一二三四五六七八九十
yī èr sān sì wǔ liù qī bā jiǔ shí
1 to 10
These are the fundamental numbers from one to ten in Mandarin Chinese. Mastering them is crucial as they form the basis for all higher numbers, counting, telling time, and expressing quantities.
What does 一二三四五六七八九十 (yī èr sān sì wǔ liù qī bā jiǔ shí) mean?
一二三四五六七八九十 (yī èr sān sì wǔ liù qī bā jiǔ shí) means “1 to 10” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “one two three four five six seven eight nine ten.”
When to use it
Numbers themselves are neutral. When counting objects, you often use a measure word, e.g., 一个人 (one person). For 'two' specifically, use 两 before measure words, not 二, e.g., 两个人 (two people). In phone numbers or ID numbers, 'one' (一) is often pronounced 幺 to avoid confusion with 'seven' (七), especially in rapid speech.
How to pronounce it
Each number has a distinct sound and tone: 一 sounds like 'ee' (first tone). 二 sounds like 'err' (fourth tone). 三 sounds like 'sahn' (first tone). 四 sounds like 'suh' (fourth tone). 五 sounds like 'woo' (third tone). 六 sounds like 'lyoh' (fourth tone). 七 sounds like 'chee' (first tone). 八 sounds like 'bah' (first tone). 九 sounds like 'jyoh' (third tone). 十 sounds like 'shir' (second tone).
Other ways to say it
- 零língzero
- 两liǎngtwo (used before measure words)
- 幺yāoone (used in phone numbers, ID numbers)
Examples
我有一个弟弟。
wǒ yǒu yí ge dìdi.
I have one younger brother.
桌子上有三本书。
zhuōzi shàng yǒu sān běn shū.
There are three books on the table.
请给我六个苹果。
qǐng gěi wǒ liù ge píngguǒ.
Please give me six apples.
Pro tip: Remember the crucial difference between 二 and 两. Use 二 for counting (e.g., 一二三), in ordinal numbers (第二, second), or in decimals. Use 两 before measure words (e.g., 两个人, two people) and for quantities (e.g., 两块钱, two yuan).
Related phrases
一二三 · 1 2 3十 · 10一百 · 100
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