{"id":1957,"date":"2024-10-21T18:41:36","date_gmt":"2024-10-21T16:41:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hackingchinese.com\/?p=1957"},"modified":"2024-10-21T18:40:34","modified_gmt":"2024-10-21T16:40:34","slug":"do-you-really-know-how-to-count-in-chinese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hackingchinese.com\/do-you-really-know-how-to-count-in-chinese\/","title":{"rendered":"Do you really know how to count in Chinese?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hackingchinese.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/numbers.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1999 alignright\" title=\"Numbers\" src=\"http:\/\/www.hackingchinese.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/numbers-300x218.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"218\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex-shrink-0 flex flex-col relative items-end\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"pt-0\">\n<div class=\"gizmo-bot-avatar flex h-8 w-8 items-center justify-center overflow-hidden rounded-full\">\n<div class=\"relative p-1 rounded-sm flex items-center justify-center bg-token-main-surface-primary text-token-text-primary h-8 w-8\">Counting is one of the first things we learn in a foreign language, yet mastering it takes time. While basic numbers may seem simple, using them effectively in communication requires much more than just memorizing words.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Even intermediate and sometimes advanced students struggle with counting in Chinese. What exactly do I mean by that, and how can you really learn to count in Mandarin?<\/p>\n<p><em>Tune in to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hackingchinese.com\/podcast\/\">the Hacking Chinese Podcast<\/a> to listen to the related episode (#220):<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/podcasters.spotify.com\/pod\/show\/hackingchinese\/embed\/episodes\/220---Do-you-really-know-how-to-count-in-Chinese-e2pv2dj\" width=\"400px\" height=\"102px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\nAvailable on <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/hacking-chinese-podcast\/id1536284827\">Apple Podcasts<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/5iCRv1jg3j3yJZGJlYVYaO\">Spotify<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/tuH64dq2D6w\">YouTube<\/a>\u00a0and many other platforms!<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Memorising numbers isn\u2019t enough to count in Chinese<\/h3>\n<p>Many students believe that once they can count from one to one hundred (or even beyond), they have \u201clearnt\u201d the numbers. However, counting is a prime example where merely knowing the basic definitions isn\u2019t sufficient. Simply memorising the list of numbers in chapter five of your textbook and acing the exam won&#8217;t necessarily allow you to communicate fluently.<\/p>\n<p>To handle dates, times, prices, or shopping conversations in Mandarin, you need to internalise the process of recalling numbers. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hackingchinese.com\/how-to-become-fluent-in-chinese\/\">This means developing fluency.<\/a> It\u2019s not about how much Mandarin you know, but how well you can use it. You can achieve fluency even as a beginner in areas you choose to focus on.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"KgDBYN7zds\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hackingchinese.com\/how-to-become-fluent-in-chinese\/\">How to become fluent in Chinese<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;How to become fluent in Chinese&#8221; &#8212; Hacking Chinese\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hackingchinese.com\/how-to-become-fluent-in-chinese\/embed\/#?secret=6zkgrUS07a#?secret=KgDBYN7zds\" data-secret=\"KgDBYN7zds\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Becoming fluent with numbers is a good example of something you can do as a beginner, but which few students do. As a teacher, I&#8217;ve encountered many students, sometimes fairly advanced, who still need to think about how to say dates and tell the time.<\/p>\n<h3>What makes counting difficult in Chinese?<\/h3>\n<p>In this article, I will explore why counting is challenging at different stages of learning Chinese:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#1\"><strong>Learning to count as a beginner: Why learning numbers in sequence is bad<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#2\"><strong>Talking about large numbers: Embedding numbers in meaningful contexts<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#3\"><strong>Mastering small numbers: Why ingrained patterns are hard to change<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#4\"><strong>Understanding spoken numbers: Why knowing the gist isn&#8217;t enough<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If you&#8217;re a beginner, focus on the first part about why learning numbers in sequence is not good. More advanced students will gain more from the later parts and might want to skip the first one.<br \/>\n<a name=\"1\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>1. Learning to count as a beginner: Why learning numbers in sequence is bad<\/h3>\n<p>Most beginner courses teach students to count to one hundred within the first few days, which is excellent because numbers are fundamental to basic communication. The numbers one through ten are extremely frequent in everyday language and it&#8217;s hard to communicate without them.<\/p>\n<p>However, there\u2019s a challenge: learning to count from one to ten, or even to an arbitrarily large number, is a specific and isolated task. It\u2019s quite different from using numbers in real-life communication. You start by memorising \u4e00 (y\u012b) &#8220;one&#8221;, \u4e8c (\u00e8r) &#8220;two&#8221;, \u4e09 (s\u0101n) &#8220;three&#8221;, \u56db (s\u00ec) &#8220;four&#8221;, \u4e94 (w\u01d4) &#8220;five&#8221;, and so on, which is a logical starting point. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hackingchinese.com\/the-cheapest-and-most-convenient-way-to-improve-your-spoken-chinese\/\">As I\u2019ve recommended elsewhere<\/a>, you can practise this sequence by counting how many steps you take to the grocery store, how many eggs go into your omelette, or how many seconds you hold a handstand.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"iOggsIxLVk\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hackingchinese.com\/the-cheapest-and-most-convenient-way-to-improve-your-spoken-chinese\/\">The cheapest and most convenient way to improve your spoken Chinese<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;The cheapest and most convenient way to improve your spoken Chinese&#8221; &#8212; Hacking Chinese\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hackingchinese.com\/the-cheapest-and-most-convenient-way-to-improve-your-spoken-chinese\/embed\/#?secret=nEVOGd5yu4#?secret=iOggsIxLVk\" data-secret=\"iOggsIxLVk\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Why you have to connect numbers to meaning to learn them<\/h3>\n<p>Unfortunately, many teachers (and consequently their students) get stuck on memorising the sequence rather than focusing on engaging with numbers in meaningful ways.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, many students can, at least in theory, count to one thousand by the end of the first week, but they struggle to make sense of individual numbers like 78, 233, or 401. They can say 78, but only if they recall 77 first, and even that is easiest if they start from 76! This is true for some intermediate students too.<\/p>\n<p>In communication, numbers usually don&#8217;t appear in a sequence. You\u2019ll often need to answer questions or understand the answer to questions like: &#8220;What date is it?&#8221; &#8220;What time does the lesson end?&#8221; &#8220;Which page should you turn to?&#8221; or &#8220;How old are you?&#8221; Reciting a memorised sequence is not only slow but impractical in these situations.<\/p>\n<h3>Breaking free from number sequences<\/h3>\n<p>If you want to check how dependent you are on counting up in sequence and then improve your fluency with numbers, try these activities:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Count backwards:<\/strong> Start from 100 and count downwards. If this is very hard for you, that&#8217;s a sign that you&#8217;ve been relying too much on the normal sequence.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Odd and even numbers:<\/strong> Count only odd (1, 3, 5\u2026) or even numbers (2, 4, 6\u2026). Again, if this is hard, you know you&#8217;ve been using the 4 to recall how to say 5.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Random numbers:<\/strong> Generate random numbers and practise saying them out of sequence. You can use Excel or Google Sheets (e.g., <code>=RAND()<\/code>) to create random lists.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use an app:<\/strong> Tools like <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.molatra.numbertrainerlite&amp;hl=en\">Chinese Number Trainer Lite<\/a> offer varied ways to practise numbers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Making numbers part of everyday communication<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hackingchinese.com\/real-communication-what-it-is-why-you-want-it-and-how-to-get-it\/\">The best way to become fluent with numbers is to integrate them into everyday communication.<\/a> Competent teachers will naturally involve numbers in their lessons. For instance, if every class begins with a quick chat about the current date and time, you\u2019ll pick up those numbers quickly. If you have a language partner or tutor, schedule your next session in Chinese, discussing dates and times. If you do these things in English, you miss a great learning opportunity.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"uz2pkfikAO\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hackingchinese.com\/real-communication-what-it-is-why-you-want-it-and-how-to-get-it\/\">Real communication: What it is, why you want it and how to get it<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Real communication: What it is, why you want it and how to get it&#8221; &#8212; Hacking Chinese\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hackingchinese.com\/real-communication-what-it-is-why-you-want-it-and-how-to-get-it\/embed\/#?secret=95fi4UAg4d#?secret=uz2pkfikAO\" data-secret=\"uz2pkfikAO\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"2\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>2. Talking about large numbers: Embedding numbers in meaningful contexts<\/h3>\n<p>Once you&#8217;re comfortable counting up to a thousand, you&#8217;ll encounter the next challenge: large numbers. To start, you need to familiarise yourself with how Chinese numbers differ from English. For example, zeros must be pronounced, unlike in English where we often skip them. So, 101 is \u4e00\u767e\u96f6\u4e00 (y\u012bb\u01ceil\u00edngy\u012b), not \u4e00\u767e\u4e00 (y\u012bb\u01ceiy\u012b), which is actually short for 110. Additionally, when there\u2019s only one ten, it still needs to be explicitly stated, so 110 is \u4e00\u767e\u4e00\u5341 (y\u012bb\u01ceiy\u012bsh\u00ed), not \u4e00\u767e\u5341 (y\u012bb\u01ceish\u00ed).<\/p>\n<p>The most significant hurdle beyond the beginner level is that Chinese changes to a new word for large numbers every fourth zero, whereas in English, the change occurs every third zero.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how it works (note how the zeroes are grouped):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>One million<\/strong>:<br \/>\nEnglish: 1,000,000 \u2013 <em>one million<\/em><br \/>\nChinese: 100,0000 \u2013 \u4e00\u767e\u4e07 (y\u012bb\u01ceiw\u00e0n)<\/li>\n<li><strong>One hundred million<\/strong>:<br \/>\nEnglish: 100,000,000 \u2013 <em>one hundred million<\/em><br \/>\nChinese: 1,0000,0000 \u2013 \u4e00\u4ebf (y\u012by\u00ec)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This pattern continues with Chinese changing the word every four digits, making it challenging to keep track of large numbers. Even advanced students and native speakers sometimes count the zeros to ensure accuracy when switching between languages.<\/p>\n<h3>Practising large numbers in Chinese vs English<\/h3>\n<p>Use a stopwatch to see how long it takes you to say the following numbers aloud in Chinese. I&#8217;ve grouped them according to how we\u2019d typically say them in English:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>10,127<\/li>\n<li>688,284<\/li>\n<li>4,824,854<\/li>\n<li>70,042,032<\/li>\n<li>513,963,776<\/li>\n<li>6,836,238,955<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now do the same in English. Here are my results:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Swedish:<\/strong> 15 seconds<\/li>\n<li><strong>English:<\/strong> 16 seconds<\/li>\n<li><strong>Chinese:<\/strong> 42 seconds<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While we rarely need to say long, specific numbers, we often have to use large, rounded figures in conversation. For instance, when asked how many people live in your country or how far it is from your hometown to the capital, you don&#8217;t want to spend 15 seconds counting zeros and breaking numbers into Chinese-style fours.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m not saying you need to know how to say 70,042,032 fast, but I am saying that you need to be able to say &#8220;70 million&#8221; in Chinese without having to count zeroes.<\/p>\n<h3>Using reference points to improve fluency with large numbers<\/h3>\n<p>The problem with large numbers is that they are abstract. Numbers like three, five and twelve have concrete meanings, but 70 million and 2 trillion don&#8217;t, so they&#8217;re harder to internalise. To remedy this, anchor each step in the scale to something concrete and specific that is meaningful to you.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some examples that I use, but that you might need to adjust based on where you live and what you&#8217;re situation is like.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Monthly salaries<\/strong> might be in the\u4e07 range (if you live in China or Sweden, in local currencies)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Yearly salaries<\/strong> fall into the \u5341\u4e07 range<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>price of an apartment or house<\/strong> is in the \u767e\u4e07 range<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you&#8217;re an American, your currency is worth about ten times as much as the Chinese yuan or Swedish crown, so move everything down one step:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>New cars<\/strong> are typically in the \u4e07 range too (in US dollars)<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>price of an apartment or house<\/strong> is in the \u5341\u4e07 range<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>population of the biggest cities<\/strong> is in the \u767e\u4e07 range<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you&#8217;re dealing with larger numbers, I think continuing with population sizes makes more sense:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Small countries<\/strong> like Sweden have populations in the \u5343\u4e07 range.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Large countries<\/strong> like the US have populations in the \u4ebf range.<\/li>\n<li><strong>China and India<\/strong> have populations in the \u5341\u4ebf range.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>global population<\/strong> might reach the \u767e\u4ebf range this century.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For those in finance or economics, even larger numbers are common:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>market capitalisation<\/strong> of companies like Nike, Coca-Cola, or Netflix is in the \u5343\u4ebf range.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>So, what&#8217;s next? What about the market capitalisation of Apple? Or the US federal budget?<\/p>\n<h3>\u4e00\u4e07\u4e07 makes \u4e00\u5146, except when it doesn&#8217;t<\/h3>\n<p>You might expect the word for one trillion in Chinese to take over after \u5343\u4ebf, which is \u5146 (zh\u00e0o), but in finance, \u4e07\u4ebf (w\u00e0ny\u00ec) is more common, even though this breaks the usual pattern. This may be due to the ease of comparing numbers if \u4ebf is consistently used. However, \u5146 is still used in scientific contexts and can be used to mean &#8220;trillion&#8221; in general.<\/p>\n<p>As you can see, learning large numbers goes far beyond chapter five in your first textbook.<br \/>\n<a name=\"3\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>3. Learning to talk about small numbers: Why ingrained patterns are hard to change<\/h3>\n<p>Another challenge when learning Chinese numbers is using fractions. The rule itself is straightforward: the denominator comes first, followed by the numerator, with a \u4e4b (zh\u012b) in between. This is the opposite of what we normally do in English. So, &#8220;one-fourth&#8221; is \u56db\u5206\u4e4b\u4e00 (s\u00ecf\u0113nzh\u012by\u012b), <em>not<\/em> \u4e00\u5206\u4e4b\u56db (y\u012bf\u0113nzh\u012bs\u00ec), and &#8220;eight percent&#8221; is \u767e\u5206\u4e4b\u516b (b\u01ceif\u0113nzh\u012bb\u0101).<\/p>\n<p>Although most students understand this rule in theory, using it effortlessly in conversation is surprisingly difficult. Even after many thousands of hours of speaking Chinese, I occasionally catch myself switching the numbers around. I always notice the error immediately, but the issue is that if you start with the denominator (e.g., &#8220;three-fourths&#8221;) and say \u4e09 (s\u0101n), you\u2019ve already lost.<\/p>\n<h3>The subtle difficulty of mastering fractions<\/h3>\n<p>Fortunately, this rarely hinders communication. You\u2019ll quickly get used to hearing common fractions and percentages, and even if you make a mistake by saying the denominator first, it\u2019s easy to correct and restate it correctly.<\/p>\n<p>I mention this challenge not because it\u2019s a major communication barrier, but to highlight how something as small as fractions can be surprisingly tricky to master. It\u2019s a reminder that ingrained patterns from your native language can persist, even in advanced stages of learning. Learning the rule explicitly does not mean you&#8217;ll be able to use it.<a name=\"4\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>4. Understanding spoken numbers: Why knowing the gist isn&#8217;t enough<\/h3>\n<p>Understanding numbers when spoken in context can also be a challenge, and not just when it comes to large numbers. To highlight the problem, I conducted a small experiment. A native speaker read 16 randomly generated phone numbers to me in Chinese, one digit at a time, and I tried to write them down. We tried several times to find the maximum rate of speech at which I could still write down all digits correctly.<\/p>\n<p>To check that writing speed wasn&#8217;t the issue, we repeated the test in English.\u00a0Here are my best times for both hearing and writing down an 11-digit phone number correctly:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Chinese:<\/strong> 6 seconds<br \/>\n<strong>English:<\/strong> 3 seconds<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That\u2019s twice as long! When people recite phone numbers at a natural speed, they don\u2019t slow down nearly that much.<\/p>\n<h3>Why speed and accuracy with numbers matter<\/h3>\n<p>What happens if you don\u2019t catch numbers, whether big or small when they\u2019re spoken quickly? Does it really matter?<\/p>\n<p>Yes, it does, and for several reasons, most of which are tied to listening speed. Numbers are considered easy by native speakers, and they\u2019ll assume you understand them without any trouble. If you\u2019re listening to Chinese content aimed at native speakers and can\u2019t process numbers fast enough, this lag can lead to gaps in your overall comprehension.<\/p>\n<p>This issue becomes even more significant during exams, where you might be asked about dates, prices, or phone numbers. In these cases, simply having a rough idea of the answer isn\u2019t enough, you need to understand the numbers quickly and precisely to perform well.<\/p>\n<h3>Processing large numbers in spoken Chinese<\/h3>\n<p>Understanding spoken numbers presents its own unique challenges, especially with the shift to grouping digits by four zeros in Chinese. This can be tricky in fast-paced situations like news reports or business meetings. When listening, you need to instantly grasp the numbers without taking extra seconds to process them. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hackingchinese.com\/beyond-ting-bu-dong-part-4-learning-to-process-spoken-mandarin-quickly-and-effortlessly\/\">Your ability to handle numbers has to be fully automated, requiring true fluency.<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"vnAY1XJrLO\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hackingchinese.com\/beyond-ting-bu-dong-part-4-learning-to-process-spoken-mandarin-quickly-and-effortlessly\/\">Beyond t\u012bng bu d\u01d2ng, part 4: Learning to process spoken Mandarin quickly and effortlessly<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Beyond t\u012bng bu d\u01d2ng, part 4: Learning to process spoken Mandarin quickly and effortlessly&#8221; &#8212; Hacking Chinese\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hackingchinese.com\/beyond-ting-bu-dong-part-4-learning-to-process-spoken-mandarin-quickly-and-effortlessly\/embed\/#?secret=oOOgEpafVx#?secret=vnAY1XJrLO\" data-secret=\"vnAY1XJrLO\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>As mentioned, one key issue is that we often don&#8217;t try to associate large numbers with specific meanings. When listening to a podcast or watching the news, it&#8217;s usually enough to recognise that a number is \u201cbig\u201d or &#8220;even bigger&#8221; without needing to know the exact figure.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, you might listen to hundreds or thousands of hours of spoken Chinese yet still struggle with accurately parsing numbers. Usually, understanding the gist is enough, so you&#8217;re not even trying to connect the numbers you hear with meaning.<\/p>\n<p>Numbers, especially large ones, tend to be abstract and meaningless unless they\u2019re relevant. If there\u2019s no need to fully process them, your brain takes the efficient route and skips over them. To become truly fluent with numbers in Chinese, you need to engage with them meaningfully.<\/p>\n<h3>We learn to process the language we engage with<\/h3>\n<p>For intermediate learners, handling numbers within familiar ranges (such as food prices) is usually fine. Why? Because that&#8217;s the kind of language you engage with often Similarly, a physicist discussing nanometres in Chinese or a real-estate broker quoting housing prices won\u2019t have to think twice about the numbers crucial to their work.<\/p>\n<p>The key is that unless you engage with language where the numbers matter beyond being &#8220;big&#8221;, you won&#8217;t learn to parse them properly. The first time you hear someone discuss house prices in Chinese, it will be dizzying if you&#8217;re not used to it, but if you spent a year looking for a house, talking about it in Chinese all the time, you&#8217;ll be very good at numbers in this range.<\/p>\n<h3>Making large numbers meaningful in your learning<\/h3>\n<p>You don\u2019t need to be a physicist or a real-estate broker to master numbers, but you do need to practise numbers in a way that makes them meaningful for you. Regular exposure to relevant numerical contexts, whether it&#8217;s pricing, measurements, or population figures, will improve your fluency with numbers. By embedding numbers in contexts that matter, you force your brain to process them accurately instead of skipping over them as abstract figures.<\/p>\n<p>In short, counting really does count, even for intermediate and advanced students!<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Editor\u2019s note:\u00a0<\/strong>This article, originally published in 2013, was rewritten from scratch and massively updated in October 2024.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Counting is one of the first things we learn in a foreign language, yet mastering it takes time. While basic numbers may seem simple, using them effectively in communication requires much more than just memorising words.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10181,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,6,10,14,15,21],"tags":[130,147,158,1394,215,1391,1393,410,1392,1100],"class_list":["post-1957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beginner","category-distinctively-chinese","category-intermediate","category-learning-outside-class","category-listening","category-speaking","tag-communication","tag-counting","tag-dates","tag-finance","tag-fluency","tag-fractions","tag-large-numbers","tag-numbers","tag-percentages","tag-podcast-episode"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Do you really know how to count in Chinese?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Counting is one of the first things we learn in a foreign language, yet mastering it takes time. 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