Numbers and Quantities

NUMBERS AND QUANTITIES

Basic Numbers

• 零 (líng): Zero.
• 一 (yī): One.
• 二 (èr): Two.
• 三 (sān): Three.
• 四 (sì): Four.

Higher Numbers

• 十 (shí): Ten.
• 二十 (èrshí): Twenty.
• 三十 (sānshí): Thirty.
• 百 (bǎi): Hundred.

Ordinal Numbers

• 第一 (dì yī): First.
• 第二 (dì èr): Second.
• 第三 (dì sān): Third.

Quantities and Measurements

• 多 (duō): Many/much.
• 少 (shǎo): Few/little.
• 斤 (jīn): Half a kilogram.
• 公里 (gōnglǐ): Kilometre.
• 米 (mǐ): Metre.

Expressions with Numbers

Remember to use correct measure words for numbers when indicating quantity. For example:

• 一个人 (yī gè rén): One person.
• 两本书 (liǎng běn shū): Two books.
• 三杯茶 (sān bēi chá): Three cups of tea.

Additionally, be aware of common phrases that use numbers in Chinese culture, such as:

• 一生一世 (yīshēng yīshì): Forever (literally ‘one life one world’).
• 十全十美 (shíquánshíměi): Perfect in every way (literally ‘ten complete ten beautiful’).

Consider practicing using these terms in sentences to develop fluency and accuracy.

Also keep in mind word order in sentences involving quantities. In English, we usually put the quantity after the noun, but in Mandarin, it goes before the noun. For instance, “三个苹果” (sān gè píngguǒ) means ‘three apples’, not ‘apples three’.