1. 数字 (shù zì) (i.e., mathematical numbers)

2. Related Terms 数 (shǔ) – to count 号码 (hào mǎ) – number, e.g.,
电话号码 (diàn huà hào mǎ) – telephone number
门牌号码 (mén pái hào mǎ) – house/apartment number

3. 1-10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 零 一 二 三 四 五 六 七 八 九 十 líng yī èr sān sì wǔ1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 零 一 二 三 四 五 六 七 八 九 十
líng yī èr
sān sì wǔ
liù qī bā
jiǔ
shí

4. 二 (èr) vs. 两 (liǎng) 二 (èr) – ordinal number
Generally used in:
Counting (e.g., 2, 12, 20, 200)
A sequence of pure numbers (e.g., phone number or address)
两 (liǎng) – cardinal number
Generally used when it’s modifying something to indicate qty, e.g. in front of a measure word
两个人 (liǎng gè rén) – 2 people
两天 (liǎng tiān) – 2 days
Also certain pure numbers (e.g., 200, 2000, 20000)
两年， 两天， 两点
两个月， 两个星期
两个人
P50 in Berlitz

5. 11-99 11 = “10” + “1” = 十一 (shí yī) 20 = “2” x “10” = 二十 (èr shí)
Same idea for 12-19
20 = “2” x “10” = 二十 (èr shí)
21 = “2” x “10” + “1” = 二十一 (èr shí yī)
Same for 22-29
Same for 30 to 99
Very easy! Just diff. combinations of “1” through “10”

6. Practice Exercise
Let’s all count from 1-31

7. 100-1,000,000,000 200 = 二百 / 两百 (èr bǎi or liǎng bǎi)
100 = 一百 (yì bǎi)
200 = 二百 / 两百 (èr bǎi or liǎng bǎi)
101 = “100” + “0” + “1” = yì bǎi líng yī
110 = “100” + “10” = yì bǎi èr shi
1,000 = 一千 (yì qiān)
2,000 = 两千 (liǎng qiān)
10,000 = 一万 (yí wàn)
20,000 = 两万 (liǎng wàn)
100,000 = 十万 (shí wàn)
1,000,000 = 一百万 (yì bǎi wàn)
10,000,000 = 一千万 (yì qiān wàn)
100,000,000 = 一亿 (yí yì)
1,000,000,000 = 十亿 (shí yì)
You just build the # starting from the biggest number word

8. Tone Changes in “一” (yī) - the number 1
1.) First tone (yī)
Counting from 1-10 or as the last digit in a number sequence (e.g. 101)
2.) Second tone (yí)
When preceding a fourth tone, e.g., 10,000 = 一万 (yí wàn)
3.) Fourth tone (yì)
When preceding any other tone
一百 (yì bǎi)
一千 (yì qiān)

9. Counting large numbers
Start from the largest number “group” and end and the smallest
e.g., Thousands to hundreds to tens to ones
Thousand = 千 (qiān)
Hundreds = 百 (bǎi)
Tens = 十 (shí)
Ones = “yī” to “shí”
1,111 = = 一千 一百 一十 一 (yì qiān yì bǎi yī shí yī)
2,222 = = 两千 两百 二十 二 (liǎng qiān liǎng bǎi èr shí èr)

10. Practice Exercise
102
228
888
1234
2500

11. Practice Exercise 102 = yì bǎi líng èr 228 = èr bǎi èr shí bā
888 = bā bǎi bā shí bā
1234 = yì qiān èr bǎi sān shí sì
2500 = liǎng qiān wǔ bǎi

12. Ordinals It’s easy!  Just insert a “第” (“dì”) in front of the number
第一 (dì yī) - first
我第一次去中国 (wo di yi ci qu zhong guo) – I go to China for the first time
第二 (dì èr ) – second
第三 (dì sān) – third …

13. Practical Uses Time/Duration Date/Month Day of week
Shopping/haggling 
Address

14. Telling time (clock) 现在(是)几点(钟)(了)?
xiàn zài (shì) jǐ diǎn (zhōng)(le)?
What time is it now?
现在 (xiàn zài) – now
是 (shì) – is
几 (jǐ) – how many/which
点 (钟) (diǎn zhōng) – o’clock
分 (钟) fēn (zhōng) - minute
(le) – a particle that indicates change/that something has already happened

15. Time of Day Morning – 早上 zao3 shang4 Noon – 中午 zhong1 wu3
Afternoon – 下午 xia4 wu3
Night – 晚上 wan3 shang4
Tone Key:
mā = ma1 (1st tone)
má = ma2 (2nd tone)
mǎ = ma3 (3rd tone)
Mà = ma4 (4th tone)
早晨上午

16. Examples 1:00 pm – xia4 wu3 yi4 dian3
10:00 am – zao4 shang4 shi2 dian3
12:00 pm – zhong1 wu3 shi2 er4 dian3
8:00 pm – wan3 shang4 ba1 dian3
1:05 – yi4 dian3 ling2 wu3 (fen1)
1:10 – yi4 dian3 shi2 fen1
1:15 – yi4 dian3 shi2 wu3 (fen1) or yi4 dian3 yi2 ke4
1:20 – yi4 dian3 er4 shi2
1:30 – yi4 dian3 san1 shi2 (fen1) or yi4 dian3 ban4
1:45 – yi4 dian3 si4 shi2 wu3 or cha4 yi2 ke4 liang3 dian3
1:50 – yi4 dian3 wu3 shi2 or cha4 shi2 fen1 liang3 dian3

17. Let’s practice! Shang4 wu3 qi1 dian3 zhong1
Xia4 wu3 wu3 dian3 shi2 fen1
Wan3 shang4 jiu3 dian2 ban4

18. Answers Shang4 wu3 qi1 dian3 zhong1 – 7:00am
Xia4 wu3 wu3 dian3 zhi2 fen1 – 5:10pm
Wan3 shang4 jiu3 dian2 ban4 – 9:30pm

19. Let’s practice! What time is it now? Xian4 zai4 ji3 dian3 le? It is…
Xian4 zai4 shi4 (zao3 shang4/zhong1 wu3/xia4 wu3/wan3 shang4) ____ dian3 ____ (fen1)
2:02 pm
8:30 am
7:15 pm
12:22 pm

20. Answers Xian4 zai4 ji3 dian3 le?
Xian4 zai4 shi4 (zao3 shang4/zhong1 wu3/xia4 wu3/wan3 shang4) ____ dian3 ____ (fen1)
2:02 pm – xia4 wu3 liang3 dian3 ling2 er4 (fen1)
8:30 am – zao3 shang4 ba1 dian3 san1 shi2 (fen1)
or zao3 shang4 ba1 dian3 ban4
7:15 pm – wan3 shang4 qi1 dian3 shi2 wu3 (fen1) or wan3 shang4 qi1 dian3 yi2 ke4
12:22 pm – zhong1 wu3 shi2 er4 dian3 er4 shi2 er2 (fen1)

21. Time - duration
15 minutes/quarter past – “shi2 wu3 fen1 zhong1” or “yi2 ke4 zhong1”
30 minutes/half an hour – san1 shi2 fen1 zhong1 or ban4 ge4 xiao3 shi2
One hour – yi2 ge4 xiao3 shi2
Two hours – liang3 ge4 xiao3 shi2
One day – yi4 tian1
Two days – liang3 tian1
One week – yi2 ge4 xing1 qi1 / yi2 ge4 li3 bai4
One month – yi2 ge4 yue4
One year – yi4 nian2
Exception: two

22. Date - overview Year – nian2 Month – yue4 Week – xing1 qi1 Day – tian1
The day before yesterday – qian2 tian1
Yesterday – zuo2 tian1
Today – jin1 tian1
Tomorrow – ming2 tian1
The day after tomorrow – hou4 tian1
Tonight
Last night
Tomorrow morning

23. Practice – Year
1982
1999
2000
2002
2009

24. Month (yue4) January Yi1 February Er4 March San1 April Si4 May Wu5
June
Liu4
July
Qi1
August
ba1
September
Jiu3
October
Shi2
November
Shi2 yi1
December
Shi2 er4

25. Day of the Month (hao4) 1
Yi1 2
er4 3
san1 4
si4 5
wu3 6
liu4 7
qi1 8
ba1 9
jiu3 10
shi2 11
shi2 yi1 12
shi2 er4 13
shi2 san1 14
shi2 si4 15
shi2 wu3 16
shi2 liu4 17
shi2 qi1 18
shi2 ba1 19
shi2 jiu3 20
er4 shi2 21
er4 shi2 yi1 22
er4 shi2 er4 23
er4 shi2 san1 24
er4 shi2 si4 25
er4 shi2 wu3 26
er4 shi2 liu4 27
er4 shi2 qi1 28
er4 shi2 ba1 29
er4 shi2 jiu3 30
san1 shi2 31
san1 shi2 yi1

26. Practice Saturday, March 21, 2009 Er4 ling2 ling2 jiu3 nian2 San1 yue4
Er4 shi2 yi1 hao4
Xing1 qi1 liu4

27. Practice When is your birthday?
Ni3 de sheng1 ri4 shi4 ji3 yue4 ji3 hao4?
Ni3 de – your
Sheng1 ri4 – birthday
Shi4 – is
Ji3 – how many/which
Yue4 – month
Hao4 – day of the month

28. Day of the Week “Week” = Xing1 qi1
For Monday to Saturday, just say xing1 qi1 followed by the numbers 1-6
Exception: Sunday
Xing1 qi1 ri4 or xing1 qi2 tian1
“Weekend” = zhou1 mo4

29. Practice Which day is today? Jin2 tian1 shi4 xing1 qi1 ji3? Today is…

30. See you next time!
Xia4 ci4 zai4 jian4!