How to Say "Eleven" in Mandarin

十一

shíyī

The Mandarin word for eleven is 十一 (shíyī). Wiktionary also lists 拾壹.

Meaning: the cardinal number occurring after ten and before twelve (num)

Ways to say it

“eleven” in Mandarin
Mandarin	Romanization (Wiktionary)	Note
十一	shíyī
拾壹		numeral

When you use this number to express a specific time, such as 11 o'clock, it must be followed by the measure word 点 (diǎn).

The number 十一 is composed of the characters for ten (十) and one (一), literally meaning "ten one".

拾壹 is a specialized version used in formal, financial contexts to prevent fraud on legal documents or checks.

shíyī

In Chinese culture, the number 十一 is often associated with the 'Double Eleventh' shopping festival on November 11. It has become the largest online shopping day in the world, surpassing 'Black Friday'.
The complex characters 拾壹 used in banking are called 'da xie' or 'big characters'. They are used because the simple character 一 is too easy to change into 二 or 三 by adding a few strokes.
When counting items in a group of eleven, speakers may use a 'classifier' or measure word. The choice of this word changes based on whether the object is flat, long or a person.

我十一点上床。
I go to bed at eleven.
This sentence shows how to use 十一 when referring to the time you go to bed.
Tatoeba #5554058 by verdastelo9604, translation #73354 by CK
我們十一點睡覺。
We sleep at eleven.
This sentence demonstrates using 十一 to express the time you sleep.
Tatoeba #6486888 by xjjAstrus, translation #9408769 by BobbyLee
我十一点起床了。
I woke up at eleven.
This sentence illustrates the use of 十一 when stating the time you woke up.
Tatoeba #7704617 by leafjensen, translation #5509258 by mailohilohi
今天是十一月十一日。
Today is November 11th.
我的生日是十一月十一日。
My birthday is on November 11th.
24 more sentences on Tatoeba

Two friends are discussing a meeting time.

俊杰 Junjie

我们明天十一点见面吧。
Wǒmen míngtiān shíyī diǎn jiànmiàn ba.
Let's meet at eleven o'clock tomorrow.
晓雯 Xiaowen

十一点可以，没问题。
Shíyī diǎn kěyǐ, méi wèntí.
Eleven o'clock works, no problem.
俊杰 Junjie

那我们在门口等。
Nà wǒmen zài ménkǒu děng.
Then we will wait at the entrance.
晓雯 Xiaowen

好的，明天见，俊杰。
Hǎo de, míngtiān jiàn, Jùnjié.
Okay, see you tomorrow, Junjie.

Sources

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏