The numbers 1 through 10
- 一 (yī) — ㄧ — one
- 二 (èr) — ㄦˋ — two
- 三 (sān) — ㄙㄢ — three
- 四 (sì) — ㄙˋ — four
- 五 (wǔ) — ㄨˇ — five
- 六 (liù) — ㄌㄧㄡˋ — six
- 七 (qī) — ㄑㄧ — seven
- 八 (bā) — ㄅㄚ — eight
- 九 (jiǔ) — ㄐㄧㄡˇ — nine
- 十 (shí) — ㄕˊ — ten
These characters and pronunciations are identical in Taiwan and mainland China — one of the few places where there's genuinely nothing to learn twice, unlike the vocabulary and accent differences covered in Taiwanese Mandarin vs. Mainland Mandarin. If the pinyin tone marks are new to you, our beginner's guide to Chinese tones explains how to read them, and how to learn Zhuyin covers the symbols shown alongside each number above.
The one rule worth knowing: 一 (yī) changes
Said on its own, or at the end of a number, 一 is yī (first tone) — flat and level. But in front of another word, it shifts depending on what follows:
- Before a fourth-tone word, it becomes yí (second tone) — 一定 (yídìng, "definitely").
- Before a first-, second-, or third-tone word, it becomes yì (fourth tone) — 一天 (yìtiān, "one day").
This isn't optional flair — it's a real, mandatory pronunciation rule that native speakers apply automatically, and it's worth knowing early since 一 shows up constantly.
Counting past ten
Once 1-10 are solid, the pattern for 11-99 is almost entirely predictable:
- 11-19: 十 (ten) plus the digit — 十一 (shíyī, 11), 十二 (shí'èr, 12), continuing the same way through 十九 (shíjiǔ, 19).
- Multiples of ten: the digit plus 十 — 二十 (èrshí, 20), 三十 (sānshí, 30), and so on to 九十 (jiǔshí, 90).
- Everything in between: multiple-of-ten plus digit — 二十一 (èrshíyī, 21), 四十五 (sìshíwǔ, 45).
No new characters, no new rules — just the same ten building blocks recombined.
Where numbers actually come up
Beyond counting itself, numbers are load-bearing vocabulary in Taiwan specifically — ordering at a night market, asking 多少錢 (duō shǎo qián, "how much"), or the bubble-tea sugar-and-ice combos in our essential Taiwanese Mandarin phrases guide all depend on them. For the full path from zero, see our complete beginner's guide to learning Chinese, or the FAQ for more on how CiaoSpeak works.
Frequently asked questions
How do you count to 10 in Mandarin?
一 (yī), 二 (èr), 三 (sān), 四 (sì), 五 (wǔ), 六 (liù), 七 (qī), 八 (bā), 九 (jiǔ), 十 (shí).
Does 一 (yī, "one") change pronunciation?
Yes. Said alone or at the end of a number, it's yī (first tone). Before a fourth-tone word it becomes yí (second tone). Before a first-, second-, or third-tone word it becomes yì (fourth tone). This is a real, mandatory rule, not an optional accent quirk.
Are Chinese numbers different in Taiwan than on the mainland?
No — 一 through 十 are written and pronounced identically in Taiwan and mainland China. This is one of the few areas where there's genuinely no difference to learn twice.
How do you count past 10 in Mandarin?
Once you know 1-10, the pattern is mostly automatic: 11 is 十一 (shíyī, "ten-one"), 12 is 十二 (shí'èr), and so on through 19. 20 is 二十 (èrshí, "two-ten"), 21 is 二十一 (èrshíyī), continuing the same pattern up to 99.