Difference between revisions of "Structure of numbers"

(Created page with "<div class="liju"> {| class="wikitable" |+Mandarin number structure |- ! 亿 !! 千万 !! 百万 !! 十万 !! 万 !! 千 !! 百 !! 十 !! 一 |- ! One hundred millions !! Ten mi...")
 
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{| class="wikitable"
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|+Mandarin numbers examples
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|-
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! Digit || Chinese || English
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|-
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| 1 || 一 || one
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|-
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| 10 || 十 || ten
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|-
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| 13 || 一三 || thirteen
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|-
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| 20 || 二十 || twenty
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|-
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| 21 || 二十一 || twenty-one
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|-
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| 99 || 九十九 || ninety-nine
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|-
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| 100 || 一百 || one hundred0
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|-
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| 101 || 一百零一 || one hundred and one
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|}
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</div>
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Chinese handles numbers in a slightly different way to English. The differences occur around different units in the two languages, and the way zeros are used when reading out numbers in Chinese.
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== Different units ==
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Mandarin has two units that English doesn't have (or at least, it has unique words for these units whilst English describes them with combinations of other units. These are:
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* 万 - ten thousand
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* 亿 - hundred million
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万 comes up the most often and is the largest stumbling block for most people learning Mandarin numbers. In English, numbers are usually broken up into chunks of three digits. Because of 万, it's easier to break numbers up into groups of four in Mandarin. For example:
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* 12000
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Would be split into 12 000 in English (chunks of three digits), and the English reading "twelve thousand" would become more obvious. Split it the Chinese way, 1 2000, and the Chinese reading "一万两千" becomes more obvious.
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== Zeros ==
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== Sources and further reading ==
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* East Asia Student: [http://eastasiastudent.net/144/china/mandarin/cmn-grammar/mandarin-numbers-grammar-summary/ Mandarin numbers grammar summary]

Revision as of 02:41, 12 August 2011

Mandarin numbers examples
Digit Chinese English
1 一 one
10 十 ten
13 一三 thirteen
20 二十 twenty
21 二十一 twenty-one
99 九十九 ninety-nine
100 一百 one hundred0
101 一百零一 one hundred and one

Chinese handles numbers in a slightly different way to English. The differences occur around different units in the two languages, and the way zeros are used when reading out numbers in Chinese.

Different units

Mandarin has two units that English doesn't have (or at least, it has unique words for these units whilst English describes them with combinations of other units. These are:


  • 万 - ten thousand
  • 亿 - hundred million

万 comes up the most often and is the largest stumbling block for most people learning Mandarin numbers. In English, numbers are usually broken up into chunks of three digits. Because of 万, it's easier to break numbers up into groups of four in Mandarin. For example:

  • 12000

Would be split into 12 000 in English (chunks of three digits), and the English reading "twelve thousand" would become more obvious. Split it the Chinese way, 1 2000, and the Chinese reading "一万两千" becomes more obvious.

Zeros

Mandarin number structure
亿 千万 百万 十万 万 千 百 十 一
One hundred millions Ten millions Millions Hundred thousands Ten thousands Thousands Hundreds Tens Ones

Sources and further reading

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