Chinese Numbers 10 to 9,999
Chinese numbers are built like building blocks: learn ten digits and three place words — 十 shí, 百 bǎi, and 千 qiān — and you can say any number up to 9,999.
In Chinese, numbers are structured in a straightforward and consistent manner. Here are the basic elements and rules for constructing Chinese numbers from 0 all the way to 9,999.
1Basic Numerals
Chinese has a set of basic numerals that are used to represent the digits from 0 to 9. Tap 🔊 to hear each one:
2Counting Tens: 十 shí
To express numbers in the tens (e.g. 10, 20, 30), the numeral in the tens position is followed by the character 十 shí. For example:
10 is simply 十 shí — you don’t put 一 yī in front of it. The same goes for 11–19 below: 15 is 十五 shí wǔ, not 一十五 yī shí wǔ.
3Combining Digits
11 – 19
To form numbers between 11 and 19, the numeral in the units position comes after 十 shí:
21 – 99
To form numbers between 21 and 99, first say the tens digit followed by 十 shí, and then the units digit (1–9). It works exactly like doing math out loud: 45 = 4 × 10 + 5.
4Hundreds: 百 bǎi
To express numbers in the hundreds (e.g. 100, 200, 300), the numeral in the hundreds position is followed by the character 百 bǎi. For example:
Notice the tone of 一 yī: on its own it’s yī, but in front of 百 bǎi and 千 qiān it changes to yì — 一百 yì bǎi, 一千 yì qiān.
Also, once 十 shí sits in the middle of a bigger number, you do need to say the 一 yī: 115 is 一百一十五 yì bǎi yī shí wǔ, and 610 is 六百一十 liù bǎi yī shí.
5Thousands: 千 qiān
To express numbers in the thousands (e.g. 1,000, 2,000, 3,000), the basic numerals are combined with the character 千 qiān. For example:
6Zero: 零 líng
零 líng is always spoken out loud when a zero sits in the middle of a number — and if there are several zeros in a row, you still only say 零 líng once. A zero at the very end is never spoken.
Dropping the Last Unit
In everyday speech — especially with prices — Chinese speakers often drop the final unit word (十 shí or 百 bǎi) when the number ends in zero. It’s shorter and more efficient:
That’s exactly why 零 líng must be spoken when it isn’t the last digit. Without it, 105 and 150 would sound the same: 150 is 一百五 yì bǎi wǔ, while 105 is 一百零五 yì bǎi líng wǔ.
7Special Case: 200 and 2,000
二 èr is the numeral “two,” while 两 liǎng is used specifically when counting or expressing a quantity of two. In front of 百 bǎi and 千 qiān, it is more natural to use 两 liǎng, because they express a quantity: two hundreds, two thousands.
二百 èr bǎi and 二千 èr qiān are also understandable and used in some contexts (more often in mainland China), but 两百 liǎng bǎi and 两千 liǎng qiān are more common and considered more standard. For the full story, see the related lesson on 二 èr and 两 liǎng below.
8Room and Phone Numbers: 一 yāo
When reading out phone numbers, room numbers, or bus numbers digit by digit, one number changes: 一 yī is commonly read as yāo, especially in mainland China, so it isn’t confused with 七 qī.
9Common Mistakes
10Practice
Tap each card to check how to say the number in Chinese.
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