To learn Chinese for kids, “numbers” is a fundamental topic that every child has to learn. This article will help your child learn how to say numbers in Chinese. You can guide your toddler through counting games and fun number activities.
Here are the Chinese words for numbers 0-10:
0-10:
0 – Zero 零 (líng)
1 – One 一 (yī)
2 – Two 二 (èr)
3 – Three 三 (sān)
4 – Four 四 (sì)
5 – Five 五 (wǔ)
6 – Six 六 (liù)
7 – Seven 七 (qī)
8 – Eight 八 (bā)
9 – Nine 九 (jiǔ)
10 – Ten 十 (shí)
Start with numbers 1-5, then 6-9, and then zero should be last since that number can be complicated for young kids to understand.. Your child can count toys, small food like raisins, cookies, chips, or crackers, or they can draw pictures of people, animals, or simple shapes and practice counting them. First, model how to count by counting the toys, food, or pictures in Chinese and then encourage your child to repeat them to learn to speak Chinese.
Cooking is a fun way to teach your child how to count in Chinese. Have your child help you make a food they really like that is easy to cook. You can try making sandwiches, salad, fruit salad, or pancakes and encourage your child to help count the ingredients before pouring and mixing.
Add numbers to your child’s playtime by having them count whatever toys they’re playing with. Get flashcards, or make your own with markers and small pieces of paper. Write the numbers in Chinese and have your child count objects that match the numbers. For example, if the flashcard says “1,”your child puts one toy on the flashcard. If the card says “2,” then your child puts two toys on the flashcard and so on.
As soon as your child can count to 10 in Chinese, they are ready to learn to speak Chinese for the next set of numbers.:
11 – Eleven 十一 (shí yī)
12 – Twelve 十二 (shí èr)
13 – Thirteen 十三 (shí sān)
14 – Fourteen 十四 (shí sì)
15 – Fifteen 十五 (shí wǔ)
16 – Sixteen 十六 (shí liù)
17 – Seventeen 十七 (shí qī)
18 – Eighteen 十八 (shí bā)
19 – Nineteen 十九 (shí jiǔ)
20 – Twenty 二十 (èr shí）
Another fun way to teach your child numbers in Chinese is with sensory play. Get some empty plastic bottles in different sizes and have your child fill the bottles up with dried beans, dried pasta, or pom pom balls. This will not only help your child learn to count in Chinese but will help them to learn to speak Chinese as well.
Here are numbers 20-100 in Chinese:
20 – Twenty 二十 (èr shí)
21 – Twenty-one 二十一 (èr shí yī)
22 – Twenty-two 二十二 (èr shí èr)
23 – Twenty-three 二十三 (èr shí sān)
24 – Twenty-four 二十四 (èr shí sì)
25 – Twenty-five 二十五 (èr shí wǔ)
26 – Twenty-six 二十六 (èr shí liù)
27 – Twenty-seven 二十七 (èr shí qī)
28 – Twenty-eight 二十八 (èr shí bā)
29 – Twenty-nine 二十九 (èr shí jiǔ)
30 – Thirty 三十 (sān shí)
40 – Forty 四十 (sì shí)
50 – Fifty 五十 (wǔ shí)
60 – Sixty 六十 (liù shí)
70 – Seventy 七十 (qī shí)
80 – Eighty 八十 (bā shí)
90 – Ninety 九十 (jiǔ shí)
100 – One hundred 一百 (yī bǎi)
Younger children do not need to know to count to 100 since this is a very advanced skill. The main thing is for your child to be able to count to 10 and enjoy counting in Chinese with the different activities that we have recommended. Remember, children learn Chinese the best through play so the more fun the activity, the easier it will be for them to learn something new! Enjoy!
To learn to say Hello in Chinese or more about numbers in Chinese in Chinese for kids, you can download the Galaxy Kids app – the best Chinese learning app for kids!
