Lessons 8, 15: Counting (称数法) · 二 and 两 · 多

Reading numbers from 1 to the ten-thousands, the uses of 二 and 两, and numeral + 多.

Hanyu textbook · Hanyu 1 · Lesson 15 · Hanyu 1 · Lesson 8

一百零八

yìbǎi líng bā

108

Explanation

Counting: 100 × 10 = 1000 一千 (yìqiān); 1000 × 10 = 10000 一万 (yíwàn). When there is a 0 between places, read 零 (líng): 108 一百零八; 1005 一千零五; 1018 一千零一十八; 10890 一万零八百九十. Abbreviated numbers: 110, one hundred ten, can be read 一百一(十).

“二” and “两” both express the number "2", but they are used differently. 两 (liǎng): 2 + measure word → 两个、两本、两件、两家; 2 + 千、万 → 两千、两万. 二 (èr): when counting 一、二、三; ordinal numbers 第二、二月、二楼; 2 + 十 / 百 → 二十、二百.

Adding “多” after a numeral expresses a number greater than the one stated: 一百多个 (more than a hundred).

Structure

1
Số từ 100 trở lên
Watch for 零 when there is a 0 between places; in abbreviated numbers 十 can be dropped.
- 一千
  yìqiān
  1000
- 一万
  yíwàn
  10000
- 一百零八
  yìbǎi líng bā
  108
- 一百一(十)
  yìbǎi yī (shí)
  110
- 一千零一十八
  yìqiān líng yīshí bā
  1018
- 一千零五
  yìqiān líng wǔ
  1005
- 一万零八百九十
  yíwàn líng bābǎi jiǔshí
  10890
2
两 + lượng từ / 两千、两万；二 + 十、百 / số thứ tự
两 is used before measure words and before 千 and 万; 二 is used when counting, in ordinal numbers, and before 十 and 百.
- 两个
  liǎng gè
  two (items)
- 两本
  liǎng běn
  two (books)
- 两件
  liǎng jiàn
  two (garments)
- 两家
  liǎng jiā
  two (shops)
- 两千
  liǎng qiān
  2000
- 两万
  liǎng wàn
  20000
- 第二
  dì-èr
  second
- 二月
  èr yuè
  February
- 二楼
  èr lóu
  second floor
- 二十
  èrshí
  20
- 二百
  èrbǎi
  200
3
Số từ多lượng từoptionaldanh từ
Expresses a number greater than the one stated.
- 一百多个
  yìbǎi duō gè
  more than a hundred (people)
- 大概有一百多职员。
  Dàgài yǒu yìbǎi duō zhíyuán.
  More than a hundred employees or so.
- 这个大学有八千多个留学生。
  Zhège dàxué yǒu bāqiān duō gè liúxuéshēng.
  This university has more than eight thousand international students.

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