Lesson 11
If you’re planning to travel to China, this lesson will be invaluable, and even if you’re not, it will still prove to be an important one. You’ll learn the numbers 101-10000, how to ask prices in Chinese and talk about money in general.
Numbers 101 – 10,000 in Chinese
| 101 | 一百零一 | yì bǎi líng yī |
| 102 | 一百零二 | yì bǎi líng èr |
| 110 | 一百一（十） | yì bǎi yī (shí) |
| 111 | 一百十一 | yì bǎi shí yī |
| 120 | 一百二（十） | yì bǎi èr (shí) |
| 125 | 一百二十五 | yì bǎi èr shí wǔ |
| 200 | 二百/两百 | èr bǎi/liǎng bǎi |
| 300 | 三百 | sān bǎi |
| 400 | 四百 | sì bǎi |
| 1000 | 一千 | yì qiān |
| 2000 | 两千 | liǎngqiān |
| 9999 | 九千九百九十九 | jiǔ qiān jiǔ bǎi jiǔshí jiǔ |
| 10000 | 一万 | yíwàn |
Notes
- For 110, 120, 130 and other similar numbers, you can choose to omit the 十 at the end. So, 一百一 is a correct way to say 110.
- For the number 200, both 二百 and 两百 are correct, however, for 2000, we only say 两千.
- To say the numbers 101, 1001, and 1011, we must remember to include “零” to represent the zeros. So we get 一百零一(101),一千零一 (1001) and 一千零十一 (1011).
Money and Prices
| 钱 | qián | money |
| 人民币 | rénmínbì | RMB (currency) |
| 元 | yuán | the basic unit of RMB |
| 块 | kuài | colloquial term for the basic unit of RMB |
| 角 | jiǎo | 10 cents |
| 毛 | máo | colloquial term for 10 cents |
| 两块五（毛） | liǎng kuài wǔ( máo) | $2.50 |
| 一共 | yígòng | total |
| 贵 | guì | expensive |
| 便宜 | piányi | cheap |
Let’s talk about money
钱 is the general term for “money” in Chinese, and it can refer to any form of currency, including foreign currency.
人民币 is the official currency of the People’s Republic of China, and it is often abbreviated as RMB. 元 is the basic unit of RMB, which is similar to how the US uses “dollars.” Then there are 角 (10 of these make up 1 yuan).
If you hear someone say “块”，that’s just another word for 元that people use in everyday conversation. So, if someone says something costs “十块”, they mean it costs 20 yuan. Similarly, Chinese natives typically prefer to say “毛”instead of“角”.
Supplementary Vocabulary
| 请问 | qǐngwèn | Excuse me (May I ask you a question?) |
| 一点儿 | yìdiǎnr | a little |
| 又A又B | yòu A yòu B | Both A and B |
| 可是 | kěshì | but |
Key Expressions
| 请问，这个多少钱？ | Qǐngwèn zhège duōshao qián? | Excuse me, how much is this? |
| 这件毛衣多少钱？ | Zhèjiàn máoyī duōshaoqián? | How much for this sweater? |
| 太贵了。 | Tàiguì le. | It’s too expensive. |
| 一共多少钱? | Yígòng duōshao qián? | How much is it in total? |
| 可以便宜一点儿吗? | Kěyǐ piányi yìdiǎnr ma? | Can you make it a little cheaper? |
| 这件连衣裙又便宜又漂亮。 | Zhèjiàn liányīqún yòu piányi yòu piàoliang. | This dress is both affordable and pretty. |
| 这双鞋非常好看，可是很贵。 | Zhè shuāng xié fēicháng hǎokàn, kěshì hěn guì. | These shoes are very nice, but they’re expensive. |
Notes
Using 又A又B
The Chinese word 又 (yòu) is used to describe multiple qualities of something. When using this word with adjectives, it’s like saying that something has “both quality-1 and quality-2” in English. It’s important to note that the two adjectives used after 又 should not have contrasting meanings. They should either be both positive or both negative. For example, you can use this pattern to say: “It’s both pretty and comfortable.”, but not “It’s pretty and uncomfortable.”
Example:
这件衬衫又漂亮又舒服。This shirt is both pretty and comfortable.
Using 可是
To express sentences with contrasting meanings we would use the word “可是” which means “but”.
Example:
这条裤子很时髦，可是非常贵。This pair of pants is trendy, but very expensive.
Practice
Practice saying prices in Chinese. As you answer the following questions, practice saying each price aloud.
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