Editing Chinese numerals (section)

== Reading and transcribing numbers ==

=== Whole numbers ===
Multiple-digit numbers are constructed using a multiplicative principle; first the digit itself (from 1 to 9), then the place (such as 10 or 100); then the next digit.

In Mandarin, the multiplier {{Lang-zh|c={{linktext|兩}}|s=|t=|p=|labels=no}} (''liǎng'') is often used rather than {{zhi|c=二|p=èr}} for all numbers 200 and greater with the "2" numeral (although as noted earlier this varies from dialect to dialect and person to person). Use of both {{zhi|c=兩|p=liǎng}} or {{zhi|c=二|p=èr}} are acceptable for the number 200. When writing in the Cantonese dialect, {{zhi|c=二|j=yi<sup>6</sup>}} is used to represent the "2" numeral for all numbers. In the [[Min Nan|southern Min]] dialect of Chaozhou ([[Teochew dialect|Teochew]]), {{zhi|c=兩}} (''no<sup>6</sup>'') is used to represent the "2" numeral in all numbers from 200 onwards. Thus:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan=2 | Number
! rowspan=2 | Structure
! colspan=4 | Characters
|-
! [[Standard Mandarin|Mandarin]]
! [[Standard Cantonese|Cantonese]]
! [[Chaozhou dialect|Chaozhou]]
!| [[Shanghainese]]
|-
| 60 || [6] [10] || {{zhi|c=六十}} || {{zhi|c=六十}} || {{zhi|c=六十}} || {{zhi|c=六十}}
|-
| 20 || [2] [10] or [20] || {{zhi|c=二十}} || {{zhi|c=二十}} or {{zhi|c=廿}} || {{zhi|c=二十}} || {{zhi|c=廿}}
|-
| 200 || [2] (èr or liǎng) [100] || {{zhi|c=二百}} or {{zhi|c=兩百}} || {{zhi|c=二百}} or {{zhi|c=兩百}} || {{zhi|c=兩百}} || {{zhi|c=兩百}}
|-
| 2000 || [2] (èr or liǎng) [1000] ||  {{zhi|c=二千}} or {{zhi|c=兩千}} || {{zhi|c=二千}} or {{zhi|c=兩千}} || {{zhi|c=兩千}} || {{zhi|c=兩千}}
|-
| 45 || [4] [10] [5] || {{zhi|c=四十五}} || {{zhi|c=四十五}} or {{zhi|c=卌五}} || {{zhi|c=四十五}} || {{zhi|c=四十五}}
|-
| 2,362 || [2] [1000] [3] [100] [6] [10] [2] || {{zhi|c=兩千三百六十二}} || {{zhi|c=二千三百六十二}} || {{zhi|c=兩千三百六十二}} || {{zhi|c=兩千三百六十二}}
|}

For the numbers 11 through 19, the leading 'one' ({{lang-zh|c={{linktext|一}}|s=|t=|p=yī|labels=no}}) is usually omitted. In some dialects, like Shanghainese, when there are only two significant digits in the number, the leading 'one' and the trailing zeroes are omitted. Sometimes, the one before "ten" in the middle of a number, such as 213, is omitted. Thus:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan=2 | Number
! colspan=2 | Strict Putonghua
! colspan=2 | Colloquial or dialect usage
|-
! Structure
! Characters
! Structure
! Characters
|-
| 14 || [10] [4] || {{zhi|c=十四}} ||  ||
|-
| 12000 || [1] [10000] [2] [1000] || {{zhi|c=一萬兩千}} || [1] [10000] [2] || {{zhi|c=一萬二}} or {{zhi|c=萬二}}
|-
| 114 || [1] [100] [1] [10] [4] || {{zhi|c=一百一十四}} || [1] [100] [10] [4] || {{zhi|c=一百十四}}
|-
| 1158 || [1] [1000] [1] [100] [5] [10] [8]|| {{zhi|c=一千一百五十八}} ||
|}

Notes:
# Nothing is ever omitted in large and more complicated numbers such as this.

In certain older texts like the Protestant Bible, or in poetic usage, numbers such as 114 may be ''written'' as [100] [10] [4] ({{zhi|c=百十四}}).

Outside of Taiwan, digits are sometimes grouped by [[myriad]]s instead of thousands. Hence it is more convenient to think of numbers here as in groups of four, thus 1,234,567,890 is regrouped here as 12,3456,7890. Larger than a myriad, each number is therefore four zeroes longer than the one before it, thus 10000 × {{zhi|p=wàn|t=萬}} = {{zhi|p=yì|t=億}}. If one of the numbers is between 10 and 19, the leading 'one' is omitted as per the above point. Hence (numbers in parentheses indicate that the number has been written as one number rather than expanded):
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Number
! Structure
! Taiwan
! Mainland China
|-
| 12,345,678,902,345 (12,3456,7890,2345) || (12) [1,0000,0000,0000] (3456) [1,0000,0000] (7890) [1,0000] (2345) || {{zhi|c=十二兆三千四百五十六億七千八百九十萬兩千三百四十五}} || {{zhi|c=十二兆三千四百五十六亿七千八百九十万二千三百四十五}}
|}

In Taiwan, pure Arabic numerals are officially always and only grouped by thousands.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.stat.gov.tw/mp.asp?mp=4|script-title=zh:中華民國統計資訊網(專業人士)|website=中華民國統計資訊網|language=zh|access-date=31 July 2016|archive-date=5 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805115259/http://www.stat.gov.tw/mp.asp?mp=4|url-status=live}}</ref> Unofficially, they are often not grouped, particularly for numbers below 100,000. Mixed Arabic-Chinese numerals are often used in order to denote myriads. This is used both officially and unofficially, and come in a variety of styles:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Number
! Structure
! Mixed numerals
|-
| 12,345,000 || (1234) [1,0000] (5) [1000] || 1,234萬5千<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.stat.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=39923&ctNode=2291|script-title=zh:中華民國統計資訊網(專業人士)|publisher=中華民國統計資訊網|language=zh|access-date=31 July 2016|archive-date=28 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828144750/http://www.stat.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=39923&ctNode=2291|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|123,450,000
|(1) [1,0000,0000] (2345) [1,0000]
|{{zhi|c=1億2345萬}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cna.com.tw/news/asoc/201607310205-1.aspx|title=石化氣爆 高市府代位求償訴訟中|website=中央社即時新聞 CNA NEWS|date=31 July 2016 |access-date=31 July 2016|archive-date=1 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801202022/http://www2.cna.com.tw/news/asoc/201607310205-1.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|12,345
|(1) [1,0000] (2345)
|{{zhi|c=1萬2345}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cna.com.tw/news/aspt/201607300304-1.aspx|title=陳子豪雙響砲 兄弟連2天轟猿動紫趴|website=中央社即時新聞 CNA NEWS|date=30 July 2016 |access-date=31 July 2016|archive-date=31 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731200037/http://www2.cna.com.tw/news/aspt/201607300304-1.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>
|}

Interior zeroes before the unit position (as in 1002) must be spelt explicitly. The reason for this is that trailing zeroes (as in 1200) are often omitted as shorthand, so ambiguity occurs. One zero is sufficient to resolve the ambiguity. Where the zero is before a digit other than the units digit, the explicit zero is not ambiguous and is therefore optional, but preferred. Thus:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Number
! Structure
! Characters
|-
| 205 || [2] [100] [0] [5] || {{zhi|c=二百零五}}
|-
| 100,004(10,0004) || [10] [10,000] [0] [4] || {{zhi|c=十萬零四}}
|-
| 10,050,026(1005,0026) || (1005) [10,000] (026) or (1005) [10,000] (26) || {{zhi|c=一千零五萬零二十六}} or {{zhi|c=一千零五萬二十六}}
|}

===Fractional values===
To construct a fraction, the [[denominator]] is written first, followed by {{zhi|c=分|p=fēn|l=part}}, then the literary possessive particle {{zhi|c=之|p=zhī|l=of this}}, and lastly the [[numerator]]. This is the opposite of how fractions are read in English, which is numerator first. Each half of the fraction is written the same as a whole number. For example, to express "two thirds", the structure "three parts of-this two" is used. [[Mixed number]]s are written with the whole-number part first, followed by {{zhi|c=又|p=yòu|l=and}}, then the fractional part.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Fraction
! Structure
|-
| {{fraction|2|3}}
| {{fs interlinear|lang=zh|glossing3=no|{{zhi|c=三}} {{zhi|c=分}} {{zhi|c=之}} {{zhi|c=二}}|sān fēn zhī èr|3 parts {of this} 2|}}
|-
| {{fraction|15|32}}
| {{fs interlinear|lang=zh|glossing3=no|{{zhi|c=三}} {{zhi|c=十}} {{zhi|c=二}} {{zhi|c=分}} {{zhi|c=之}} {{zhi|c=十}} {{zhi|c=五}}|sān shí èr fēn zhī shí wǔ|3 10 2 parts {of this} 10 5|}}
|-
| {{fraction|1|3000}}
| {{fs interlinear|lang=zh|glossing3=no|{{zhi|c=三}} {{zhi|c=千}} {{zhi|c=分}} {{zhi|c=之}} {{zhi|c=一}}|sān qiān fēn zhī yī|3 1000 parts {of this} 1|}}
|-
| {{fraction|3|5|6}}
| {{fs interlinear|lang=zh|glossing3=no|{{zhi|c=三}} {{zhi|c=又}} {{zhi|c=六}} {{zhi|c=分}} {{zhi|c=之}} {{zhi|c=五}}|sān yòu liù fēn zhī wǔ|3 and 6 parts {of this} 5|}}
|}

Percentages are constructed similarly, using {{zhi|c=百|p=bǎi|l=100}} as the denominator. (The number 100 is typically expressed as {{zhi|c=一百|p=yībǎi|l=one hundred}}, like the English 'one hundred'. However, for percentages, {{zhi|c=百}} is used on its own.)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Percentage
! Structure
|-
| 25%
| {{fs interlinear|lang=zh|glossing3=no|{{zhi|c=百}} {{zhi|c=分}} {{zhi|c=之}} {{zhi|c=二}} {{zhi|c=十}} {{zhi|c=五}}|bǎi fēn zhī èr shí wǔ||100 parts {of this} 2 10 5|}}
|-
| 110%
| {{fs interlinear|lang=zh|glossing3=no|{{zhi|c=百}} {{zhi|c=分}} {{zhi|c=之}} {{zhi|c=一}} {{zhi|c=百}} {{zhi|c=一}} {{zhi|c=十}}|bǎi fēn zhī yī bǎi yī shí|100 parts {of this} 1 100 1 10|}}
|}

Because percentages and other fractions are formulated the same, Chinese are more likely than not to express 10%, 20% etc. as 'parts of 10' (or {{frac|1|10}}, {{frac|2|10}}, etc. i.e. {{lang|zh|十分之一}}; {{Transliteration|zh|shí fēnzhī yī}}, {{lang|zh|十分之二}}; {{Transliteration|zh|shí fēnzhī èr}}, etc.) rather than "parts of 100" (or {{frac|10|100}}, {{frac|20|100}}, etc. i.e. {{lang|zh|百分之十}}; {{Transliteration|zh|bǎi fēnzhī shí}}, {{lang|zh|百分之二十}}; {{Transliteration|zh|bǎi fēnzhī èrshí}}, etc.)

In Taiwan, the most common formation of percentages in the spoken language is the number per hundred followed by the word {{zhi|c=趴|p=pā}}, a contraction of the Japanese {{lang|ja|パーセント}}; {{Transliteration|ja|pāsento}}, itself taken from 'percent'. Thus 25% is {{lang|zh|二十五趴}}; {{Transliteration|zh|èrshíwǔ pā}}.{{refn|group=nb|This usage can also be found in written sources, such as in the headline of [https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/20120430/MN6UXGIJZ5OK4LQDCW2B36URXA/ this article] (while the text uses "%") and throughout [https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/PID0001/231843/web/index.html#4L-4111098L this article.]}}

Decimal numbers are constructed by first writing the whole number part, then inserting a point ({{zhi|t=點|s=点|p=diǎn}}), and finally the fractional part. The fractional part is expressed using only the numbers for 0 to 9, similarly to English.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Decimal expression
! Structure
|-
| 16.98
| {{fs interlinear|lang=zh|glossing3=no|{{zhi|c=十}} {{zhi|c=六}} {{zhi|c=點}} {{zhi|c=九}} {{zhi|c=八}}|shí liù diǎn jiǔ bā|10 6 point 9 8|}}
|-
| 12345.6789
| {{fs interlinear|lang=zh|glossing3=no|{{zhi|c=一}} {{zhi|c=萬}} {{zhi|c=兩}} {{zhi|c=千}} {{zhi|c=三}} {{zhi|c=百}} {{zhi|c=四}} {{zhi|c=十}} {{zhi|c=五}} {{zhi|c=點}} {{zhi|c=六}} {{zhi|c=七}} {{zhi|c=八}} {{zhi|c=九}}|yī wàn liǎng qiān sān bǎi sì shí wǔ diǎn liù qī bā jiǔ|1 10000 2 1000 3 100 4 10 5 point 6 7 8 9|}}
|-
| 75.4025
| {{fs interlinear|lang=zh|italics2=no|italics3=yes|glossing4=no|七 {{zhi|c=十}} {{zhi|c=五}} {{zhi|c=點}} {{zhi|c=四}} {{zhi|c=〇}} {{zhi|c=二}} {{zhi|c=五}}|{{zhi|c=七}} {{zhi|c=十}} {{zhi|c=五}} {{zhi|c=點}} {{zhi|c=四}} {{zhi|c=零}} {{zhi|c=二}} {{zhi|c=五}}|qī shí wǔ diǎn sì líng èr wǔ|7 10 5 point 4 0 2 5|}}
|-
| 0.1
| {{fs interlinear|lang=zh|glossing3=no|{{zhi|c=零}} {{zhi|c=點}} {{zhi|c=一}}|líng diǎn yī|0 point 1|}}
|}

{{zhi|c=半|p=bàn|l=half}} functions as a number and therefore requires a [[Chinese measure word|measure word]]. For example: {{zhi|c=半杯水|p=bàn bēi shuǐ|labels=no|l=half a glass of water}}.

===Ordinal numbers===
Ordinal numbers are formed by adding {{zhi|c=第|p=dì|l=sequence}} before the number.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Ordinal
! Structure
|-
| 1st
| {{fs interlinear|lang=zh|glossing3=no|第 一|dì yī|sequence 1|}}
|-
| 2nd
| {{fs interlinear|lang=zh|glossing3=no|第 二|dì èr|sequence 2|}}
|-
| 82nd
| {{fs interlinear|lang=zh|glossing3=no|第 {{zhi|c=八}} {{zhi|c=十}} 二|dì bā shí èr|sequence 8 10 2|}}
|}
The [[Heavenly Stems]] are a traditional Chinese ordinal system.

===Negative numbers===
Negative numbers are formed by adding  {{zhi|s=负|t=負|p=fù}} before the number.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Number
! Structure
|-
| −1158
| {{fs interlinear|lang=zh|glossing3=no|負 {{zhi|c=一}} {{zhi|c=千}} {{zhi|c=一}} {{zhi|c=百}} {{zhi|c=五}} {{zhi|c=十}} 八|fù yī qiān yī bǎi wǔ shí bā|negative 1 1000 1 100 5 10 8|}}
|-
| {{frac|−3|5|6}}
| {{fs interlinear|lang=zh|glossing3=no|負 {{zhi|c=三}} {{zhi|c=又}} {{zhi|c=六}} {{zhi|c=分}} {{zhi|c=之}} 五|fù sān yòu liù fēn zhī wǔ|negative 3 and 6 parts {of this} 5|}}
|-
| −75.4025
| {{fs interlinear|lang=zh|glossing3=no|負 {{zhi|c=七}} {{zhi|c=十}} {{zhi|c=五}} {{zhi|c=點}} {{zhi|c=四}} {{zhi|c=零}} {{zhi|c=二}} 五|fù qī shí wǔ diǎn sì líng èr wǔ|negative 7 10 5 point 4 0 2 5|}}
|}

===Usage===<!--This section is linked from [[Dates in Chinese]] -->
{{See also|Chinese classifier|Chinese calendar|label 1=Chinese measure words (classifiers)}}
[[Chinese grammar]] requires the use of [[classifier (linguistics)|classifier]]s (measure words) when a numeral is used together with a noun to express a quantity. For example, "three people" is expressed as {{Lang-zh|c=|s=三{{linktext|个|人}}|t=三{{linktext|個|人}}|labels=no|p=sān ge rén}}, "three ({{Lang-zh|c=|s=|t=|p=ge|labels=no}} particle) person", where {{Lang-zh|c=|s=个|labels=no}}/{{Lang-zh|c=|labels=no|t=個|p=}} ''{{Lang-zh|c=|s=|t=|p=ge|labels=no}}'' is a [[Classifier (linguistics)|classifier]]. There exist many [[List of Chinese classifiers|different classifiers]], for use with different sets of nouns, although {{Lang-zh|c=|s=个|labels=no}}/{{Lang-zh|c=|labels=no|t=個|p=}} is the most common, and may be used informally in place of other classifiers.

Chinese uses [[cardinal number]]s in certain situations in which English would use [[Ordinal number|ordinals]]. For example, {{Lang-zh|c=三楼/三樓|s=|t=|p=sān lóu|labels=no}} (literally "three [[Storey|story/storey]]") means "third floor" ("second floor" in British {{Section link|Storey|Numbering|nopage=y}}). Likewise, {{Lang-zh|p=èrshí yī shìjì|labels=no|c=二十一世纪/二十一世紀}} (literally "twenty-one century") is used for "21st century".<ref>Yip, Po-Ching; Rimmington, Don, ''Chinese: A Comprehensive Grammar'', Routledge, 2004, p. 12.</ref>

Numbers of years are commonly spoken as a sequence of digits, as in {{Lang-zh|p=èr líng líng yī|labels=no|c=二零零一|s=|t=}} ("two zero zero one") for the year 2001.<ref>Yip, Po-Ching; Rimmington, Don, ''Chinese: A Comprehensive Grammar'', Routledge, 2004, p. 13.</ref> Names of months and days (in the Western system) are also expressed using numbers: {{Lang-zh|p=yīyuè|labels=no|c=一{{linktext|月}}|s=|t=}} ("one month") for January, etc.; and {{Lang-zh|p=xīngqīyī|labels=no|c={{linktext|星期}}一|s=|t=}} ("week one") for Monday, etc. There is only one exception: Sunday is {{Lang-zh|p=xīngqīrì|labels=no|c={{linktext|星期日}}|s=|t=}}, or informally {{Lang-zh|p=xīngqītiān|labels=no|c={{linktext|星期天}}|s=|t=}}, both literally "week day". When meaning "week", "{{Lang-zh|labels=no|c=星期|s=|t=}}" {{Lang-zh|labels=no|s=|t=|p=xīngqī}} and "{{Lang-zh|labels=no|c=|s=礼拜|t=禮拜|p=|first=t}}" {{Lang-zh|labels=no|s=|t=|p=lǐbài|c=}} are interchangeable. "{{Lang-zh|labels=no|c=禮拜天|p=|s=|t=}}" {{Lang-zh|labels=no|s=|t=|p=lǐbàitiān|c=}} or "{{Lang-zh|labels=no|c=禮拜日|p=|s=|t=}}" {{Lang-zh|labels=no|s=|t=|p=lǐbàirì|c=}} means "day of worship". [[Chinese Catholics]] call Sunday "{{Lang-zh|labels=no|c={{linktext|主日}}|s=|t=}}" ''{{Lang-zh|labels=no|s=|t=|p=zhǔrì|c=}}'', "Lord's day".<ref>{{cite web |url-status=live |title=Days of the Week in Chinese: Three Different Words for 'Week' |website=Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Mongolian Language Site |url=http://www.cjvlang.com/Dow/dowchin.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306144613/http://www.cjvlang.com/Dow/dowchin.html |archive-date=2016-03-06 }}</ref>

Full dates are usually written in the format 2001年1月20日 for January 20, 2001 (using {{Lang-zh|p=nián|labels=no|c={{linktext|年}}|s=|t=}} "year", {{Lang-zh|p=yuè|labels=no|c={{linktext|月}}|s=|t=}} "month", and {{Lang-zh|p=rì|labels=no|c={{linktext|日}}|s=|t=}} "day") – all the numbers are read as cardinals, not ordinals, with no leading zeroes, and the year is read as a sequence of digits. For brevity the {{Lang-zh|labels=no|s=|t=|p=nián|c=}}, {{Lang-zh|labels=no|s=|t=|p=yuè|c=}} and {{Lang-zh|labels=no|s=|t=|p=rì|c=}} may be dropped to give a date composed of just numbers. For example "6-4" in Chinese is "six-four", short for "month six, day four" i.e. June Fourth, a common Chinese shorthand for the [[1989 Tiananmen Square protests]] (because of the violence that occurred on June 4). For another example 67, in Chinese is sixty seven, short for year nineteen sixty seven, a common Chinese shorthand for the [[Hong Kong 1967 leftist riots]].