Counting Numbers
Mandarin numbers are straightforward once you learn the basic digits through vocabulary. Here are the foundation blocks:
- 一 (yī) = 1
- 二 (èr) = 2
- 三 (sān) = 3
- 十 (shí) = 10
- 百 (bǎi) = 100
- 千 (qiān) = 1000
To say larger numbers, combine them logically. For example, 23 is 二十三 (èrshísān), literally "two-ten-three." 156 is 一百五十六 (yībǎi wǔshilù), "one-hundred-five-ten-six."
Telling Time
Time in Mandarin follows a 24-hour format and is quite simple. The structure is: 时间 (shíjiān) = hour + 点 (diǎn) + minutes + 分 (fēn).
- 3:00 = 三点 (sān diǎn)
- 3:15 = 三点十五分 (sān diǎn shíwǔ fēn)
- 3:30 = 三点三十分 (sān diǎn sānshí fēn) or 三点半 (sān diǎn bàn)
For afternoon/evening times, add the time period first: 下午三点 (xiàwǔ sān diǎn) = 3:00 PM, using the structure that appears throughout Mandarin.
Reading Dates
Dates in Chinese follow the pattern: year-month-day, which is different from English.
- 2024年 (nián) = 2024
- 1月 (yuè) = January
- 15日 (rì) = the 15th
So January 15, 2024 is written: 2024年1月15日 (liǎngqiānèrshísì nián yī yuè shíwǔ rì).
Days of the week use 星期 (xīngqī):
- 星期一 (xīngqī yī) = Monday
- 星期五 (xīngqī wǔ) = Friday
Practical Tips
When speaking, you can drop the formal characters. "What time?" is simply 几点 (jǐ diǎn). "What date?" is 几号 (jǐ hào) for the day of the month.
Remember: Chinese counts in groups of 10,000 (万, wàn), so larger numbers may feel different from English. Practice saying dates and times aloud using , it becomes natural quickly!
Start using these patterns in your daily life. Ask friends "今天几号？" (jīntiān jǐ hào?) = What's today's date?
