Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/Numbers-and-Counters

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Mandarin Chinese Vocabulary → Greetings and Basic Expressions → Numbers and Counters

In this lesson, we will cover numbers and counter words in Mandarin Chinese. Numbers are an essential part of everyday life and communication, so it is important to have a good understanding of them. We will start with the basic numbers from 0 to 10 and gradually move to more complex numbers and the use of counter words.

With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: 国 guó & 品 pĭn goods, product.

Basic Numbers

Let's start with the basic numbers from 0 to 10:

Mandarin Chinese	Pronunciation	English
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

To form numbers above 10, we simply combine the numbers above with 十 (shí), which means ten. For example:

十一 (shí yī) - eleven
十二 (shí èr) - twelve
二十 (èr shí) - twenty
三十 (sān shí) - thirty

We can also combine 十 (shí) with other numbers to form compound numbers:

三十五 (sān shí wǔ) - thirty-five (literally "thirty and five")
四十八 (sì shí bā) - forty-eight (literally "forty and eight")

Using Counters

In Mandarin Chinese, we use counters to count objects or things. The choice of counter depends on the type of object you are counting. There are numerous counters in Mandarin Chinese and each has its own specific usage. Here are a few common ones:

个 (gè) - general counter for most objects
本 (běn) - counter for books
条 (tiáo) - counter for long, narrow objects (e.g. rivers, snakes, pants)
只 (zhī) - counter for some animals such as birds, insects, and certain household objects like shoes or socks
张 (zhāng) - counter for flat objects, such as paper or photographs
位 (wèi) - counter for people, usually used for acquaintances or colleagues

To use a counter after a number, you simply insert it between the number and the object you are counting. For example:

一个人 (yí gè rén) - one person
三本书 (sān běn shū) - three books
五条蛇 (wǔ tiáo shé) - five snakes
两只鞋 (liǎng zhī xié) - two shoes
四张纸 (sì zhāng zhǐ) - four pieces of paper
三位朋友 (sān wèi péng yǒu) - three friends

Note that some counters change their tone according to the number they are paired with. For example, "zhī" is pronounced "zhī" when paired with the number one but becomes "zhǐ" when paired with any other number. Be sure to pay attention to these rules when using counters.

Practice Exercise

To help you practice your newly acquired knowledge, try counting the following objects using the appropriate counter:

1. Two dogs 2. Three cups of tea 3. Four pens 4. Five chairs 5. Six books 6. Seven bottles of beer 7. Eight friends 8. Nine trees 9. Ten slices of pizza

Conclusion

In this lesson, we covered basic numbers and counter words in Mandarin Chinese. Remember to keep practicing and familiarizing yourself with different counters to effectively communicate in daily life situations.

Sources

Excellent job on conquering this lesson! Consider delving into these related pages: 团(團) tuán group; organization & 唱 chàng sing.

Table of Contents - Mandarin Chinese Course - 0 to A1

Course Presentation

Pinyin and Tones

Greetings and Basic Expressions

Sentence Structure and Word Order

Daily Life and Survival Expressions

Chinese Festivals and Traditions

Verbs and Verb Usage

Hobbies, Sports and Activities

China's Geography and Landmarks

Nouns and Pronouns

Professions and Personality Traits

Chinese Traditional Arts and Crafts

Comparative and Superlative

Cities, Countries and Tourist Destinations

Modern China and Current Events

Other Lessons

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