Lesson 10: Reading identification numbers

How to read phone numbers, house numbers, and vehicle numbers: read digit by digit; 1 is read yāo and 2 is read èr.

Hanyu textbook · Hanyu 1 · Lesson 10

181号

yāo bā yāo hào

number 181

Explanation

Digits in an identification number are read as plain numerals, and no matter how many digits there are, they are read one at a time. Examples: phone numbers, house numbers, passport numbers, car numbers…

(1) "一" in an identification number is usually read yāo. (2) "二" in an identification number must be read èr, not liǎng. (3) Repeated identical digits must each be read separately.

When asking about such numbers, ask: 几号？ or ……号码儿是多少？ The number 0 is read líng in Chinese and written 零 (0).

Structure

1
几号？ / ……号码儿是多少？
Two ways of asking for a number (the textbook also uses "Nǐ zhù duōshao hào?" in the exercises).
- 你住几号？
  Nǐ zhù jǐ hào?
  What number do you live at?
- ……号码儿是多少？
  ……hàomǎr shì duōshao?
  What is …… number?
2
Đọc từng chữ số: 1 → yāo, 2 → èr, 0 → líng (零)
Digits in an identification number are read one by one, even when two digits are the same.
- 62310894
  liù èr sān yāo líng bā jiǔ sì
  six two three one zero eight nine four
- 18楼4门8号
  shíbā lóu sì mén bā hào
  Building 18, Entrance 4, No. 8
- 181号
  yāo bā yāo hào
  number 181
- 212号
  èr yāo èr hào
  number 212
- 66004112号
  liù liù líng líng sì yāo yāo èr hào
  number 66004112
- 10楼7门5号
  shí lóu qī mén wǔ hào
  Floor 10, Entrance 7, No. 5 (answer from the textbook exercise)

Practice

18 questions in 2 sets. One at a time, checked instantly, with explanations.

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