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<Chinese Learning>Numbers
Apr 28, 2007 22:54
  • MAY001
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Numbers are essential for everyday life, so it's better for you to know some basic characters.

One: 一(Yi 1), sounds like [ji:]
Two: 二(Er 4)
Three: 三(San 1)
All the three characters are quite simple. One stroke for one, two strokes for two and three for three.
Apr 28, 2007 22:57
#1  
  • MAY001
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The following are different

Four: 四 (Si 4)
Five: 五 (Wu 3)
Six: 六 (Liu 4)
Seven: 七 (Qi 1)
Eight: 八 (Ba 1)
Nine: 九 (Jiu 3)
Ten: 十 (Shi 1)
Apr 28, 2007 23:03
#2  
  • MAY001
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When you want to say eleven, you can put 十 and 一 together. That is 十一.
So is twelve: 十二,
thirteen: 十三
fourteen：十四
fifteen：十五
etc. etc.

How to say nineteen??
Apr 28, 2007 23:06
#3  
  • MAY001
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What about twenty?? Combines 二 and 十 together: 二十
So is twenty-one: 二十一
twenty-two: 二十二
twenty-three: 二十三
twenty-nine: 二十九
etc. etc.

How to say fifty??
Apr 28, 2007 23:12
#4  
  • MAY001
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Other numerals are:

百(Bai 3), hundred. e.g.: 三百(three hundred), 五百八(five hundred and eighty, omit the 十)
千(Qian 1), thousand. e.g.: 二千/两(Liang 2)千(Two thousand, 两 here means 二)
万(Wan 4), ten thousand. e.g.: 一万(ten thousand), 八万(eighty thousand)


Apr 29, 2007 00:04
#5  
  • CHRISWAUGHBJ
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This could get a bit confusing for some:
五百八(five hundred and eighty, omit the 十) fine, there's no need to state the 十; but where I think the confusion could lie is in things like 508.

580=五百八/wubaiba.
508=五百零八/wubailingba. 零/ling=zero. Well, not exactly in this case. Ling is added to numbers when there is a gap between two denominations. You must say wubailingba to emphasise the lack of any tens, so I guess you could translate it as five hundred zero ten eight, if that helps. A similar thing happens with such things as time, age, money, weight,etc.
Apr 29, 2007 01:13
#6  
  • MIRANDAZHAO
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Yes, chris, you are right! 零 (ling 2) actually is quite important in Chinese.
Apr 29, 2007 02:11
#7  
  • QQIAN0124
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0.1(ling 2 dian 3 yi 1)
Apr 29, 2007 07:30
#8  
  • KENXI
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Thank you for your efforts.
Great posts!
Apr 29, 2007 21:30
#9  
  • MAY001
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Thanks, Chris, Miranda and Qqian for your input. Thanks Kenxi
Apr 30, 2007 02:44
#10  
  • QQIAN0124
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you are welcom
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