How to Count to 100 in Chinese (with examples)

When learning Chinese, numbers are the absolute fundamentals and an essential part of daily life. Mastering how to read Chinese numbers will allow you to handle shopping situations, exchange phone numbers, discuss ages, and much more with ease. Today, we'll guide you from 1 to 100 with clear examples, helping you to demystify Chinese numbers!

Chinese Numbers 1-10

These are the building blocks for all numbers, so make sure to commit them to memory:

1: 一 (yī)
2: 二 (èr)
3: 三 (sān)
4: 四 (sì)
5: 五 (wǔ)
6: 六 (liù)
7: 七 (qī)
8: 八 (bā)
9: 九 (jiǔ)
10: 十 (shí)

Chinese Numbers 11-19: Ten + Single Digit

Numbers from 11 to 19 in Chinese are very straightforward. You simply add the single digit after "十" (shí - ten):

11: 十一 (shíyī)
12: 十二 (shí'èr)
13: 十三 (shísān)
14: 十四 (shísì)
15: 十五 (shíwǔ)
16: 十六 (shíliù)
17: 十七 (shíqī)
18: 十八 (shíbā)
19: 十九 (shíjiǔ)

Chinese Numbers 20-99: Tens Digit + Ten + Single Digit

From 20 onwards, Chinese numbers are formed by "tens digit + 十 (shí) + single digit." For example, 20 is "二 + 十 (二十 - èrshí)," and 21 is "二 + 十 + 一 (二十一 - èrshíyī)."

20: 二十 (èrshí)
21: 二十一 (èrshíyī)
30: 三十 (sānshí)
35: 三十五 (sānshíwǔ)
40: 四十 (sìshí)
48: 四十八 (sìshíbā)
50: 五十 (wǔshí)
59: 五十九 (wǔshíjiǔ)
60: 六十 (liùshí)
62: 六十二 (liùshí'èr)
70: 七十 (qīshí)
77: 七十七 (qīshíqī)
80: 八十 (bāshí)
84: 八十四 (bāshísì)
90: 九十 (jiǔshí)
99: 九十九 (jiǔshíjiǔ)

Chinese Number 100

100: 一百 (yībǎi)

Number Pronunciation Tips:

"二" (èr) vs. "两" (liǎng): When referring to quantity, the number 2 is sometimes replaced by "两" (liǎng). For example, "两个人" (liǎng gè rén - two people), "两本书" (liǎng běn shū - two books). However, in phone numbers, ordinal numbers (第二 - dì'èr - second), and numerical expressions (二十 - èrshí - twenty), "二" is still used.
Tone Changes: Pay attention to tone changes when numbers are pronounced in succession, particularly for "一" (yī - one) and "不" (bù - no).
- "一" is pronounced with the second tone (yí) before a fourth tone, e.g., "一个" (yí gè - one).
- "一" is pronounced with the fourth tone (yì) before other tones, e.g., "一天" (yì tiān - one day).
Listen and Practise More: Listen to Chinese songs, watch Chinese TV programmes, pay attention to the correct pronunciation of numbers, and practise saying them aloud.

Mastering Chinese numbers from 1 to 100 is a crucial step in your journey of learning Chinese. With consistent practice, you'll be able to use these numbers fluently in your daily conversations!