Chinese Numbers 1 to 100: A Complete Beginner’s Guide

If you are just starting to learn Mandarin, numbers are the best place to begin. You will use them every day, for prices, phone numbers, dates, and time. The good news is that Chinese numbers are far easier than most people expect. Once you learn ten basic words, you can count all the way to 99 with almost no extra effort.

In this guide, you will learn Chinese numbers 1 to 100 step by step. You will see the characters, the pinyin (the Roman letters used to show how words sound), and simple tips to help you remember everything. Let’s get started.

Why Learn Chinese Numbers First?

Numbers are small, useful, and logical. You can use them on your very first day in China, Taiwan, or any Chinese-speaking community. Want to buy a drink? You need numbers. Want to ask the price of a bag? You need numbers. Want to tell someone your age or your phone number? Again, numbers.

They also give you a gentle start with Mandarin tones. Each number has its own tone, so counting out loud is great practice for your ear and your mouth.

Chinese Numbers 0 to 10

Everything starts here. Learn these eleven words well, and the rest of the guide will feel easy.

Here is a fun fact. The characters for one, two, and three are just one, two, and three horizontal lines: 一, 二, 三. That makes them very easy to remember and to write.

Take your time with the tones. For example, sān (3) is a high, flat tone, while sì (4) falls sharply. Say them out loud several times, because the tone changes the meaning of the word.

Chinese Numbers 11 to 19

This part is simple. You just say “ten” first, and then add the second number. Think of it as “ten-one,” “ten-two,” and so on.

• 11 = 十一 (shí yī)
• 12 = 十二 (shí èr)
• 13 = 十三 (shí sān)
• 14 = 十四 (shí sì)
• 15 = 十五 (shí wǔ)
• 16 = 十六 (shí liù)
• 17 = 十七 (shí qī)
• 18 = 十八 (shí bā)
• 19 = 十九 (shí jiǔ)

Notice that there is no special word for eleven or twelve, as there is in English. Chinese follows the same pattern every time, which is why it is so friendly for beginners.

Chinese Numbers 20 to 99

Now comes the best part. To make 20, 30, 40, and so on, you say the number first and then “ten.” So 20 is “two-ten,” which is 二十 (èr shí). Thirty is “three-ten,” or 三十 (sān shí).

Here are all the tens:

• 20 = 二十 (èr shí)
• 30 = 三十 (sān shí)
• 40 = 四十 (sì shí)
• 50 = 五十 (wǔ shí)
• 60 = 六十 (liù shí)
• 70 = 七十 (qī shí)
• 80 = 八十 (bā shí)
• 90 = 九十 (jiǔ shí)

To make any number in between, just add the last digit. Here are some examples:

• 21 = 二十一 (èr shí yī), which means “two-ten-one”
• 35 = 三十五 (sān shí wǔ)
• 48 = 四十八 (sì shí bā)
• 62 = 六十二 (liù shí èr)
• 77 = 七十七 (qī shí qī)
• 99 = 九十九 (jiǔ shí jiǔ)

See the pattern? The formula is always the same: tens digit + 十 + ones digit. If you know the numbers 1 to 10, you already know 1 to 99. There are no new words to memorize.

How to Say 100 in Chinese

The word for one hundred is 一百, pronounced yì bǎi. The word 百 (bǎi) means “hundred.” When you say it, the number “one” usually comes first, so you say “one hundred” and not just “hundred.”

After 100, the pattern keeps going. For example, 101 is 一百零一 (yì bǎi líng yī). The 零 (líng) means zero, and you use it to fill the empty tens place.

Tricky Parts Beginners Should Know

Chinese numbers are simple, but a few small details can trip you up. Here are the main ones.

1. The tone of 一 (yī) can change

The number one is yī when you count alone. But inside a phrase, its tone often changes. Before a fourth-tone word, it becomes yí. Before a first, second, or third tone word, it becomes yì. That is why 100 is yì bǎi. Don’t worry if this feels strange at first. You will pick it up naturally as you listen more.

2. Two can be 二 or 两

There are two ways to say “two.” Use 二 (èr) when you count, give a phone number, or say numbers like 12 and 22. Use 两 (liǎng) when you talk about an amount of things, such as “two people” (两个人, liǎng gè rén). A good rule for beginners: counting uses èr, and amounts use liǎng.

3. Four and ten sound close

The words sì (4) and shí (10) sound alike to new learners. The trick is the mouth shape. For sì, keep your tongue flat and near your teeth. For shí, curl your tongue back a little. Practice them side by side.

Counting with Your Fingers

Chinese people use a special set of hand signs for numbers 1 to 10, and it is a handy skill when you travel. Numbers 1 to 5 look similar to what you may know. But 6 to 10 can be shown with one hand:

• 6: stick out your thumb and little finger
• 7: bring your fingertips together, like a pinch
• 8: make a gun shape with your thumb and index finger
• 9: curl your index finger into a hook
• 10: make a fist, or cross two index fingers

This is great when a market seller is too far away or the street is too loud.

Lucky and Unlucky Numbers in Chinese Culture

Numbers carry deep meaning in Chinese culture, and many people care about them a lot. Knowing this will help you understand the culture better.

• 8 (bā) is the luckiest number. It sounds like the word for “getting rich” (发, fā). People pay a lot for phone numbers and car plates with many eights.
• 6 (liù) sounds like “smooth,” so it stands for things going well.
• 9 (jiǔ) sounds like “long-lasting,” so it is often linked to long life and love.
• 4 (sì) is seen as unlucky because it sounds like the word for “death” (死, sǐ). Many buildings skip the 4th floor, just as some Western buildings skip the 13th.

One more fun example is 520 (wǔ èr líng). It sounds like “I love you” (我爱你, wǒ ài nǐ), so young people use it in messages, and May 20th has become a day to share love.

Easy Tips to Memorize Chinese Numbers

Here are some simple ways to make the numbers stick:

1. Count out loud every day. Count the steps on a staircase, the items in your bag, or the cars on the street.
2. Learn the pattern, not the list. Remember that 1 to 10 plus the “tens + ones” rule gives you everything up to 99.
3. Say your phone number in Chinese. Real numbers from your daily life are easy to recall.
4. Use flashcards. Write the character on one side and the pinyin on the other.
5. Listen to native speakers. Short videos, songs, and apps can help you hear the correct tones.
6. Practice with prices. Imagine shopping and say prices like 35 or 68 out loud.

Quick Practice

Try saying these numbers out loud before you check the answers:

• 13
• 28
• 56
• 84
• 100

The answers are: 十三 (shí sān), 二十八 (èr shí bā), 五十六 (wǔ shí liù), 八十四 (bā shí sì), and 一百 (yì bǎi). If you got them right, well done!

Final Thoughts

Learn Chinese numbers 1 to 100 is much easier than it first looks. You only need to remember ten core words, plus a simple rule for building bigger numbers. From there, you can count, shop, and share your phone number with confidence.

Keep practicing a little every day, pay attention to your tones, and enjoy the small cultural stories behind each number. Before long, counting in Mandarin will feel natural. Why not start right now? Say yī, èr, sān out loud and keep going all the way to yì bǎi.