10 in Chinese
Nearby Chinese Numbers
10 in Other Languages
About 10 in Chinese
In Chinese, 10 is written and spoken as 十. It is pronounced shí in Chinese. The simplified written form is 十.
10 divides evenly by two. 10 comes up regularly in Chinese conversations — in stores, when giving your phone number, reading addresses, or discussing dates and ages.
Knowing 10 in Chinese is more useful than it might seem. Numbers are woven into nearly every type of conversation, and fluency with them makes everything from shopping to socializing dramatically easier.
Learning Numbers in Chinese
What makes Chinese numbers challenging
Chinese numbers are logically structured but tonal — each digit must be said with the correct tone or it becomes a different word entirely. The digit 1 (yī, first tone) is replaced by "yāo" in phone numbers and certain contexts. Larger numbers use a different grouping system: Chinese counts in units of 10,000 (万/wàn) rather than 1,000, so one million is "one hundred ten-thousands" (一百万). Measure words (classifiers) are required when counting objects, and different objects need different classifiers.
Tips for learning Chinese numbers
Master the four tones first — they are the foundation of all Chinese number comprehension. Learn 万 (wàn, ten thousand) early, as it is the key to understanding large numbers. Practice with prices and addresses since these are the most common real-world number encounters. Remember that "yāo" replaces "yī" for the digit 1 in phone numbers, room numbers, and other sequences — this is one of the first things textbooks miss.