一、二、三、四、五
yī, èr, sān, sì, wǔ
The phrase "one, two, three, four, five" in Chinese is 一、二、三、四、五 (yī, èr, sān, sì, wǔ).
This phrase represents the first five cardinal numbers used for counting.
Which one should you use?
The number two can be expressed as 二 (èr) as the standard cardinal number, but you should use liǎng instead when counting specific objects with a measure word, such as saying "two books".
How do you pronounce it?
yī, èr, sān, sì, wǔ
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse the pronunciation of sì (four) and shí (ten) due to their similar sounds.
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, the number 四 is often avoided in buildings or phone numbers because it sounds like the word for 'death'. This is similar to how some English speakers avoid the number thirteen.
- When counting or reciting numbers, people often use one-handed gestures that look nothing like the fingers used in English. For example, the number four is often signaled by a single hand making a gesture similar to a gun or a chopping motion.
- If you are counting items in a list or a sequence, you might use 一 to mean 'first', but in certain formal or legal contexts, the character 壹 is used instead. This is a complex version of the character designed to prevent fraud.
Examples in context
- 这个房间有四张床。This room has four beds.
- 今天有五个人来参加聚会。Five people came to the party today.
- 一、二、三、四、五。yī, èr, sān, sì, wǔ.One, two, three, four, five.
- 请数一下：一、二、三、四、五。qǐng shǔ yī xià: yī, èr, sān, sì, wǔ.Please count: one, two, three, four, five.
- 他在数数：一、二、三、四、五。tā zài shǔ shù: yī, èr, sān, sì, wǔ.He is counting: one, two, three, four, five.
Example conversation
Two friends are counting items on a table.
- 梓涵 Zihan俊杰，帮我数一下这些苹果。Jùnjié, bāng wǒ shǔ yīxià zhèxiē píngguǒ.Junjie, help me count these apples.
- 俊杰 Junjie没问题，一、二、三、四、五。Méi wèntí, yī, èr, sān, sì, wǔ.No problem, one, two, three, four, five.
- 梓涵 Zihan一共只有五个吗？Yīgòng zhǐyǒu wǔ gè ma?Are there only five in total?
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，梓涵，正好五个。Shì de, Zǐhán, zhènghǎo wǔ gè.Yes, Zihan, exactly five.
