Difference between revisions of "Counting money"

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Cash is king, and China is no exception. Mastering how to say quantities of money is vital!
 
Cash is king, and China is no exception. Mastering how to say quantities of money is vital!
  
== Structure ==
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== Saying Quantities of Money ==
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=== Structure ===
  
 
Chinese has a specific structure for talking about quantities for money:
 
Chinese has a specific structure for talking about quantities for money:
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</div>
 
</div>
  
== Examples ==
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=== Examples ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
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* 两 <em>块</em> 五 <em>毛</em> <span class="pinyin">liǎng <em>kuài</em> wǔ <em>máo</em></span><span class="trans">two kuai five mao (2.5)</span>
 
* 三 <em>块</em> 八 <em>毛</em> <span class="pinyin">sān <em>kuài</em> bā <em>máo</em></span><span class="trans">three kuai eight mao (3.8)</span>
 
* 三 <em>块</em> 八 <em>毛</em> <span class="pinyin">sān <em>kuài</em> bā <em>máo</em></span><span class="trans">three kuai eight mao (3.8)</span>
 
* 十 <em>块</em> 两 <em>毛</em> <span class="pinyin">shí <em>kuài</em> liǎng <em>máo</em></span><span class="trans">ten kuai two mao (10.2)</span>
 
* 十 <em>块</em> 两 <em>毛</em> <span class="pinyin">shí <em>kuài</em> liǎng <em>máo</em></span><span class="trans">ten kuai two mao (10.2)</span>
* <em>块</em> 五 <em>毛</em> <span class="pinyin">jiǔ <em>kuài</em> wǔ <em>máo</em></span><span class="trans">nine kuai five mao (9.5)</span>
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* 二十 三 <em>块</em> <span class="pinyin">èrshí-sān <em>kuài</em> </span><span class="trans">Twenty-three kuai eight mao (23.8)</span>
* 一 <em>块</em> 七 <em>毛</em> <span class="pinyin"><em>kuài</em> qī <em>máo</em></span><span class="trans">one kuai seven mao (1.7)</span>
 
 
* 五 十 <em>块</em> 五 <em>毛</em> <span class="pinyin">wǔshí <em>kuài</em> wǔ <em>máo</em></span><span class="trans">fifty kuai five mao (50.5)</span>
 
* 五 十 <em>块</em> 五 <em>毛</em> <span class="pinyin">wǔshí <em>kuài</em> wǔ <em>máo</em></span><span class="trans">fifty kuai five mao (50.5)</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
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Note that ''2.5 RMB'' reads as "两 <em>块</em> 五 (liǎng kuài wǔ)", not "二 <em>块</em> 五 (èr kuài wǔ)".
  
 
If the smaller units are only in tens, you can just say the number of tens. So ''3.8 RMB'' is "三 <em>块</em> 八 (sān kuài bā)." Also this way of speaking is normally only used in matters with less than 100.  
 
If the smaller units are only in tens, you can just say the number of tens. So ''3.8 RMB'' is "三 <em>块</em> 八 (sān kuài bā)." Also this way of speaking is normally only used in matters with less than 100.  
 +
 +
When the smaller unit is two, you might need to pay a little attention to this:
 +
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* <em>块</em> <span class="pinyin"><em>kuài</em> </span><span class="trans">One kuai seven mao (1.7)</span>
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* <em>块</em> <span class="pinyin">liǎng <em>kuài</em> èr</span><span class="trans">two kuai two mao (2.2)</span>
* 三  <em>块</em> <span class="pinyin">sān <em>kuài</em> </span><span class="trans">Three kuai eight mao(3.8)</span>
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* <em>块</em> <span class="pinyin"><em>kuài</em> èr</span><span class="trans">five kuai two mao (5.2)</span>
* 二十 三 <em>块</em> 八<span class="pinyin">èrshí-sān <em>kuài</em> bā</span><span class="trans">Twenty-three kuai eight mao (23.8)</span>
 
* 六十 <em>块</em> 五<span class="pinyin">liùshí <em>kuài</em> wǔ</span><span class="trans">Sixty kuai five mao (60.5)</span>
 
* 八 十 二 <em>块</em> 四<span class="pinyin">bāshí-èr <em>kuài</em> sì</span><span class="trans">Eighty-two kuai four mao (82.4)</span>
 
  
 
</div>
 
</div>

Revision as of 03:08, 4 February 2017

Cash is king, and China is no exception. Mastering how to say quantities of money is vital!

Saying Quantities of Money

Structure

Chinese has a specific structure for talking about quantities for money:

Number + 块 + Number + 毛

Examples

  • liǎng kuàimáotwo kuai five mao (2.5)
  • sān kuàimáothree kuai eight mao (3.8)
  • shí kuài liǎng máoten kuai two mao (10.2)
  • 二十 三 èrshí-sān kuàiTwenty-three kuai eight mao (23.8)
  • 五 十 wǔshí kuàimáofifty kuai five mao (50.5)

Note that 2.5 RMB reads as "两 五 (liǎng kuài wǔ)", not "二 五 (èr kuài wǔ)".

If the smaller units are only in tens, you can just say the number of tens. So 3.8 RMB is "三 八 (sān kuài bā)." Also this way of speaking is normally only used in matters with less than 100.

When the smaller unit is two, you might need to pay a little attention to this:

  • liǎng kuài èrtwo kuai two mao (2.2)
  • kuài èrfive kuai two mao (5.2)

The first number is the amount of whole RMB (or dollars etc.), and the second is the amount smaller units (e.g. cents). So 3.86 RMB is

  • 八 毛 六sān kuài bā máo liùthree kuai eight mao six fen (3.86)

And if there's no smaller unit, e.g. 3 RMB, you can just say:

  • sān kuài Three kuai

块 (kuài) is the more common, informal way to talk about money. More formally you can use 元 (yuán) in exactly the same way. This is similar to the difference between "dollars" and "bucks" in American English, or "pounds" and "quid" in British English. 块 (kuài) is appropriate in more situations than "bucks" or "quid", though.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books