Chinese numbers with pinyin and audio
Learn the basic digits, then combine them to read larger numbers. Each example includes pinyin and English so you can practise before listening.
The basic digits
Read these in order first, then try recognizing them out of order. Listen to the tones as well as the consonants and vowels.
- 零
Líng
zero
- 一
Yī
one
- 二
Èr
two
- 三
Sān
three
- 四
Sì
four
- 五
Wǔ
five
- 六
Liù
six
- 七
Qī
seven
- 八
Bā
eight
- 九
Jiǔ
nine
- 十
Shí
ten
Build numbers with tens
Eleven is ten plus one. Twenty is two tens; twenty one adds one after the tens. These examples use the same pattern through ninety nine.
- 十一
Shí yī
eleven
- 十二
Shí èr
twelve
- 二十
Èr shí
twenty
- 二十一
Èr shí yī
twenty one
- 九十九
Jiǔ shí jiǔ
ninety nine
- 一百
Yì bǎi
one hundred
Two when counting things
The digit two has a different common form before a measure word. Compare the counting digit above with the phrase for two students below. Keep a measure word between the quantity and the noun.
- 两个学生
Liǎng ge xuéshēng
two students
- 我有两本书。
Wǒ yǒu liǎng běn shū.
I have two books.
Continue with HSK 1 vocabulary or HSK 2 vocabulary.