Numbers in Chinese

We use numbers everyday, do you know how Chinese people use numbers? How does the numbers in Chinese mean?

In China, there is the Arabic numbers widely use same as in English. That is 0, 1, 2, 3…

Besides Arabic numbers, you may find people also use Chinese character numbers. There are mainly four different Chinese character numbers. They are simplified Chinese character numbers, traditional character numbers, formal traditional (we also call it “繁体大写”).

Why people also use formal traditional Chinese character numbers? It is so difficult to write (I also think so, as a Chinese girl, if you ask me to write all below traditional Chinese character numbers, I also can not write correctly). So, why Chinese use the traditional Chinese character numbers, especially related money. It is reported that this was started in Ming Dynasty. Because the simplified Chinese Character numbers and Arabic numbers are very easily to change, however, the traditional Chinese character numbers very difficult to change. So from Ming, Zhuyuanzhang ordered people use traditional Chinese character number to mark for money, food… Till now, people also use traditional Chinese character in China, especially when for checks, receipts, and bank services…

How does the simplified Chinese characters and traditional Chinese Characters look like? Below forms will be help you.

Arabic numbers 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 100 1000 Simplified Chinese numbers 零 一 二 三 四 五 六 七 八 九 十 百 千 Traditional Chinese numbers 零 壹 贰 叁 肆 伍 陆 柒 捌 玖 拾 佰 仟

Besides, when we say 2, people some times will say “二”, and many times also say “两”. For example, if we say two books, we do not say “二本书”, but say “两本书”. And eleven we say “十一”, it is ten plus one = “ten one”, and twelve we say “十二”, that is ten plus two = “ten two”. And twenty we say “二十” – two times ten. “21” we say “二十一” – that is “two times ten plus one” = “two ten one”. And so on.

And for “10,000”, people will say “万”, the traditional Chinese number is “萬”. And for “100,000,000”, we will say “亿”, the traditional Chinese is “億”