Chinese numbers, dates and time
Chinese numbers are regular: 十一 is 'ten one', 二十 'two ten'. Dates and times go from big to small, and before the verb.
The essentials
- 二 and 两: 两 before a measure word (两个), 二 when counting and in numbers (十二).
- Dates: year, month, day: 十月十八号, 星期一. Time: 八点半.
- How long goes after the verb: 我等了二十分钟.
- Big numbers count in ten-thousands: 一万 (10,000), 十万 (100,000), 一亿 (100 million).
Every lesson on this topic
Each lesson has a full explanation, examples in characters and pinyin you can listen to, and exercises with answers.
A0 (the A0 course)
- Numbers 0–99 and your age: Numbers 0–99; 二 and 两; ages with 岁
A1 (the A1 course)
- Days, dates and clock time: 星期一, 十月十八号, 八点半: big to small, and before the verb.
A2 (the A2 course)
- How long: 学了两年, 等了半个小时: How long something lasts goes after the verb: 我等了二十分钟. With an object, repeat the verb.
B1 (the B1 course)
- Big numbers: 万, 亿, 百分之, and estimates: Count in ten-thousands (万) and hundred-millions (亿); say percentages with 百分之; estimate with 左右, 多, 几 and 来.
B2 (the B2 course)
- Talking about data: 倍, 分之, 百分点, 增长, 达到, 约, 将近: Times, fractions, percentages and percentage points; growth by and to; about and nearly.
In the app, these lessons are taught one idea at a time with audio, practised with questions you can answer in characters or pinyin, and brought back for review.
Other topics
- 了 (le) in Chinese, explained
- 的, 地 and 得: the three de
- Chinese measure words
- The 把 (bǎ) sentence, explained
- 被 (bèi) and the passive in Chinese
- 是…的 (shì…de): when, where and how
- Comparisons with 比 (bǐ)
- 过 (guò) and 着 (zhe): experience and ongoing states
- Chinese complements: result, direction and potential
- Questions in Chinese: 吗, question words and particles
- 不 (bù) or 没 (méi): negation in Chinese
- Chinese conjunctions: because, although, if
- Chengyu: Chinese four-character idioms
- Chinese tones and pinyin