Beginner course – Lesson 6 of 15
Numbers 1 to 10 in Mandarin
Numbers are one of the easiest places to start. Once you know 1 to 10, you can already build numbers up to 99 – I'll show you how below.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 零 | líng | 0 |
| 一 | yī | 1 |
| 二 | èr | 2 |
| 三 | sān | 3 |
| 四 | sì | 4 |
| 五 | wǔ | 5 |
| 六 | liù | 6 |
| 七 | qī | 7 |
| 八 | bā | 8 |
| 九 | jiǔ | 9 |
| 十 | shí | 10 |
零
líng
0
一
yī
1
二
èr
2
三
sān
3
四
sì
4
五
wǔ
5
六
liù
6
七
qī
7
八
bā
8
九
jiǔ
9
十
shí
10
Building bigger numbers
Once you know 1 to 10, bigger numbers are just combinations. Ten-one is eleven, two-ten is twenty, two-ten-five is twenty-five.
十一
shíyī
11
二十
èrshí
20
二十五
èrshíwǔ
25
九十九
jiǔshíjiǔ
99
Want to practise out loud?
Book a one-to-one lesson with me.
Book a Lesson£10 off your first lesson with code NEW10
Other guides
Chinese New Year Greetings in Mandarin
The greetings you will hear everywhere during Spring Festival.
Read the guide
Mandarin vs Cantonese: What Is the Difference?
Where each is spoken, how they differ, and which to learn first.
Read the guide
Simplified vs Traditional Chinese Characters
Where each is used, how they differ, and which to learn.
Read the guide
How Long Does It Take to Learn Mandarin?
Realistic milestones for English speakers, and how to progress faster.
Read the guide