Wednesday, June 12, 2019

How To Learn Chinese Numbers

Where can you see Chinese numbers?
Flag of China.


In China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore.
Flag of Singapore.

But also in Japan which uses the same symbols.

Japanese flag.

Plus of course in Chinese restaurants worldwide. Such as in the USA.




And in the UK.









And websites.

The Chinese numbers one to three and ten are easy, just like the Roman numerals but turned sideways.

The Roman numersals one to three are 1 11 111. Ten is X.

Chinese one is a horizontal line.
Chinese two is two horizontal lines, one above the other.
Chinese three is three horizontal lines.

Chinese ten is like a cross or plus sign. +

You can now read 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13.

How often will you see these if you don't know anything else? Surprisingly often. Look at the sign on a dooway or website giving the opening hours or dates of an event in English and you can see the equivalent in the Chinese.

Sometimes you see only the Chinese. If it's lunchtime and the sign is about opening or closing times and the times. If it is the first three days of the month, you can recognize the date. If you have a 24 hour clock you can read some signs.

Now that you have learned several easy numbers, you might have the confidence to learn some more and be interested in doing so.

Useful Websites
Free Chinese course on the internet
Duolingo.com
singaporeairlines.com
https://holidays.singaporeair.com/en-uk/





Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

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