Learn Chinese Numbers 1 to 10 Intelligently With Visual Tricks

What Are Chinese Numbers? A Brief Introduction.

关于中文数字？[zhōng wén shù zì]

Chinese numbers are the symbols used by the Chinese people to record and count numbers. In China, ten Chinese characters are used to express and count numbers, such as numbers 1 to 10.

中文数字，也就是指中国人用来计数的符号。在中国，人们用十个中文汉字来表示数字，比如中文数字 1 ～ 10。

By learning how to read these ten Chinese characters, you will be capable of counting Chinese numbers 1 to 10 as quickly as you can.

通过学习如何拼读这十个中文汉字，你就能快速掌握用中文从 1 数到 10 的技能。

Chinese Numbers with Simplified and Traditional forms

中文里的大小写数字[Dà xiǎo xiě shù zì]

Furthermore, Chinese numbers are differentiated by Simplified and Traditional forms in writings. The Traditional Chinese character of a Chinese number, or called Traditional Chinese Number, is pronounced exactly the same as its Simplified Chinese Number (or called Normal Chinese Number), only written differently in China. To get more about Simplified and Traditional Chinese Numbers, Please go further reading from the related story About Simplified Chinese Numbers & Traditional Numbers (for Premium membership only).

而且，在书写上，中国数字被分为大写数字和小写数字两种形式。同一个中文数字，其大写和小写汉字的读音完全相同，仅汉字写法不同而已。

Nowadays, Chinese people often use normal Chinese numbers and Arabic numbers in daily life, as well as Roman numerals sometimes in the title of the written papers and reports. As for the Traditional Chinese numbers, they are used less frequently than others, which usually appear in banks and financial systems to record the amount, to prevent financial numbers from modifications.

在如今的中国，人们在生活中常常使用中文小写数字和阿拉伯数字。在书面报告和论文中，有时也会使用到少量罗马数字。而中文大写数字使用频率相对较低，通常在银行、财务系统中填写金额时出现，目的是防止涂改金额。

Continue to read the following to get to know and learn Chinese numbers 1 to 10 (normal Chinese numbers) with visual tricks. Or you could also click to learn 10 key skills to better count numbers from 1 to 10000 in Chinese.

如果你想了解和学习中文数字 1 到 10，可以继续阅读以下内容；或者，你也可以点击这里学习从中文数字 1 数到 1万的 10 大技巧。

Quick to Learn "One" in Chinese Numbers

巧学数字 “一”   [Yī]

一 (yī) is the Chinese number's normal (lowercase) form of the Arabic numeral 1.  It is probably the first created Chinese character in history. No matter from the earliest Chinese oracle bones, or from other ancient Chinese character transcripts, the digit 1 was always recorded as a symbol of one horizontal stroke in Chinese numbers.

一 (yī)，是阿拉伯数字 1 的中文小写数字形态。这应是有史以来创造的第一个中文汉字。无论是最早的中国甲骨文中，还是其他中国古代文字记录中，均采用一横的符号记录数字 1 。

You can think of it as a horizontally lying form of Arabic number 1, which makes it easy to remember in mind.

你可以将中文数字“一” 看作是向水平方向卧倒的阿拉伯数字 “1”。这样记忆起来就很容易了。

Alternatively, you can also imagine the Chinese number "一" as a single horizontal stick. That is why the date of November 11th, the Singles' Day, is also called "光棍节" (guāng gùn jié) in China. Because the Chinese word "光棍" literally means a single and smooth stick, now it is a metaphor for the bachelor.

或者，你也可以将中文数字“一” 想象成一根水平的光滑的棍子。这也是为什么 11 月 11 日单身节会在中国被称为“光棍节”。因为“光棍”字面上来说指的是单个的光滑的棍子，而今天被用来比喻单身狗。

Quick to Learn "Two" in Chinese Numbers

巧学数字 “二”   [èr]

二 (èr) is the Chinese number's normal (lowercase) form of Arabic numeral 2.

二 (èr)，是阿拉伯数字 2 的中文小写数字形态。

Obviously, it is developed on the basis of the Chinese number "一", the symbol consisting of two horizontal strokes, one short and another long. It fits with the Chinese culture of one-yin-one-yang and from-a-pair-to-be-auspicious.

显而易见的，它是从中文数字 “一”的基础上发展出来的，是由上短下长的两横做成的中文数字符号。与中国的一阴一阳、成双成对的文化贴合。

Chinese people usually think that "Good things go by pairs", that is, good things or fortune always come in pairs, but not alone.

中国人通常认为：“好事成双”，双即二的意思。整句表示的是美好的事物不会单独出现，而都是成双成对而来的

Quick to Learn "Three" in Chinese Numbers

巧学数字 “三”   [Sān]

三 (sān) is the Chinese number's normal (lowercase) form of Arabic numeral 3. It is written by adding a short horizontal stroke in the middle of the Chinese number "二".

三 (sān)，是阿拉伯数字 3 的中文小写数字形态。它是在二字的中间再加一短横而成。

"三" appears in many Chinese words, especially in Chinese idioms to express the meaning of multiple or more. For example, "三言两语 (in three or two words or sentences, to indicate a couple of words)", or "三人行，必有我师 (in a party of three there must be one whom I can learn from)".

不少中文汉语词语，尤其是成语中，多用“三”来表示多的意思。比如“三言两语”，“三人行，必有我师”。

Quick to Learn "Four" in Chinese Numbers

巧学数字 “四”   [Sì]

四 (sì) is the Chinese number's normal (lowercase) form of Arabic numeral 4. Now its writing has nothing similar to the previous Chinese numbers like "一", "二" or "三".

四 (sì)，是阿拉伯数字 4 的中文小写数字形态。如今它的写法，已经与中文数字“一”、“二”、“三”没有什么相似的规律了。

It is said that the Chinese number "四" was evolved from the combination of two Chinese characters “口 (mouth)” and "儿 (son/child)".  The Chinese character "口" means an encirclement, which symbolizes four directions of north, south, east, and west in ancient China. Or you can also remember it as a combination of two Arabic numerals 4 plus "口" on a flat surface as shown in the figure above.

中文数字 “四”据说是由汉字“口”和“儿”演化而来。“口”表示围、包围之意，象征东西南北四个方位。或者，你可以根据上图所示，由正反两个阿拉伯数字 4 加表示平面的“口”来记忆。

Since the pronunciation of "四" is quite similar to another Chinese character "死 (death)", the number 4 is often regarded as an unlucky number in China.

由于“四”在中文里的发音与汉字“死”十分相似，因此数字 4 在中国常被视为一个不太吉利的数字。

Quick to Learn "Five" in Chinese Numbers

巧学数字 “五”   [Wǔ]

五 (wǔ) is the Chinese number's normal (lowercase) form of Arabic numeral 5. Literally there are five intersections in the Chinese character "五".

五 (wǔ)，是阿拉伯数字 5 的中文小写数字形态。从字面上来看，汉字“五”存在五个交点。

From the view of strokes, the character "五" is written based on the character "二", adding a left-inclined vertical stroke plus a horizontal turning stroke, respectively symbolize the heaven and the earth, Yang (masculine) and Yin (female) principles. The formation is closely related to the Chinese "Five Elements" culture of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth which are born from heaven and earth after masculine-female intercourse.

从笔画上看，汉字“五”是在汉字“二”的基础上，添加一个斜竖、和一个横折构成，分别象征天地、阳、和阴。这样的结构与中国文化中的天地阴阳交合产生金木水火土的“五行”文化暗自吻合。

In China, the gesture that spreading out the palm and extending out five fingers, that is the meaning of the Chinese number "五".

在中国，将手掌摊开，五个手指头伸展出来的手势，即表示为“五”。

Quick to Learn "Six" in Chinese Numbers

巧学数字 “六”   [Liù]

So, start to learn Chinese numbers 1 to 10 with visual tricks. Did you get them all?

中文数字 从 1 到 10， 你学会了吗？