0 – 10
Memorise these cold. Everything else is built from them.
How numbers are built
11 – 19 · 十 + digit
15 = 十五 shíwǔ
19 = 十九 shíjiǔ
20 – 99 · digit + 十 + digit
25 = 二十五 èrshíwǔ
99 = 九十九 jiǔshíjiǔ
11 – 19
20 – 99
100 and beyond
✓ The 零 líng rule
- When a middle slot is empty, you must say 零: 101 = 一百零一 yìbǎi líng yī.
- Without it, 一百一 would be read as 110, not 101.
二 èr vs 两 liǎng
Not in your lesson slides, but it will make you sound far less like a beginner.
十二 shí'èr — twelve
二月 èryuè — February
二十 èrshí — twenty
Used in the number itself, in dates, and in phone numbers.
两个人 liǎng ge rén — two people
两口人 liǎng kǒu rén — two family members
两点 liǎng diǎn — 2 o'clock
Used directly before a measure word. 二个人 is wrong.
The 一 yī tone changes
Guaranteed to appear somewhere. The pattern is short.
| Context | Becomes | Example | Say it like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alone, or counting, or at the end | yī (1st) | 一、二、三 · 十一 shíyī | ee |
| Before a 1st, 2nd or 3rd tone | yì (4th) | 一百 yìbǎi · 一千 yìqiān | ee (falling) |
| Before a 4th tone | yí (2nd) | 一个 yí ge · 一万 yíwàn | ee (rising) |
| As an ordinal / in dates | yī (1st) | 一月 yīyuè · 第一 dì-yī | ee |
Money 钱
Exam drill
Exactly the Section C format: number → characters → pinyin, 4 marks each. Click a cell to reveal it.
| Number | Chinese characters | Pinyin |
|---|
Write your answer down before revealing. Marks are lost on missing tone marks far more often than on wrong characters.