Chinese Bigger Numbers万 wàn & 亿 yì
In Chinese, numbers beyond 10,000 follow a different naming pattern compared to English. Two new units do all the work: 万 wàn and 亿 yì.
Understanding how to express bigger numbers in Chinese is essential for prices, populations, and salaries. Once you can count to 9,999, you only need 万 wàn and 亿 yì to go all the way up to the billions.
1Groups of Four, Not Three
In English, you use commas to separate thousands, millions, billions, and so on (1,000 / 1,000,000). Chinese uses a different system: numbers are grouped by ten thousand — 万 wàn — instead of by thousand. After 万 wàn, the next big unit is 亿 yì, one hundred million.
| Number | Chinese | Literally |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 十 shí | ten |
| 100 | 百 bǎi | hundred |
| 1,000 | 千 qiān | thousand |
| 10,000 | 万 wàn | ten thousand |
| 100,000 | 十万 shí wàn | ten ten-thousands |
| 1,000,000 | 一百万 yì bǎi wàn | one hundred ten-thousands |
| 10,000,000 | 一千万 yì qiān wàn | one thousand ten-thousands |
| 100,000,000 | 亿 yì | hundred million |
2Ten Thousands: 万 wàn
To express bigger numbers, combine the numerals you already know (up to 9,999) with 万 wàn to count how many ten-thousands there are. The part in red is the 万 wàn group:
The 零 líng rule still applies: when zeros sit between two groups, say 零 líng once — as in 66,200,100 above. And for 2 in front of 万 wàn, use 两万 liǎng wàn, not 二万 èr wàn.
3Hundred Millions: 亿 yì
To express numbers of 100 million or more, combine the numerals with 亿 yì to count how many hundred-millions there are. The part in purple is the 亿 yì group:
4The Four-Digit Trick
Isn’t it super difficult? Now you can understand the struggle we face when learning English numbers 😏 But don’t worry — here’s a trick that helps: simply place the comma every four digits instead of three. Each comma now marks a unit you know.
Read the first group, then add 亿 yì; read the second group, then add 万 wàn; read the last group as a normal number. If a group starts with zeros, say 零 líng once.
5Common Mistakes
6Practice
Tap each card to check how to say the number in Chinese. Try the four-digit trick first!
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