Lesson 4: Counting Objects

一二三

Learn number + 个/本/块 + 名词 and 几 + 量词 + 名词? through Counting Objects.

12 words2 grammar points1 dialogues~15 min

Vocabulary12 words

Numeral
  • eighta number from 1 to 10

Examples

八杯水。

bēishuǐ

Eight glasses of water.

现在是八月。

xiànzàishìyuè

It is August now.

èrNumeral
  • twoused when counting quantities

Examples

二月

èryuè

February

二加二等于四

èrjiāèrděng

Two plus two equals four

jiǔNumeral
  • nineA number from one to ten.

Examples

九点上课。

jiǔdiǎnshàng

Class starts at nine o'clock.

他哥哥九岁。

gejiǔsuì

His older brother is nine years old.

kànVerb
  • 1.to look; to watch; to readCan be used for watching TV, reading a book, or seeing someone.
  • 2.to visit; to see (a doctor); to consulte.g. 看病 (to see a doctor), 看医生 (visit a doctor), 看朋友 (visit a friend)

Examples

看书。

kànshū

Read a book.

看电视。

kàndiànshì

Watch TV.

língNumeral
  • zero

Examples

我的电话是零一二三。

dediànhuàshìlíngèrsān

My phone number is zero one two three.

liùNumeral
  • sixA number from 1 to 10.

Examples

六本书。

liùběnshū

Six books.

我六点起床。

liùdiǎnchuáng

I get up at six o'clock.

Numeral
  • sevenA number from 1 to 10.

Examples

七个人。

rén

Seven people.

他七岁。

suì

He is seven years old.

sānNumeral
  • three

Examples

三个人

sānrén

Three people

三月

sānyuè

March

shíNumeral
  • tencounting from 1 to 10

Examples

十个苹果。

shípíngguǒ

Ten apples.

我十点睡觉。

shídiǎnshuìjiào

I go to sleep at ten o'clock.

Numeral
  • fourit sounds like the word for "death," so Chinese people often avoid this number

Examples

四把椅子

zi

Four chairs

四季

The four seasons

Numeral
  • five

Examples

五天

tiān

Five days

五月五日

yuè

May 5th

Numeral
  • oneUsed on its own or when counting from one to ten.

Examples

一个苹果

píngguǒ

one apple

一,二,三

èrsān

One, two, three

Grammar

Quantity and Nouns (数词+量词+名词)

Số đếm + 个/本/块 + 名词

In Chinese, when talking about the quantity of something, you put the number first, then the measure word (such as 个 for general objects, 本 for books, 块 for money), and then the noun.

我有三个水果。

yǒusānshuǐguǒ

I have three pieces of fruit.

这里有两本书。

zhèliyǒuliǎngběnshū

There are two books here.

Asking About a Small Quantity (几)

几 + 量词 + 名词?

Use 几 (jǐ) before a measure word and a noun to ask about a small quantity (usually under 10). The answer usually uses the corresponding number.

你有几个弟弟?

yǒudi

How many younger brothers do you have?

桌子上有几本书?

zhuōzishàngyǒuběnshū

How many books are on the table?

Dialogues

Counting Objects

A mother asks her child about the number of items in the schoolbag.

妈妈
妈妈

宝宝,你的书包里有几本书?

bǎobaodeshūbāoliyǒuběnshū

Sweetie, how many books are in your schoolbag?

小花
小花

妈妈,我有一本书。

mayǒuběnshū

Mom, I have one book.

妈妈
妈妈

好。有几个水果?

hǎoyǒushuǐguǒ

Good. How many pieces of fruit are there?

小花
小花

有三个水果。

yǒusānshuǐguǒ

There are three pieces of fruit.

妈妈
妈妈

对,三个水果。书包里有几个本子?

duìsānshuǐguǒshūbāoliyǒuběnzi

That's right, three. How many notebooks are in the bag?

小花
小花

有很多!我有二十个本子!

yǒuhěnduōyǒuèrshíběnzi

Lots! I've got twenty notebooks!

妈妈
妈妈

二十个?太多了!四个,五个,六个,妈妈来看看。

èrshítàiduōleliùmaláikànkan

Twenty? That’s a lot! Four, five, six — let Mum have a look.

小花
小花

七个,八个,九个。妈妈,是九个本子,不是二十个。

jiǔmashìjiǔběnzishìèrshí

Seven, eight, nine. Mum, it's nine notebooks, not twenty.

妈妈
妈妈

对,是九个。那钱呢?你有几块钱?

duìshìjiǔqiánneyǒukuàiqián

Right, nine. And money? How many yuan do you have?

小花
小花

我有五块钱。

yǒukuàiqián

I have five yuan.