How do you count to ten in Chinese?

One to ten is 一 (yī), 二 (èr), 三 (sān), 四 (sì), 五 (wǔ), 六 (liù), 七 (qī), 八 (bā), 九 (jiǔ), 十 (shí).

Why are Chinese numbers easy for kids?

After ten they follow a clear pattern — eleven is 十一 (ten-one) and twenty is 二十 (two-ten) — so children can predict every number up to ninety-nine once they know one to ten.

How do you ask someone's age in Chinese?

Ask 你几岁了? (nǐ jǐ suì le?). A child answers with the number plus 岁 (suì), for example 我三岁 (wǒ sān suì) — I am three.

Chinese Numbers for Kids: Counting 1 to 10 and Beyond

Numbers are one of the first things children learn in any language — and Mandarin is wonderfully logical for counting. Once your child masters one to ten, the system unfolds naturally up to ninety-nine. This guide covers how to teach Chinese numbers through play, song and daily routines, plus simple patterns like asking 'how many' and giving an age.

Chinese numbers 1 to 10

These ten characters are the foundation for everything that follows, so practise them until they're second nature.

Number	Character	Pinyin
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

Fun ways to teach numbers

Try Chinese-style finger counting: the hand gestures for six to ten are different from Western counting and fascinate children — turn it into a game where you call a number and they make the gesture.

Count everything, every day: stairs ('一，二，三!'), snacks ('你有三块饼干' — you have three cookies), and toys at tidy-up time. Hide-and-seek where the seeker counts to ten in Mandarin gives natural, joyful repetition. You can also make up a simple counting chant set to a tune your child already knows.

Numbers 11 to 20: the simple pattern

After ten, Chinese numbers follow a beautifully logical pattern: eleven is 十一 (shí yī), literally 'ten-one', twelve is 十二 ('ten-two'), and so on. Twenty is 二十 (èr shí), 'two-ten'.

Celebrate how clever this is — 'look, eleven is just ten-one!' Children beam with pride when they spot the pattern and realise they can count all the way to ninety-nine on their own.

Number	Character	Pinyin
11	十一	shí yī
12	十二	shí èr
13	十三	shí sān
15	十五	shí wǔ
18	十八	shí bā
20	二十	èr shí

Useful number phrases for daily life

A few question patterns turn numbers into real conversations: 几个? (Jǐ ge? — how many?), as in 你有几个苹果? (Nǐ yǒu jǐ ge píngguǒ? — how many apples do you have?).

Ask 你几岁了? (Nǐ jǐ suì le? — how old are you?) and answer 我三岁 (Wǒ sān suì — I am three). Other handy ones: 几点了? (Jǐ diǎn le? — what time is it?) and 多少钱? (Duōshǎo qián? — how much?).

Frequently asked questions

How do you count to ten in Chinese?: One to ten is 一 (yī), 二 (èr), 三 (sān), 四 (sì), 五 (wǔ), 六 (liù), 七 (qī), 八 (bā), 九 (jiǔ), 十 (shí).
Why are Chinese numbers easy for kids?: After ten they follow a clear pattern — eleven is 十一 (ten-one) and twenty is 二十 (two-ten) — so children can predict every number up to ninety-nine once they know one to ten.
How do you ask someone's age in Chinese?: Ask 你几岁了? (nǐ jǐ suì le?). A child answers with the number plus 岁 (suì), for example 我三岁 (wǒ sān suì) — I am three.