🧠 Learn How to Count in Mandarin: A Beginner-Friendly Guide from 1 to 100
Counting in Mandarin Chinese is easier than you might think! With just a few basic numbers, you can master counting up to 100 using simple patterns. This guide will help you understand how the Chinese number system works, complete with pronunciation and structure.
🔢 Numbers 1 to 10 – The Foundation
These are the essential building blocks of Mandarin numbers:
| Number | Chinese | Pinyin | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一 | yī | ee |
| 2 | 二 | èr | ar |
| 3 | 三 | sān | san |
| 4 | 四 | sì | suh (falling tone) |
| 5 | 五 | wǔ | woo (rising tone) |
| 6 | 六 | liù | lyoh |
| 7 | 七 | qī | chee |
| 8 | 八 | bā | bah |
| 9 | 九 | jiǔ | jyoh |
| 10 | 十 | shí | shih |
🔟 Numbers 11–19 – Adding to Ten
Just add the unit number after “十” (ten):
| Number | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | 十一 | shí yī |
| 12 | 十二 | shí èr |
| 13 | 十三 | shí sān |
| 14 | 十四 | shí sì |
| 15 | 十五 | shí wǔ |
| 16 | 十六 | shí liù |
| 17 | 十七 | shí qī |
| 18 | 十八 | shí bā |
| 19 | 十九 | shí jiǔ |
✨ Counting by Tens: 20, 30, 40… 90
These are formed by placing the digit before the word 十 (shí):
| Number | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 二十 | èr shí |
| 30 | 三十 | sān shí |
| 40 | 四十 | sì shí |
| 50 | 五十 | wǔ shí |
| 60 | 六十 | liù shí |
| 70 | 七十 | qī shí |
| 80 | 八十 | bā shí |
| 90 | 九十 | jiǔ shí |
🔢 Combining Numbers: 21 to 99
The pattern is simple:
Tens digit + 十 + Units digit
✅ Examples:
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21 = 二十一 (èr shí yī)
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36 = 三十六 (sān shí liù)
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57 = 五十七 (wǔ shí qī)
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88 = 八十八 (bā shí bā)
💯 How to Say 100 in Mandarin
| Number | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 一百 | yī bǎi |
You can build on this to say 101 (一百零一 – yī bǎi líng yī), 110 (一百一十 – yī bǎi yī shí), and so on!
🧠 Quick Tips to Learn Faster
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Start by memorizing 1–10 thoroughly.
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Understand that 十 = 10 and 百 = 100.
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Practice combining tens and ones aloud.
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Watch videos or use language apps for pronunciation.
