Chinese numbers are transparent. 一 (yī) is one, 二 (èr) is two, 十 (shí) is ten. Eleven is 十一 (shí yī), literally 'ten-one'. Twenty is 二十 (èr shí), literally 'two-ten'. Once you know 1–10 and the word for ten, you can build every number to 99 — no new words, just the same pattern repeating. That is rare among major languages, and it is why counting is one of the fastest wins in Mandarin.
The 1–10 building blocks
- 一 yī, 二 èr, 三 sān, 四 sì, 五 wǔ
- 六 liù, 七 qī, 八 bā, 九 jiǔ, 十 shí
Add 零 (líng, zero) and 百 (bǎi, hundred) and you have every number you will need for prices, dates, and phone numbers. The list above is the entire foundation — everything from 11 to 99 is built from it.
Two rules cover the rest
For numbers 11–19, say ten plus the digit: 十一 (11), 十二 (12), up to 十九 (19). For 20–99, say the digit plus ten, then add the ones digit: 二十五 (èr shí wǔ) is two-ten-five, or 25; 八十九 (bā shí jiǔ) is 89. The pattern never breaks — 34 is 三十四, 76 is 七十六. If you can say 1–10, you can say every number to 99.
二 or 两: when to switch
For counting itself, 二 is the word: 一二三 (yī èr sān), one, two, three. But when you count things, Chinese switches to 两 (liǎng) before measure words: 两个人 (liǎng ge rén, two people), 两杯茶 (liǎng bēi chá, two cups of tea). It is always 两个苹果 (liǎng ge píngguǒ), never 二个苹果. You will also hear 两百 (liǎng bǎi) for 200 in speech, though 二百 (èr bǎi) is acceptable too.
Phone numbers and prices
Phone numbers are read digit by digit: 138… becomes 一三八…. Prices use 块 (kuài) in everyday speech instead of the formal 元 (yuán): 三块钱 (sān kuài qián, three yuan), 一百五十块 (yì bǎi wǔshí kuài, 150 yuan). Listen for the last character of a price — hearing 块 is a great signal that the number is money.
Beyond 99: a preview
100 is 一百 (yì bǎi), and the pattern continues exactly as you expect: 101 is 一百零一 (yì bǎi líng yī) — the 零 fills the gap when a digit is missing — and 230 is 两百三十 (liǎng bǎi sānshí). You will rarely need these before HSK 2, but knowing the pattern means you can already say your first three-digit number.
Dates and times
The same numbers run the calendar and the clock. 三月 (sān yuè) is March, 星期三 (xīngqīsān) is Wednesday, and 三点 (sān diǎn) is three o'clock. Half past the hour adds 半 (bàn): 十二点半 (shí'èr diǎn bàn) is 12:30. Learn numbers once, and time expressions come almost for free.
Tones make the difference
Numbers are a natural tone drill, because the same sounds appear with different tones: 四 (sì, four) is a falling fourth tone, 十 (shí, ten) is a rising second tone, and 七 (qī, seven) starts high and flat. Saying 十四 (shísì, fourteen) forces you to glide from rising to falling. If you mix up 四 (4) and 十 (10), the problem is usually tones, not memory — listen and repeat them side by side until the two shapes feel different in your mouth.
Why some buildings skip floor 4
四 (sì) sounds very close to 死 (sǐ, death), so many buildings in China skip the fourth floor in the elevator, just as some Western buildings skip 13. You will not need this to count, but it explains a quirk you might meet in a hotel — and it makes the tone difference between sì and sǐ unforgettable.
Counting with your hands
Chinese speakers often count on one hand with hand shapes rather than individual fingers: 一, 二, and 三 are straight fingers, 四 tucks the thumb in, and 五 is an open palm. It is not essential vocabulary, but knowing the gestures helps in markets, where a seller may hold up a number silently — and they are easy to practise anywhere, without a textbook.
How to practice numbers
Numbers are the easiest vocabulary to practise anywhere. Read prices out loud when you shop, spell out phone numbers, count the objects around you in Chinese. In HanziQuest, number words appear in daily lessons and matching games, so the pattern gets reviewed in real contexts — not just on a chart.