, times, and addresses
• Navigate digital content and spoken language confidently

Let’s break down how numbers work in Mandarin — step by step.

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? 2. Basic Numbers (0–9)

The foundation of the Mandarin number system starts with the digits 0 through 9:

ARABIC NUMERAL	MANDARIN	PINYIN	NOTES
0	零	líng	Used as a placeholder in larger numbers
1	一	yī	Changes tone before another first tone
2	二	èr	Also used as 两 (liǎng) before measure words
3	三	sān	–
4	四	sì	Avoided in some contexts due to superstition
5	五	wǔ	–
6	六	liù	–
7	七	qī	–
8	八	bā	Often associated with luck
9	九	jiǔ	Also considered lucky in Chinese culture
10	十	shí	Must be used with other numbers

These are your building blocks — and they form the base for all higher numbers.

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? 3. How to Say Numbers from 11 to 99

Unlike English, where “eleven” and “twelve” have unique names, Mandarin uses a logical pattern:

十 + [digit] for numbers 11–19
[digit] + 十 + [digit] for numbers 20–99

✅ Examples:

NUMBER	MANDARIN	EXPLANATION
11	十一	十 + 一
19	十九	十 + 九
20	二十	二 + 十
21	二十一	二 + 十 + 一
99	九十九	九 + 十 + 九

? Tip:
In Mandarin, you don’t say “twenty-one” directly like in English. Instead, it’s literally “two ten one.”
This may seem odd at first, but once you get the rhythm, it becomes natural.

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? 4. Saying Hundreds, Thousands, and Tens of Thousands

Here’s where things start to differ from English.

In English, we count in thousands — but in Mandarin, people commonly use 万 (wàn , 10,000) and 亿 (yì , 100,000,000) .

So instead of thinking in terms of “thousands,” think in terms of ten-thousands .

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? From 100 to 999:

Structure:

[Hundreds]百[Decades]十[Units]

NUMBER	MANDARIN	NOTES
100	一百	一 must be included
123	一百二十三	百 → 十 → unit
999	九百九十九	Each digit clearly stated

? Don’t drop any part unless it’s zero — e.g., 205 = 二百零五

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? Introducing 万 (wàn , 10,000)

One of the most important units in Mandarin is 万 (wàn ) , which equals 10,000 .

It’s used much more frequently than “thousand” in daily speech.

Examples:

• 一万 (yī wàn ) – 10,000
• 五万 (wǔ wàn ) – 50,000
• 一万五千 (yī wàn wǔ qiān ) – 15,000

? Tip:
When writing or speaking about large figures, it’s common to see combinations like:

• 1万5千 (1 wàn 5 qiān ) – 15,000
• 3万8 (3 wàn bā ) – 38,000

This is standard in both formal and informal usage.

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? Using 亿 (yì , 100 million)

For even bigger numbers, you’ll encounter 亿 (yì ) , which represents 100 million .

Structure:

[Digit]亿[Digit]万[Digit]

Examples:

• 一亿 (yī yì ) – 100,000,000
• 五亿 (wǔ yì ) – 500,000,000
• 一亿五千万 (yī yì wǔ qiān wàn ) – 150,000,000
  (literally: one hundred million five thousand ten thousand)

? Note:
While this may look complex, it’s actually more efficient than saying “one hundred and fifty million” — because each unit has a clear name.

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? 5. Common Mistakes Learners Make

Even advanced learners sometimes mix up numbers — especially when reading them aloud or listening quickly.

Here are the most frequent errors and how to avoid them:

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❌ Error #1: Mispronouncing “一十” instead of “十”

Many learners say “一十” (yī shí ) for “10” — but native speakers usually just say “十” (shí ).

Correct:

• 10 = 十 (shí )
• 11 = 十一 (shí yī )

Incorrect:

• ❌ 一十 (yī shí ) – sounds unnatural

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❌ Error #2: Forgetting “零” when there’s a gap in digits

In numbers like 105 or 1003, you need to insert 零 (líng ) to show that a place value is missing.

Examples:

• 105 = 一百零五
  (✅ correct)<br> ❌ 百五
• 1003 = 一千零三
  (✅ correct)<br> ❌ 一千三

? Rule: Use 零 when a digit is skipped between positions (e.g., hundreds to units without tens).

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❌ Error #3: Confusing “二” and “两”

While 二 (èr ) means “two,” it’s often replaced by 两 (liǎng ) in certain contexts:

Use 两:

• Before measure words: 两个 (liǎng gè ), 两条 (liǎng tiáo )
• In time expressions: 两点 (liǎng diǎn – two o’clock)
• With money: 两块 (liǎng kuài – two yuan)

Use 二:

• In math: 一加一等于二 (yī jiā yī děngyú èr )
• In ordinal numbers: 第二 (dì’èr – second)

? Never say “二个” — always say “两个”.

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❌ Error #4: Reading phone numbers or IDs using full number patterns

In English, we might say “five five six six seven seven eight.”

In Mandarin, you should read numbers digit by digit , using their simple forms:

• 电话号码是：138 1234 5678
  → 一三八 一二三四 五六七八
  → yī sān bā yī èr sān sì wǔ liù qī bā

? Tip:
Don’t say “一十二” for “12” in phone numbers — just say “一二”.

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? 6. Ordinal Numbers and Time Expressions

Ordinal numbers are used to indicate order — such as ranking, months, or days of the week.

They are formed by adding 第 (dì ) before the number.

NUMBER	CARDINAL	ORDINAL	EXAMPLE
1	一	第一	第一天 (dì yī tiān– the first day)
2	二	第二	第二名 (dì èr míng– second place)
3	三	第三	第三周 (dì sān zhōu– third week)
4	四	第四	第四季度 (dì sì jìdù– Q4)

? Note:
在正式场合，如考试成绩、比赛排名中，顺序词非常重要。

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?️ 7. Numbers in Time Expressions

Time expressions in Mandarin follow a slightly different logic — and use numbers differently than in general counting.

⏰ Hours & Minutes:

• 上午九点 (shàngwǔ jiǔ diǎn ) – 9 AM
• 下午三点十五分 (xiàwǔ sān diǎn shí wǔ fēn ) – 3:15 PM

? No need to say “o’clock” — just add “点” after the hour.

?️ Dates:

• 2025年6月29日 → 二零二五年六月二十九号
  (èr líng èr wǔ nián liù yuè èr shí jiǔ hào )

? Note:

• 年 (nián ) – year
• 月 (yuè ) – month
• 日 / 号 (hào ) – day (口语中常用号)

Also, never say “twenty twenty-five” for 2025 — say 二零二五 instead.

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? 8. Advanced Number Patterns

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you’ll encounter numbers in various formats — including financial reports, population statistics, and scientific data.

Here’s how to handle them:

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? Money & Finance:

• 人民币3万8千元 → RMB 38,000
  (三万八千元 ≠ 30,000 + 8,000 = 38,000)

? When reading out loud, say “三万八千” — not “三万和八千”.

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? Large Figures:

• 1,000,000 = 一百万 (yī bǎi wàn )
• 10,000,000 = 一千万 (yī qiān wàn )
• 100,000,000 = 一亿 (yī yì )

? This reflects the base-ten-thousand system used in Chinese numerals.

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? Scientific Notation:

• 1.5 billion = 十五亿 (shí wǔ yì )
• 2.3 million = 二百三十万 (èr bǎi sān shí wàn )

? 在金融和科技领域，这种表达非常常见。

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? 9. Practice Makes Perfect

To build fluency, practice these types of number expressions daily:

TASK	METHOD
Learn basic numbers	Flashcards, Anki decks
Count out loud	Start from 1–100 every morning
Read phone numbers	Repeat them back in Mandarin
Say prices out loud	While shopping or browsing online
Write short paragraphs	Include age, date, price, quantity

Try this sentence:

我今年二十七岁，住在北京市朝阳区，手机号是一三八一二三四五六七八。
(Wǒ jīnnián èr shí qī suì, zhù zài Běijīng Shì Cháoyáng Qū, shǒujī hào shì yī sān bā yī èr sān sì wǔ liù qī bā. )
I am 27 years old, live in Chaoyang District, Beijing, and my mobile number is 138 1234 5678.

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? 10. Real-Life Frequency Data

According to research from the Center for Chinese Linguistics at Peking University , the most commonly used numbers in daily conversation are:

NUMBER	FREQUENCY (PER 1000 WORDS)
一	21.7
二	15.3
三	10.6
十	9.1
百	5.4
万	4.2

This shows that numbers appear frequently in real Mandarin — making them an essential part of your vocabulary.

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? 11. Summary Table: How to Say Numbers in Mandarin

RANGE	STRUCTURE	EXAMPLE
0–9	Single-digit	一、二、三…
10–99	十 + digit or digit + 十 + digit	十一、二十三、九十
100–999	百 + 十 + digit	一百二十三、九百九十九
1,000–9,999	千 + 百 + 十 + digit	三千五百七十四
10,000+	万 + 千 + 百 + 十 + digit	一万五千三百七十四

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✅ Final Thoughts

Understanding how numbers work in Mandarin isn’t just about memorizing digits — it’s about getting comfortable with the way native speakers think and talk about quantity.

From 一 (1) to 亿 (100 million), mastering numbers helps you navigate real-life situations — whether you’re checking a bill, reading a contract, or understanding news headlines.

And while the structure may feel unfamiliar at first, with regular practice, it becomes intuitive.

So take your time, speak out loud, and soon you’ll find yourself saying things like:

• 今天是六月二十九号 (Jīntiān shì liùyuè èrshíjiǔ hào ) – Today is June 29
• 这本书要五十块钱 (Zhè běn shū yào wǔshí kuài qián ) – This book costs 50 yuan
• 我们公司有两千员工 (Wǒmen gōngsī yǒu liǎng qiān yuángōng ) – Our company has 2,000 employees

Without hesitation.

Because once you know how to express numbers naturally — you’re no longer just learning Mandarin.

You’re using it.