💡 Essential Tips for Travelers
1. 二 vs 两 — don't mix these up!
Use 二 èr for counting and numbers (phone numbers, prices). Use 两 liǎng when saying "two of something" with measure words — like 两个人 (two people) or 两百 (two hundred).
2. Chinese counts by 10,000, not 1,000
万 wàn = 10,000. So 20,000 is 两万 liǎng wàn (two ten-thousands), not "twenty thousand." This trips up every beginner!
3. Lucky & unlucky numbers
8 = lucky (sounds like 发财 fā cái = wealth). 4 = unlucky (sounds like 死 sǐ = death). You'll see prices ending in 8 everywhere ($88, $888) and buildings skipping 4th floor.
4. When bargaining
Shopkeepers may type numbers into a calculator instead of speaking. Always ask 便宜一点 piányi yīdiǎn = "cheaper, please?"
How do you count 1-10 in Chinese?
1=一(yī), 2=二(èr), 3=三(sān), 4=四(sì), 5=五(wǔ), 6=六(liù), 7=七(qī), 8=八(bā), 9=九(jiǔ), 10=十(shí). The numbers 1-3 are simple horizontal strokes — 一, 二, 三 — making them easy to remember.
What is the difference between 二 (èr) and 两 (liǎng)?
二(èr) is used in counting, phone numbers, and math. 两(liǎng) means "two of something" and is always paired with a measure word (个, 百, 千, 万). For example: 二号(èr hào) = number 2, but 两个人(liǎng ge rén) = two people.
How do you say 100, 1000, and beyond?
100 = 一百(yì bǎi), 1,000 = 一千(yì qiān), 10,000 = 一万(yí wàn), 100,000,000 = 一亿(yí yì). Chinese uses four-digit groupings instead of three: 12,345 = 一万二千三百四十五 (one ten-thousand + two thousand + three hundred + four tens + five).
Why is 8 lucky and 4 unlucky in Chinese?
8 (八 bā) sounds similar to 发 (fā) as in 发财 (fā cái, "get rich"), so it's the luckiest number. 4 (四 sì) sounds like 死 (sǐ, "death"), so it's avoided — many buildings don't have a 4th floor, similar to how 13 is skipped in Western countries.
How do I ask "how much" in Chinese?
多少钱？(duōshao qián?) = "How much money?" This is the #1 essential phrase for shopping in China. Shopkeepers will often type the price into a calculator to show you, avoiding language barriers entirely.