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Chinese Numbers and Measure Words

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Count to 99 with a beautifully logical system, say your age, tell the time — and meet 两 and the measure words.

One to ten, then logic

一 二 三 四 五 六 七 八 九 十 (yī èr sān sì wǔ liù qī bā jiǔ shí). Then pure logic: 11 is 十一 (ten-one), 12 十二 (ten-two), 20 二十 (two-ten), 21 二十一 (two-ten-one), 99 九十九. No "eleven/twelve/twenty" irregularities — if you can say 1–10, you can say 1–99. Hundred is 百 (bǎi): 200 = 两百.

两 (liǎng) vs 二 (èr)

Counting abstract numbers: 一, 二, 三. Counting THINGS: 两 replaces èr — 两个人 (two people), 两本书 (two books), never 二个人. 两 also means "a couple of" loosely. Phone numbers, floors and maths keep 二. One extra word — but natives notice instantly when it's wrong, so drill it early.

Measure words: every noun needs one

You cannot say "three book" — Chinese needs a 量词 (measure word) between number and noun: 三本书 (three-volumes book), 两个人 (two-people person), 一杯茶 (one-cup tea). The universal fallback is 个 (ge): 三个苹果 (three apples). Wrong measure word? 个 saves you — natives may smile, but they'll understand.

Age, time and money

Age: 我二十岁 (wǒ èrshí suì — I am 20), asked as 你多大了? Time: 三点 (sān diǎn — 3 o'clock), 三点半 (half past three). Money: 块 (kuài — yuan, spoken) — 多少钱? (duōshao qián? — how much?) is the market essential. Bargaining opens with 太贵了! (tài guì le — too expensive!).

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