百分之十
bǎifēn zhī shí
10 percent
百分之十 (bǎi fēn zhī shí) is the standard way to express "10 percent" in Mandarin Chinese. It is used to state a proportion out of a hundred.
What does 百分之十 (bǎifēn zhī shí) mean?
百分之十 (bǎifēn zhī shí) means “10 percent” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “hundred parts of ten.”
When to use it
Neutral and widely applicable. To express other percentages, simply replace 十 (shí, "ten") with the desired number, such as 百分之二十 (bǎi fēn zhī èr shí) for "20 percent."
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “bye-FENN-juh-SHIR.” The first syllable is a dipping third tone, followed by two flat first tones, and a rising second tone.
Other ways to say it
- 百分之二十bǎifēn zhī èrshí20 percent
- 百分之五十bǎifēn zhī wǔshí50 percent
- 百分之百bǎifēn zhī bǎi100 percent
Examples
这家店有百分之十的折扣。
zhè jiā diàn yǒu bǎifēn zhī shí de zhékòu.
This store has a 10 percent discount.
只有百分之十的人通过了考试。
zhǐyǒu bǎifēn zhī shí de rén tōngguò le kǎoshì.
Only 10 percent of people passed the exam.
我们的目标是达到百分之八十的市场份额。
wǒmen de mùbiāo shì dádào bǎifēn zhī bāshí de shìchǎng fèn'é.
Our goal is to reach 80 percent market share.
Pro tip: The structure 百分之 (bǎi fēn zhī) literally means "hundred parts of," and the number following it indicates the percentage.
Related phrases
三十 · Thirty亿 · 100 million (yì)一刻 · Quarter past (15 minutes)
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