十一
shíyī
Eleven in Chinese is said as 十一 (shíyī). Wiktionary also lists 拾壹.
Meaning: the cardinal number occurring after ten and before twelve (num)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 十一 | shíyī | |
| 拾壹 | numeral |
The word refers to the cardinal number occurring after ten and before twelve.
What does it mean word for word?
The form 十一 is composed of the characters for ten (十) and one (一).
Which one should you use?
While 十一 is the standard way to write the number, 拾壹 is a formal version used primarily in financial contexts, such as on checks or bank documents, to prevent fraud.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used to express time, such as 11 o'clock, the number is followed by the measure word 点 (diǎn).
How do you pronounce it?
shíyī
Did you know?
- In Chinese, numbers like 十一 are used to form dates, where 十一月 means November, literally the 'eleventh month'.
- The character 壹 is the formal version of 一 and is specifically designed so that no single stroke can be easily added to change it into another number.
- The formal character 拾 for 'ten' looks much more complex than the standard 十, specifically to prevent someone from adding a stroke to turn it into another number.
Examples in context
- 我十一点上床。I go to bed at eleven.This sentence is useful for expressing the time one goes to bed using 十一.Tatoeba #5554058 by verdastelo9604, translation #73354 by CK
- 我們十一點睡覺。We sleep at eleven.This sentence is useful for expressing the time one sleeps using 十一.Tatoeba #6486888 by xjjAstrus, translation #9408769 by BobbyLee
- 我十一点起床了。I woke up at eleven.This sentence is useful for expressing the time one woke up using 十一.Tatoeba #7704617 by leafjensen, translation #5509258 by mailohilohi
- 明天是十一月一日。Tomorrow is November 1st.
- 我只睡了十一小时。I only slept for eleven hours.
- 今天有十一个人来参加聚会。Eleven people are coming to the party today.
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jiayi and Wei are counting fruit at a market.
- 佳怡 Jiayi伟，这篮子里有几个苹果？Wěi, zhè lánzi lǐ yǒu jǐ gè píngguǒ?Wei, how many apples are in this basket?
- 伟 Wei我数一下，好像是十一。Wǒ shǔ yīxià, hǎoxiàng shì shíyī.Let me count, it seems to be eleven.
- 佳怡 Jiayi十一，那太少了。Shíyī, nà tài shǎole.Eleven, that is too few.
- 伟 Wei那我们再多拿几个吧。Nà wǒmen zài duō ná jǐ gè ba.Then let's take a few more.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eleven” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
