More Chinese Numbers:
Counting to One Million

To form the higher Chinese Numbers we need to learn a couple of new base words for:

  • hundred (100)
  • thousand (1,000)
  • ten thousand (10,000)

Similarly to the numbers 1 to 9 which we learned here, the higher numbers are made of a few simple strokes. Here is the stroke order so you can practice them:

More Base Chinese Numbers: Hundred, Thousand, Ten Thousand

Writing Chinese Numbers 100, 1,000, 10,000

Arabic Chinese Pinyin Stroke Order
100 Chinese Number 100 bǎi Writing Chinese Number 100 Stroke 1 Writing Chinese Number 100 Stroke 2 Writing Chinese Number 100 Stroke 3 Writing Chinese Number 100 Stroke 4 Writing Chinese Number 100 Stroke 5 Writing Chinese Number 100 Stroke 6
1,000 Chinese Number 1000 qiān Chinese Number 1000 stroke 1 Chinese Number 1000 stroke 2 Chinese Number 1000 stroke 3
10,000 Chinese Number 10000 wàn Chinese Number 10000 stroke 1 Chinese Number 10000 stroke 2 Chinese Number 10000 stroke 3

How about One Million in Chinese?

There are no special symbols for 100,000 or one million, once again we apply some simple math:

Writing Chinese Numbers 100,000 and 1 Million

Arabic Multiply Chinese Number Pinyin
100,000 Chinese Number 10 times Chinese Number 10,000
10 X 10,000 =
Chinese Number 100 Chinese Number 10000
100,000
shíwàn
1,000,000 Chinese Number 100 times Chinese Number 10,000
100 X 10,000 =
Chinese Number 100 Chinese Number 10000
1,000,000
bǎiwàn

Forming the Larger Numbers in Chinese

Now we will apply the same rules for forming the larger numbers as the ones we used for forming the numbers 1 to 99.

For the numbers 1 to 99, the number 10 is our base or "stop" number. To form the larger numbers, we use the additional base or stop numbers we just learned (100, 1000, 10,000, 1,000,000) and apply the same rule:

If the number goes AFTER the stop number, you ADD it.

If the number goes BEFORE the stop number, you MULTIPLY it.

Let's build some numbers!

Forming the Larger Numbers in Chinese

Chinese Number 5 Chinese Number 100 (5*100)
= 500
wǔbǎi
Chinese Number 5 Chinese Number 100 Chinese Number 10 Chinese Number 2 (5*100)+(10+2)
= 512
wǔbǎishíèr
Chinese Number 5 Chinese Number 100 Chinese Number 2 Chinese Number 10 (5*100)+(2*10)
= 520
wǔbǎièrshí
Chinese Number 5 Chinese Number 100 Chinese Number 2 Chinese Number 10 Chinese Number 2 (5*100)+(2*10)+2
= 522
wǔbǎièrshíèr
Chinese Number 6 Chinese Number 1000 (6*1,000)
= 6,000
liùqiān
Chinese Number 6 Chinese Number 1000 Chinese Number 3 Chinese Number 100 (6*1,000)+(3*100)
= 6,300
liùqiānsanbǎi
Chinese Number 5 Chinese Number 10000 (5*10,000) = 50,000 wǔwàn
Chinese Number 5 Chinese Number 10000 Chinese Number 5 Chinese Number 1000 (5*10,000) + (5*1,000)
= 55,000
wǔwànwuqiān
Chinese Number 10 Chinese Number 10000 (10*10,000) = 100,000 shíwàn
Chinese Number 9 Chinese Number 100 Chinese Number 10000 (9*100*10,000)
= 9,000,000
jiùbǎiwàn

Chinese Numbers: Pay Special Attention:

  • The number 10 and 1,000 are very similar, don't get confused:

    10 Chinese Number 10
    1,000 Chinese Number 1000

  • Although there is a Chinese character for the number ZERO, the circle or arabic equivalent is often used, you can see why:
    Zero Chinese Number Zero líng
  • The number zero needs to be called when it occurs in the middle of a number, for example:

    Chinese Number 8 Chinese Number 100 0 Chinese Number 8 808 babǎilíngba

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