How To Learn Chinese Numbers zero and 1-10: Elizabeth II, WWII, Sixth Avenue, Henry VIII

Problems
Why do we need numbers? We need them when shopping. We need to read prices in the supermarket or market, read the signs, understand when the price is said.

We see Roman signs a lot in English. Queen Elizabeth 1. Queen Elizabeth II. In the newspaper we read about Queen Elizabeth II. In the history books we read about Henry VIII, and in the art galleries. At the theatre we see Shakespeare's plays Henry IV and Henry V.

I tried Google Translate. Then I tried asking on Facebook where I have lots of Chinese speaking friends from Toastmasters International clubs in Singapore.

Two is a double horizontal line. Here the top line is slightly smaller than the lower line.

英国女王伊丽莎白二世

Queen of England 英国女王
Elizabeth 伊丽莎白
THE 2ND 二世


We slso have the Arabic numerals on calendars and car number plates.

In Chinese the numbers are on calendars in hotels and restaurants. If you've forgotten the date, in China you can check with their calendar. What if it's wrong? You might even spot the calendar is wrong and tell somebody.

Here's a Chinese calendar for 2017 from Wikipedia. After learning the numbers 1-10, you can start to recognize some numbers. Looking at a calendar, you realise it would be helpful to know the numbers 1-31 in any language you are learning, as well as the year.

The Chinese also use numbers in names. Number one son.

Streets are named with dates and numbers. In Singapore there's an MRT station called Sixth Avenue. I recognised the number six on the station platform. You could do the same.

1 I learned the numbers using Duolingo. I learned them years ago, went back, and I'd forgotten them.
2 I couldn't tell the differentce bewetween the sound for four and ten.
3 I couldn't work out which number was yuan.
4 The numbers seven and nine looked the same.
5 Duolingo doesn't teach the numbers in order, but randomly.
6 On Duolingo I assumed all the numbers were one to ten. I didn't realise they included zero.

I shall look at the numbers in order, starting with the easy ones.
For reference, here's what Wikipedia says:

 Listen to audio (help·info)

• 0: 〇 (零)： líng
• 1: 一 (壹) yī
• 2: 二 (Traditional:貳) èr
• 3: 三 (Traditional:參) sān
• 4: 四 (肆) sì
• 5: 五 (伍) wǔ
• 6: 六 (Traditional:陸) liù
• 7: 七 (柒) qī
• 8: 八 (捌) bā
• 9: 九 (玖) jiǔ
• 10: 十 (拾) shí
• 100: 百 (佰) bǎi
• 1,000: 千 (仟) qiān
• 10,000: 万 (萬) wàn (1'0000)
• 100,000: 十万 (萬) shíwàn (10'0000)
• 1,000,000: 一百万 (萬) yībǎi wàn (100'0000)
• 100,000,000: Traditional 一亿 (億) yīyì (1'0000'0000)
• 1,000,000,000,000: 一兆 yīzhào (1'0000'0000'0000)

The symbols in brackets are the complex and formal forms, which are used mainly in notarized, official documents, and when writing checks. An exception is zero; the complex form is much more widely used than a casual circle. The complex forms are known in English as banker's anti-fraud numerals, in Chinese as 大寫 dàxiě (which is the same term for "capital letter"). They are necessary because, since normal Chinese characters are so simple, a forger could easily change 三十 to 五千 with just three strokes. See Standard numbers for more information.

This time I shall start with zero because that is in the Duolingo lessons.

ZERO

Zero visual Chinese writing symbol

Zero, surprisingly, is not simple, like the zero we use, a simple circle, just the opposite, lots of little lines. My memory aid is: I have zero time to learn all those lines! 

Zero sound

The word is ling. You would have to linger longer to learn to write that. But I have zero time. Ting-a-ling, open the cash register. I, the cashier, counted the money and you now owe me zero so I'll open the cash register, ting-a-LING!

ONE to THREE in Chinese Characters - Visuals

One to three or one, two, three.  What a funny pun.

One is easy, one horizontal line. It's like the Roman one, fallen over like a tombstone because it is so old.

Two is similarly two horizontal lines. Like the roman two but sideways.

Three is similarly three horizontal lines. Like the Roman three but sideways.

One to three in Chinese - the sounds.

ee er san

One to three - The Spelling

Yi but a silent y.

Ten looks like a Roman ten which is an X but topped over like a T with a spike on top. think of it as a cross or a plus sign. Plus ten.

Now, where can you test yourself?

USEFUL WEBSITES
https://tinycards.duolingo.com/decks/2JvHmk3/chinese-numbers

Video starting with zero
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ow3SXtz5i4

Author, Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.