Writing · 写
Chinese number characters
The ten digits are among the simplest characters in the language: seven of them take two strokes or fewer. Here is each one with its stroke count, its traditional form where it has one, and the formal character that replaces it on a cheque.
| Value | Character | Pinyin | Strokes | Traditional | Formal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 零 | líng | 13 | same | 零 |
| 1 | 一 | yī | 1 | same | 壹 |
| 2 | 二 | èr | 2 | same | 贰 |
| 3 | 三 | sān | 3 | same | 叁 |
| 4 | 四 | sì | 5 | same | 肆 |
| 5 | 五 | wǔ | 4 | same | 伍 |
| 6 | 六 | liù | 4 | same | 陆 |
| 7 | 七 | qī | 2 | same | 柒 |
| 8 | 八 | bā | 2 | same | 捌 |
| 9 | 九 | jiǔ | 2 | same | 玖 |
| 10 | 十 | shí | 2 | same | 拾 |
| 100 | 百 | bǎi | 6 | same | 佰 |
| 1,000 | 千 | qiān | 3 | same | 仟 |
| 10,000 | 万 | wàn | 3 | 萬 | 万 |
| 100,000,000 | 亿 | yì | 3 | 億 | 亿 |
| 2 (of) | 两 | liǎng | 7 | 兩 | none |
Stroke order in four rules
- Horizontal before vertical: 十, and the horizontal of 千 before its vertical.
- Top to bottom: the strokes of 二 and 三 from the top line down.
- Left-falling before right-falling: the left stroke of 八 before the right.
- Outside before inside, close last: the frame of 四 is opened, filled, then closed with its bottom stroke.
The character for zero, 零, is the outlier at thirteen strokes: the rain radical 雨 on top of 令. That is one reason the circle 〇 and the figure 0 are written so often; the zero page says when each belongs.
Formal numbers: 壹 贰 叁
China's standard on numerals in print, GB/T 15835-2011, lists the formal characters (§5.2.4) and requires them on legal documents and financial receipts. They exist because the everyday ones are easy to alter: one stroke turns 一 into 二 or 十, and two turn it into 三. The standard's own examples:
| Amount | Everyday | Formal |
|---|---|---|
| 3,504 yuan | 三千五百零四元 | 叁仟伍佰零肆圆 |
| 39,148 yuan | 三万九千一百四十八元 | 叁万玖仟壹佰肆拾捌圆 |
| 35.5 yuan | 三十五元五角 | 叁拾伍圆伍角 |
Note how the formal style writes ten as 拾 with its one in front where the everyday style would not (壹佰肆拾捌), and uses 圆 for the yuan where everyday writing has 元. Pupils meet these on bank forms and receipts, not in counting.
Questions from learners and teachers
What are the formal Chinese numbers used on cheques?
壹 贰 叁 肆 伍 陆 柒 捌 玖 拾 for one to ten, with 佰 and 仟 for hundred and thousand. China’s national standard on numerals (GB/T 15835-2011, §5.2.4) requires them on legal documents and financial receipts: 3,504 yuan is written 叁仟伍佰零肆圆. The everyday characters 一, 二 and 三 can be turned into one another, or into 十, with a single extra stroke, which the formal forms make much harder.
Are traditional Chinese numbers different?
Mostly not. 零 to 十, 百 and 千 are written the same in simplified and traditional characters. Three differ: 万 is 萬, 亿 is 億 and 两 is 兩 in traditional characters, as used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Pronunciation in Mandarin is the same.
What is the stroke order for 十?
The horizontal stroke first, then the vertical one through it. "Horizontal before vertical" is one of the basic stroke-order rules, alongside top to bottom (三), left to right, and the left-falling stroke before the right-falling one (八).
Can I write numbers in Chinese with ordinary digits?
Yes, and most everyday Chinese text does: prices, dates and statistics are usually in Arabic figures. The national standard asks for figures where a number should be quick to read, and characters where the writing is formal or solemn, and for approximate numbers such as 三五天 (three or five days). Mixing them inside one number, such as 1百零8, is not allowed; 108 is written 108 or 一百零八.