Chinese numbers are deceptively simple. You start with ten simple characters, but the system for counting large figures is fundamentally different from the one used in the West. If you apply English logic to millions and billions, you will fail spectacularly.
This article is your essential guide to not only counting from one to ten, but also mastering the financial and cultural nuances of the Chinese numeric empire, which groups numbers by the myriad (萬 – wàn), not the thousand. This knowledge is crucial for handling currency, reading documents, and understanding common slang in Taiwan.
Section I: The Foundation: 0 to 10 (The Daily Digits)
The first ten numbers are the building blocks. Pay special attention to the dual nature of ‘2’ and the tonal subtleties of ‘1’ and ‘7’.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Number | Notes |
| 零 | Líng | 0 | Used as a placeholder for zeros within large numbers. |
| 一 | Yī | 1 | Pronounced as yì (4th tone) before 1st, 2nd, and 3rd tones. |
| 二 / 兩 | Èr / Liǎng | 2 | 二 (èr) for counting, math, and phone numbers. 兩 (liǎng) for measure words (e.g., 兩本書 – liǎng běn shū). |
| 三 | Sān | 3 | |
| 四 | Sì | 4 | Tonal similarity to 是 (shì); be precise. |
| 五 | Wǔ | 5 | |
| 六 | Liù | 6 | |
| 七 | Qī | 7 | Pronounced with a clean, flat vowel; often confused with ’10’. |
| 八 | Bā | 8 | |
| 九 | Jiǔ | 9 | |
| 十 | Shí | 10 |
Yak Tip: Using ‘2’
Always use 兩 (liǎng) when quantifying nouns (e.g., two people, two bowls of rice: 兩個人 – liǎng ge rén). Only use 二 (èr) in mathematical contexts, phone numbers, or counting sequence.
Section II: The Big Leap: The 萬 (Wàn) System
In the West, we group numbers by thousands ($1,000,000$). Chinese groups numbers by ten thousands, or the myriad (萬 – wàn). This is the biggest mental hurdle for fluency.
The Grouping System: Myriads (萬)
Instead of starting a new word at 1,000, Chinese starts a new word at 10,000 (一萬 – yī wàn).
| Western Number | Chinese Characters | Pinyin | Notes |
| 10,000 | 一萬 | Yī wàn | 1 ten thousand |
| 100,000 | 十萬 | Shí wàn | 10 ten thousands |
| 1,000,000 | 一百萬 | Yī bǎi wàn | 100 ten thousands |
| 10,000,000 | 一千萬 | Yī qiān wàn | 1,000 ten thousands |
| 100,000,000 | 一億 | Yī yì | 100 million (the next major unit) |
Practical Counting Example: 54,321
To say 54,321, you must first mentally group the last four digits: 5 萬 4321.
- 五萬四千三百二十一 (Wǔ wàn sì qiān sān bǎi èr shí yī)
The Placeholder Zero (零)
When reading large numbers, you must use 零 (líng – zero) as a placeholder, but only once per group of four digits.
- 10,500 (One ten thousand, five hundred): 一萬零五百 (Yī wàn líng wǔ bǎi)
- 2,001,000 (Two hundred萬, one thousand): 兩百萬零一千 (Liǎng bǎi wàn líng yī qiān)
Section III: Formal Financial Characters (大寫 – Dàxiě)
In Taiwan (and throughout the Chinese-speaking world), when filling out financial documents, legal contracts, or writing checks, you cannot use the simple numbers (e.g., 一, 二, 三). These characters are too simple and easily altered (e.g., adding a stroke to 一 makes it 十).
Therefore, banks require the complex, formal 大寫 (Dàxiě) characters that are difficult to tamper with.
| Standard Character | Pinyin | Financial Character (大寫) | Pinyin |
| 一 | Yī | 壹 | Yī |
| 二 | Èr | 貳 | Èr |
| 三 | Sān | 參 | Cān |
| 十 | Shí | 拾 | Shí |
| 百 | Bǎi | 佰 | Bǎi |
| 千 | Qiān | 仟 | Qiān |
| 萬 | Wàn | 萬 | Wàn |
The Yak Yacker Takeaway: You must memorize these if you plan to sign any document in Taiwan that involves money. Use the standard characters for conversation, but use the financial characters for contracts.
Section IV: Practical Usage And Cultural Nuance
Numbers are deeply integrated into social life, from making phone calls to internet slang.
1. Phone Numbers and Sequential Counting
When reading a sequence of numbers (like a phone number, ID number, or address), the number ‘1’ is often pronounced as 么 (yāo) instead of 一 (yī), to prevent confusion with 七 (qī), especially over bad phone lines.
- Phone Number: 0971-258-463 $\rightarrow$ 零九七么二五八四六三 (Líng jiǔ qī yāo èr wǔ bā sì liù sān)
2. Lucky and Unlucky Numbers
- Lucky 8 (八 – Bā): Sounds like 發 (fā), meaning “to prosper” or “to get rich.” It’s highly desired.
- Unlucky 4 (四 – Sì): Sounds like 死 (sǐ), meaning “death.” Buildings often skip the 4th floor or use other substitutes.
3. Internet Slang (數字梗 – Shùzì Gěng)
Numbers are often used phonetically in texting to create quick slang phrases:
- 520 (五二零 – Wǔ èr líng): Sounds like 我愛你 (Wǒ ài nǐ – I love you).
- 88 (八八 – Bā bā): Sounds like 掰掰 (Bāi bāi – Bye-bye).
Quick Reference Table: Complete Number System
| Standard Character | Pinyin | Value | Formal Financial (大寫) | Notes |
| 零 | Líng | 0 | 零 | Placeholder |
| 一 | Yī | 1 | 壹 | 么 (yāo) for phone numbers |
| 二 / 兩 | Èr / Liǎng | 2 | 貳 | Use 兩 for measure words |
| 十 | Shí | 10 | 拾 | |
| 百 | Bǎi | 100 | 佰 | |
| 千 | Qiān | 1,000 | 仟 | |
| 萬 | Wàn | 10,000 | 萬 | Grouping unit (4 digits) |
| 億 | Yì | 100,000,000 | 億 |
Yak’s Final Thought
Don’t fear the nine-digit number. When counting money or populations, just remember to put a 萬 (wàn) after every fourth digit and read it as if it were a new word. Focus on separating 二 (èr) and 兩 (liǎng) in daily conversation, and always check for the 大寫 (Dàxiě) forms before signing a contract. Go practice saying 五百萬零一千 (Wǔ bǎi wàn líng yī qiān)—that’s five million one thousand!