How to Count in Mandarin Chinese

Counting in Mandarin Chinese is incredibly logical and forms the basis for all higher numbers. The characters (Hanzi) for 1, 2, and 3 are visually intuitive, represented by one, two, and three horizontal lines respectively (一, 二, 三).

Once you memorize the numbers 1 through 10, counting up to 99 is simply a matter of combining them. For example, 11 is "ten-one" (十一, shí yī), and 20 is "two-tens" (二十, èr shí).

In China, people also use a unique system of hand gestures to represent numbers from 1 to 10 using only one hand. This is especially useful in noisy environments like markets. For instance, the gesture for 6 (六, liù) looks like a "hang loose" sign with the thumb and pinky extended.

Pronunciation Tips

Mandarin is a tonal language, meaning the pitch of your voice changes the meaning of the word. Pinyin (the romanisation system) uses marks above the vowels to indicate the four main tones:

• First Tone ( ¯ ): High and flat. Used in 一 (yī), 三 (sān), 七 (qī), 八 (bā). Keep your voice steady.
• Second Tone ( ´ ): Rising, like asking a question in English. Used in 十 (shí).
• Third Tone ( ˇ ): Dips down and then rises. Used in 五 (wǔ) and 九 (jiǔ).
• Fourth Tone ( ` ): Sharp and falling, like giving a command. Used in 二 (èr), 四 (sì), 六 (liù).
• Special Note on 4 and 10: 四 (sì) and 十 (shí) are notoriously difficult for beginners to distinguish. "Sì" is a sharp 's' sound falling down, while "shí" is an 'sh' sound rising up.