Английская Википедия:Chinese numerals
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Multiple issues Шаблон:Numeral systems
Chinese numerals are words and characters used to denote numbers in written Chinese.
Today, speakers of Chinese languages use three written numeral systems: the system of Arabic numerals used worldwide, and two indigenous systems. The more familiar indigenous system is based on Chinese characters that correspond to numerals in the spoken language. These may be shared with other languages of the Chinese cultural sphere such as Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese. Most people and institutions in China primarily use the Arabic or mixed Arabic-Chinese systems for convenience, with traditional Chinese numerals used in finance, mainly for writing amounts on cheques, banknotes, some ceremonial occasions, some boxes, and on commercials. Шаблон:Citation needed
The other indigenous system consists of the Suzhou numerals, or huama, a positional system, the only surviving form of the rod numerals. These were once used by Chinese mathematicians, and later by merchants in Chinese markets, such as those in Hong Kong until the 1990s, but were gradually supplanted by Arabic numerals.
Characters used as numerals
The Chinese character numeral system consists of the Chinese characters used by the Chinese written language to write spoken numerals. Similar to spelling-out numbers in English (e.g., "one thousand nine hundred forty-five"), it is not an independent system per se. Since it reflects spoken language, it does not use the positional system as in Arabic numerals, in the same way that spelling out numbers in English does not.
Ordinary numerals
There are characters representing the numbers zero through nine, and other characters representing larger numbers such as tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands and hundred millions. There are two sets of characters for Chinese numerals: one for everyday writing, known as Шаблон:Zhi (Шаблон:Zhi), and one for use in commercial, accounting or financial contexts, known as Шаблон:Zhi (Шаблон:Zhi). The latter arose because the characters used for writing numerals are geometrically simple, so simply using those numerals cannot prevent forgeries in the same way spelling numbers out in English would.[1] A forger could easily change the everyday characters 三十 (30) to 五千 (5000) just by adding a few strokes. That would not be possible when writing using the financial characters 參拾 (30) and 伍仟 (5000). They are also referred to as "banker's numerals", "anti-fraud numerals", or "banker's anti-fraud numerals". For the same reason, rod numerals were never used in commercial records.
Characters with regional usage
| Financial | Normal | Value | Pinyin (Mandarin) | Standard alternative | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 空 | 0 | Шаблон:Zhi | 零 | Historically, the use of 空 for 'zero' predates 零. This is now archaic in most varieties of Chinese, but it is still used in Southern Min. | |
| 洞 | 0 | Шаблон:Zhi | 零 | Literally means 'a hole' and is analogous to the shape of '0' and 'Шаблон:Zhi', it is used to unambiguously pronounce '#0' in radio communication.[2][3] | |
| 幺 | 1 | Шаблон:Zhi | 一 | Literally means 'the smallest', it is used to unambiguously pronounce '#1' in radio communication.[2][3] This usage is not observed in Cantonese except for Шаблон:Zhi (a special winning hand) in Mahjong. | |
| 蜀 | 1 | Шаблон:Zhi | 一 | In most Min varieties, there are two words meaning 'one'. For example, in Hokkien, Шаблон:Zhi is used before a classifier: 'one person' is Шаблон:Zhi, not Шаблон:Zhi. In written Hokkien, Шаблон:Zhi is often used for both Шаблон:Zhi and Шаблон:Zhi, but some authors differentiate, writing Шаблон:Zhi for Шаблон:Zhi and Шаблон:Zhi for Шаблон:Zhi. | |
| 兩(T) or 两(S) |
2 | Шаблон:Zhi | 二 | Used instead of Шаблон:Zhi before a classifier. For example, 'two people' is Шаблон:Zhi, not Шаблон:Zhi. However, in some lects, such as Shanghainese, Шаблон:Zhi is the generic term used for two in most contexts, such as Шаблон:Zhi and not Шаблон:Zhi. It appears where 'a pair of' would in English, but Шаблон:Zhi is always used in such cases. It is also used for numbers, with usage varying from dialect to dialect, even person to person. For example, '2222' can be read as Шаблон:Zhi, Шаблон:Zhi, or even Шаблон:Zhi in Mandarin. It is used to unambiguously pronounce '#2' in radio communication.[2][3] | |
| 倆(T) or 俩(S) |
2 | Шаблон:Zhi | 兩 | In regional dialects of Northeastern Mandarin, Шаблон:Zhi represents a "lazy" pronunciation of Шаблон:Zhi within the local dialect. It can be used as an alternative for Шаблон:Zhi (e.g. Шаблон:Zhi, as opposed to Шаблон:Zhi. A measure word never follows Шаблон:Zhi. | |
| 仨 | 3 | Шаблон:Zhi | 三 | In regional dialects of Northeastern Mandarin, Шаблон:Zhi represents a "lazy" pronunciation of three within the local dialect. It can be used as a general number to represent "three" (e.g.Шаблон:Zhi; Шаблон:Zhi, or as an alternative for Шаблон:Zhi (e.g. Шаблон:Zhi, as opposed to Шаблон:Zhi). Regardless of usage, a measure word never follows Шаблон:Zhi. | |
| 拐 | 7 | Шаблон:Zhi | 七 | Literally means 'a turn' or 'a walking stick' and is analogous to the shape of '7' and Шаблон:Zhi, it is used to unambiguously pronounce '#7' in radio communication.[2][3] | |
| 勾 | 9 | Шаблон:Zhi | 九 | Literally means "a hook" and is analogous to the shape of "9", it is used to unambiguously pronounce "#9" in radio communication.[2][3] | |
| 呀 | 10 | Шаблон:Zhi | 十 | In spoken Cantonese, Шаблон:Zhi (aa6) can be used in place of Шаблон:Zhi when it is used in the middle of a number, preceded by a multiplier and followed by a ones digit, e.g. Шаблон:Zhi, 63; it is not used by itself to mean 10. This usage is not observed in Mandarin. | |
| 念 | 廿 | 20 | Шаблон:Zhi | 二十 | A contraction of Шаблон:Zhi. The written form is still used to refer to dates, especially Chinese calendar dates. Spoken form is still used in various dialects of Chinese. See Reading and transcribing numbers section below. In spoken Cantonese, Шаблон:Zhi (jaa6) can be used in place of Шаблон:Zhi when followed by another digit such as in numbers 21-29 (e.g. Шаблон:Zhi, 23), a measure word (e.g. Шаблон:Zhi), a noun, or in a phrase like Шаблон:Zhi ("twenty-something"); it is not used by itself to mean 20. 卄 is a rare variant. |
| 卅 | 30 | Шаблон:Zhi | 三十 | A contraction of Шаблон:Zhi. The written form is still used to abbreviate date references in Chinese. For example, May 30 Movement (Шаблон:Zhi). Spoken form is still used in various dialects of Chinese. In spoken Cantonese, Шаблон:Zhi (saa1) can be used in place of Шаблон:Zhi when followed by another digit such as in numbers 31–39, a measure word (e.g. Шаблон:Zhi), a noun, or in phrases like Шаблон:Zhi ("thirty-something"); it is not used by itself to mean 30. When spoken Шаблон:Zhi is pronounced as Шаблон:Zhi (saa1 aa6). Thus Шаблон:Zhi (31), is pronounced as saa1 aa6 jat1. | |
| 卌 | 40 | Шаблон:Zhi | 四十 | A contraction of Шаблон:Zhi. Found in historical writings written in Classical Chinese. Spoken form is still used in various dialects of Chinese, albeit very rare. See Reading and transcribing numbers section below. In spoken Cantonese Шаблон:Zhi (sei3) can be used in place of Шаблон:Zhi when followed by another digit such as in numbers 41–49, a measure word (e.g. Шаблон:Zhi), a noun, or in phrases like Шаблон:Zhi ("forty-something"); it is not used by itself to mean 40. When spoken, Шаблон:Zhi is pronounced as Шаблон:Zhi (sei3 aa6). Thus Шаблон:Zhi (41), is pronounced as sei3 aa6 jat1. | |
| 皕 | 200 | Шаблон:Zhi | 二百 | Very rarely used; one example is in the name of a library in Huzhou, Шаблон:Zhi. |
Large numbers
For numbers larger than 10,000, similarly to the long and short scales in the West, there have been four systems in ancient and modern usage. The original one, with unique names for all powers of ten up to the 14th, is ascribed to the Yellow Emperor in the 6th century book by Zhen Luan, Шаблон:Zhi. In modern Chinese, only the second system is used, in which the same ancient names are used, but each represents a myriad, 萬 Шаблон:Zhi times the previous:
| Character (T) | 萬 | 億 | 兆 | 京 | 垓 | 秭 | 穰 | 溝 | 澗 | 正 | 載 | Factor of increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Character (S) | 万 | 亿 | 沟 | 涧 | 载 | |||||||
| Pinyin | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | |
| Jyutping | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | |
| Tai Lo | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | |
| Shanghainese | ve | i | zau | cín | ké | tsy | gnian | kéu | ké | tsen | tse | |
| Alternative | 經/经 | 𥝱 | 壤 | |||||||||
| Rank | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | =n |
| "short scale" (Шаблон:Zhi) |
104 | 105 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 1010 | 1011 | 1012 | 1013 | 1014 | =10n+3
Each numeral is 10 (Шаблон:Zhi) times the previous. |
| "myriad scale" (Шаблон:Zhi, current usage) |
104 | 108 | 1012 | 1016 | 1020 | 1024 | 1028 | 1032 | 1036 | 1040 | 1044 | =104n
Each numeral is 10,000 (Шаблон:Zhi) times the previous. |
| "mid-scale" (Шаблон:Zhi) |
104 | 108 | 1016 | 1024 | 1032 | 1040 | 1048 | 1056 | 1064 | 1072 | 1080 | =108(n-1)
Starting with Шаблон:Zhi, each numeral is 108 (Шаблон:Zhi) times the previous. |
| "long scale" (Шаблон:Zhi) |
104 | 108 | 1016 | 1032 | 1064 | 10128 | 10256 | 10512 | 101024 | 102048 | 104096 | =102n+1
Each numeral is the square of the previous. This is similar to the -yllion system. |
In practice, this situation does not lead to ambiguity, with the exception of Шаблон:Zhi, which means 1012 according to the system in common usage throughout the Chinese communities as well as in Japan and Korea, but has also been used for 106 in recent years (especially in mainland China for megabyte). To avoid problems arising from the ambiguity, the PRC government never uses this character in official documents, but uses Шаблон:Zhi (wànyì) or Шаблон:Zhi instead. Partly due to this, combinations of Шаблон:Zhi and Шаблон:Zhi are often used instead of the larger units of the traditional system as well, for example Шаблон:Zhi instead of Шаблон:Zhi. The ROC government in Taiwan uses Шаблон:Zhi to mean 1012 in official documents.
Large numbers from Buddhism
Шаблон:Expand Chinese Numerals beyond Шаблон:Zhi zǎi come from Buddhist texts in Sanskrit, but are mostly found in ancient texts. Some of the following words are still being used today, but may have transferred meanings.
| Character (T) | Character (S) | Pinyin | Jyutping | Tai Lo | Shanghainese | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 極 | 极 | jí | gik1 | ke̍k | jiq5 | 1048 | Literally means "Extreme". |
| 恆河沙 | 恒河沙 | héng hé shā | hang4 ho4 sa1 | hîng-hô-sua | ghen3-wu-so | 1052Шаблон:Citation needed | Literally means "Sands of the Ganges"; a metaphor used in a number of Buddhist texts referring to the grains of sand in the Ganges River. |
| 阿僧祇 | ā sēng qí | aa1 zang1 kei4 | a-sing-kî | a1-sen-ji | 1056 | From Sanskrit Asaṃkhyeya असंख्येय, meaning "incalculable, innumerable, infinite". | |
| 那由他 | nà yóu tā | naa5 jau4 taa1 | ná-iû-thann | na1-yeu-tha | 1060 | From Sanskrit nayuta नियुत, meaning "myriad". | |
| 不可思議 | 不可思议 | bùkě sīyì | bat1 ho2 si1 ji3 | put-khó-su-gī | peq4-khu sy1-gni | 1064 | Literally translated as "unfathomable". This word is commonly used in Chinese as a chengyu, meaning "unimaginable", instead of its original meaning of the number 1064. |
| 無量大數 | 无量大数 | wú liàng dà shù | mou4 loeng6 daai6 sou3 | bû-liōng tāi-siàu | m3-lian du3-su | 1068 | "Шаблон:Zhi" literally translated as "without measure", and can mean 1068. This word is also commonly used in Chinese as a commendatory term, means "no upper limit". E.g.: Шаблон:Zhi lit. front journey no limit, which means "a great future". "Шаблон:Zhi" literally translated as "a large number; the great number", and can mean 1072. |
Small numbers
The following are characters used to denote small order of magnitude in Chinese historically. With the introduction of SI units, some of them have been incorporated as SI prefixes, while the rest have fallen into disuse.
| Character(s) (T) | Character(s) (S) | Pinyin | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 漠 | mò | 10−12 | (Ancient Chinese) | |
| 渺 | miǎo | 10−11 | (Ancient Chinese) | |
| 埃 | āi | 10−10 | (Ancient Chinese) | |
| 塵 | 尘 | chén | 10−9 | Literally, "Dust" |
| 沙 | shā | 10−8 | Literally, "Sand" | |
| 纖 | 纤 | xiān | 10−7 | Literally, "Fiber" |
| 微 | wēi | 10−6 | still in use, corresponds to the SI prefix micro-. | |
| 忽 | hū | 10−5 | (Ancient Chinese) | |
| 絲 | 丝 | sī | 10−4 | also 秒. Literally, "Thread" |
| 毫 | háo | 10−3 | also 毛. | |
| 厘 | lí | 10−2 | also 釐. | |
| 分 | fēn | 10−1 | still in use, corresponds to the SI prefix deci-. | |
Small numbers from Buddhism
| Character(s) (T) | Character(s) (S) | Pinyin | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 涅槃寂靜 | 涅槃寂静 | niè pán jì jìng | 10−24 | Literally, "Nirvana's Tranquility" |
| 阿摩羅 | 阿摩罗 | ā mó luó | 10−23 | (Ancient Chinese, from Sanskrit अमल amala) |
| 阿頼耶 | 阿赖耶 | ā lài yē | 10−22 | (Ancient Chinese, from Sanskrit आलय ālaya) |
| 清靜 | 清净 | qīng jìng | 10−21 | Literally, "Quiet" |
| 虛空 | 虚空 | xū kōng | 10−20 | Literally, "Void" |
| 六德 | liù dé | 10−19 | (Ancient Chinese) | |
| 剎那 | 刹那 | chà nà | 10−18 | Literally, "Brevity", from Sanskrit क्षण ksaṇa |
| 彈指 | 弹指 | tán zhǐ | 10−17 | Literally, "Flick of a finger". Still commonly used in the phrase "Шаблон:Zhi" (A very short time) |
| 瞬息 | shùn xī | 10−16 | Literally, "Moment of Breath". Still commonly used in Chengyu "Шаблон:Zhi" (Many things changed in a very short time) | |
| 須臾 | 须臾 | xū yú | 10−15 | (Ancient Chinese, rarely used in Modern Chinese as "a very short time") |
| 逡巡 | qūn xún | 10−14 | (Ancient Chinese) | |
| 模糊 | mó hu | 10−13 | Literally, "Blurred" | |
SI prefixes
Шаблон:See also In the People's Republic of China, the early translation for the SI prefixes in 1981 was different from those used today. The larger (Шаблон:Zhi, Шаблон:Zhi, Шаблон:Zhi, Шаблон:Zhi, Шаблон:Zhi) and smaller Chinese numerals (Шаблон:Zhi, Шаблон:Zhi, Шаблон:Zhi, Шаблон:Zhi, Шаблон:Zhi) were defined as translation for the SI prefixes as mega, giga, tera, peta, exa, micro, nano, pico, femto, atto, resulting in the creation of yet more values for each numeral.[4]
The Republic of China (Taiwan) defined Шаблон:Zhi as the translation for mega and Шаблон:Zhi as the translation for tera. This translation is widely used in official documents, academic communities, informational industries, etc. However, the civil broadcasting industries sometimes use 兆赫 to represent "megahertz".
Today, the governments of both China and Taiwan use phonetic transliterations for the SI prefixes. However, the governments have each chosen different Chinese characters for certain prefixes. The following table lists the two different standards together with the early translation.
| Value | Symbol | English | Early translation | PRC standard | ROC standard | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1030 | Q | quetta- | 昆 | kūn | 奎 | kuí | ||
| 1027 | R | ronna- | 容 | róng | 羅 | luó | ||
| 1024 | Y | yotta- | 尧 | yáo | 佑 | yòu | ||
| 1021 | Z | zetta- | 泽 | zé | 皆 | jiē | ||
| 1018 | E | exa- | 穰[4] | ráng | 艾 | ài | 艾 | ài |
| 1015 | P | peta- | 秭[4] | zǐ | 拍 | pāi | 拍 | pāi |
| 1012 | T | tera- | 垓[4] | gāi | 太 | tài | 兆 | zhào |
| 109 | G | giga- | 京[4] | jīng | 吉 | jí | 吉 | jí |
| 106 | M | mega- | 兆[4] | zhào | 兆 | zhào | 百萬 | bǎiwàn |
| 103 | k | kilo- | 千 | qiān | 千 | qiān | 千 | qiān |
| 102 | h | hecto- | 百 | bǎi | 百 | bǎi | 百 | bǎi |
| 101 | da | deca- | 十 | shí | 十 | shí | 十 | shí |
| 100 | (base) | one | 一 | yī | 一 | yī | ||
| 10−1 | d | deci- | 分 | fēn | 分 | fēn | 分 | fēn |
| 10−2 | c | centi- | 厘 | lí | 厘 | lí | 厘 | lí |
| 10−3 | m | milli- | 毫 | háo | 毫 | háo | 毫 | háo |
| 10−6 | µ | micro- | 微[4] | wēi | 微 | wēi | 微 | wēi |
| 10−9 | n | nano- | 纖[4] | xiān | 纳 | nà | 奈 | nài |
| 10−12 | p | pico- | 沙[4] | shā | 皮 | pí | 皮 | pí |
| 10−15 | f | femto- | 塵[4] | chén | 飞 | fēi | 飛 | fēi |
| 10−18 | a | atto- | 渺[4] | miǎo | 阿 | à | 阿 | à |
| 10−21 | z | zepto- | 仄 | zè | 介 | jiè | ||
| 10−24 | y | yocto- | 幺 | yāo | 攸 | yōu | ||
| 10−27 | r | ronto- | 柔 | róu | ||||
| 10−30 | q | quecto- | 亏 | kuī | ||||
Reading and transcribing numbers
Whole numbers
Multiple-digit numbers are constructed using a multiplicative principle; first the digit itself (from 1 to 9), then the place (such as 10 or 100); then the next digit.
In Mandarin, the multiplier Шаблон:Zh (liǎng) is often used rather than Шаблон:Zh (èr) for all numbers 200 and greater with the "2" numeral (although as noted earlier this varies from dialect to dialect and person to person). Use of both Шаблон:Zhi (liǎng) or Шаблон:Zhi (èr) are acceptable for the number 200. When writing in the Cantonese dialect, Шаблон:Zhi (yi6) is used to represent the "2" numeral for all numbers. In the southern Min dialect of Chaozhou (Teochew), Шаблон:Zhi (no6) is used to represent the "2" numeral in all numbers from 200 onwards. Thus:
| Number | Structure | Characters | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mandarin | Cantonese | Chaozhou | Shanghainese | ||
| 60 | [6] [10] | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi |
| 20 | [2] [10] or [20] | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi or Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi |
| 200 | [2] (èr or liǎng) [100] | Шаблон:Zhi or Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi or Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi |
| 2000 | [2] (èr or liǎng) [1000] | Шаблон:Zhi or Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi or Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi |
| 45 | [4] [10] [5] | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi or Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi |
| 2,362 | [2] [1000] [3] [100] [6] [10] [2] | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi |
For the numbers 11 through 19, the leading "one" (Шаблон:Zh) is usually omitted. In some dialects, like Shanghainese, when there are only two significant digits in the number, the leading "one" and the trailing zeroes are omitted. Sometimes, the one before "ten" in the middle of a number, such as 213, is omitted. Thus:
| Number | Strict Putonghua | Colloquial or dialect usage | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | Characters | Structure | Characters | |
| 14 | [10] [4] | Шаблон:Zhi | ||
| 12000 | [1] [10000] [2] [1000] | Шаблон:Zhi | [1] [10000] [2] | Шаблон:Zhi or Шаблон:Zhi |
| 114 | [1] [100] [1] [10] [4] | Шаблон:Zhi | [1] [100] [10] [4] | Шаблон:Zhi |
| 1158 | [1] [1000] [1] [100] [5] [10] [8] | Шаблон:Zhi | See note 1 below | |
Notes:
- Nothing is ever omitted in large and more complicated numbers such as this.
In certain older texts like the Protestant Bible or in poetic usage, numbers such as 114 may be written as [100] [10] [4] (Шаблон:Zh).
Outside of Taiwan, digits are sometimes grouped by myriads instead of thousands. Hence it is more convenient to think of numbers here as in groups of four, thus 1,234,567,890 is regrouped here as 12,3456,7890. Larger than a myriad, each number is therefore four zeroes longer than the one before it, thus 10000 × Шаблон:Zh (Шаблон:Zh) = Шаблон:Zh (Шаблон:Zh). If one of the numbers is between 10 and 19, the leading "one" is omitted as per the above point. Hence (numbers in parentheses indicate that the number has been written as one number rather than expanded):
| Number | Structure | Taiwan | Mainland China |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12,345,678,902,345 (12,3456,7890,2345) |
(12) [1,0000,0000,0000] (3456) [1,0000,0000] (7890) [1,0000] (2345) | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi |
In Taiwan, pure Arabic numerals are officially always and only grouped by thousands.[5] Unofficially, they are often not grouped, particularly for numbers below 100,000. Mixed Arabic-Chinese numerals are often used in order to denote myriads. This is used both officially and unofficially, and come in a variety of styles:
| Number | Structure | Mixed numerals |
|---|---|---|
| 12,345,000 | (1234) [1,0000] (5) [1,000] | 1,234萬5千[6] |
| 123,450,000 | (1) [1,0000,0000] (2345) [1,0000] | Шаблон:Zhi[7] |
| 12,345 | (1) [1,0000] (2345) | Шаблон:Zhi[8] |
Interior zeroes before the unit position (as in 1002) must be spelt explicitly. The reason for this is that trailing zeroes (as in 1200) are often omitted as shorthand, so ambiguity occurs. One zero is sufficient to resolve the ambiguity. Where the zero is before a digit other than the units digit, the explicit zero is not ambiguous and is therefore optional, but preferred. Thus:
| Number | Structure | Characters |
|---|---|---|
| 205 | [2] [100] [0] [5] | Шаблон:Zhi |
| 100,004 (10,0004) |
[10] [10,000] [0] [4] | Шаблон:Zhi |
| 10,050,026 (1005,0026) |
(1005) [10,000] (026) or (1005) [10,000] (26) |
Шаблон:Zhi or Шаблон:Zhi |
Fractional values
To construct a fraction, the denominator is written first, followed by Шаблон:Zh, then the literary possessive particle Шаблон:Zh, and lastly the numerator. This is the opposite of how fractions are read in English, which is numerator first. Each half of the fraction is written the same as a whole number. For example, to express "two thirds", the structure "three parts of-this two" is used. Mixed numbers are written with the whole-number part first, followed by Шаблон:Zh, then the fractional part.
| Fraction | Structure |
|---|---|
| Шаблон:Fraction | Шаблон:Fs interlinear |
| Шаблон:Fraction | Шаблон:Fs interlinear |
| Шаблон:Fraction | Шаблон:Fs interlinear |
| 3 Шаблон:Fraction | Шаблон:Fs interlinear |
Percentages are constructed similarly, using Шаблон:Zh as the denominator. (The number 100 is typically expressed as Шаблон:Zh, like the English "one hundred". However, for percentages, Шаблон:Zh is used on its own.)
| Percentage | Structure |
|---|---|
| 25% | Шаблон:Fs interlinear |
| 110% | Шаблон:Fs interlinear |
Because percentages and other fractions are formulated the same, Chinese are more likely than not to express 10%, 20% etc. as "parts of 10" (or 1/10, 2/10, etc. i.e. Шаблон:Lang; shí fēnzhī yī, Шаблон:Lang; shí fēnzhī èr, etc.) rather than "parts of 100" (or 10/100, 20/100, etc. i.e. Шаблон:Lang; bǎi fēnzhī shí, Шаблон:Lang; bǎi fēnzhī èrshí, etc.)
In Taiwan, the most common formation of percentages in the spoken language is the number per hundred followed by the word Шаблон:Zhi, a contraction of the Japanese Шаблон:Lang; pāsento, itself taken from the English "percent". Thus 25% is Шаблон:Lang; èrshíwǔ pā.Шаблон:Refn
Decimal numbers are constructed by first writing the whole number part, then inserting a point (Шаблон:Zh), and finally the fractional part. The fractional part is expressed using only the numbers for 0 to 9, similarly to English.
| Decimal expression | Structure |
|---|---|
| 16.98 | Шаблон:Fs interlinear |
| 12345.6789 | Шаблон:Fs interlinear |
| 75.4025 | Шаблон:Fs interlinear |
| 0.1 | Шаблон:Fs interlinear |
Шаблон:Zh functions as a number and therefore requires a measure word. For example: Шаблон:Zh.
Ordinal numbers
Ordinal numbers are formed by adding Шаблон:Zh ("sequence") before the number.
| Ordinal | Structure |
|---|---|
| 1st | Шаблон:Fs interlinear |
| 2nd | Шаблон:Fs interlinear |
| 82nd | Шаблон:Fs interlinear |
The Heavenly Stems are a traditional Chinese ordinal system.
Negative numbers
Negative numbers are formed by adding fù (Шаблон:Lang-zh) before the number.
| Number | Structure |
|---|---|
| −1158 | Шаблон:Fs interlinear |
| −3 5/6 | Шаблон:Fs interlinear |
| −75.4025 | Шаблон:Fs interlinear |
Usage
Шаблон:See also Chinese grammar requires the use of classifiers (measure words) when a numeral is used together with a noun to express a quantity. For example, "three people" is expressed as Шаблон:Zh, "three (Шаблон:Zh particle) person", where Шаблон:Zh/Шаблон:Zh Шаблон:Zh is a classifier. There exist many different classifiers, for use with different sets of nouns, although Шаблон:Zh/Шаблон:Zh is the most common, and may be used informally in place of other classifiers.
Chinese uses cardinal numbers in certain situations in which English would use ordinals. For example, Шаблон:Zh (literally "three story/storey") means "third floor" ("second floor" in British Шаблон:Section link). Likewise, Шаблон:Zh (literally "twenty-one century") is used for "21st century".[9]
Numbers of years are commonly spoken as a sequence of digits, as in Шаблон:Zh ("two zero zero one") for the year 2001.[10] Names of months and days (in the Western system) are also expressed using numbers: Шаблон:Zh ("one month") for January, etc.; and Шаблон:Zh ("week one") for Monday, etc. There is only one exception: Sunday is Шаблон:Zh, or informally Шаблон:Zh, both literally "week day". When meaning "week", "Шаблон:Zh" Шаблон:Zh and "Шаблон:Zh" Шаблон:Zh are interchangeable. "Шаблон:Zh" Шаблон:Zh or "Шаблон:Zh" Шаблон:Zh means "day of worship". Chinese Catholics call Sunday "Шаблон:Zh" Шаблон:Zh, "Lord's day".[11]
Full dates are usually written in the format 2001年1月20日 for January 20, 2001 (using Шаблон:Zh "year", Шаблон:Zh "month", and Шаблон:Zh "day") – all the numbers are read as cardinals, not ordinals, with no leading zeroes, and the year is read as a sequence of digits. For brevity the Шаблон:Zh, Шаблон:Zh and Шаблон:Zh may be dropped to give a date composed of just numbers. For example "6-4" in Chinese is "six-four", short for "month six, day four" i.e. June Fourth, a common Chinese shorthand for the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests (because of the violence that occurred on June 4). For another example 67, in Chinese is sixty seven, short for year nineteen sixty seven, a common Chinese shorthand for the Hong Kong 1967 leftist riots.
Counting rod and Suzhou numerals
In the same way that Roman numerals were standard in ancient and medieval Europe for mathematics and commerce, the Chinese formerly used the rod numerals, which is a positional system. The Suzhou numerals (Шаблон:Zh) system is a variation of the Southern Song rod numerals. Nowadays, the huāmǎ system is only used for displaying prices in Chinese markets or on traditional handwritten invoices.
Hand gestures
Шаблон:Main There is a common method of using of one hand to signify the numbers one to ten. While the five digits on one hand can easily express the numbers one to five, six to ten have special signs that can be used in commerce or day-to-day communication.
Historical use of numerals in China
Most Chinese numerals of later periods were descendants of the Shang dynasty oracle numerals of the 14th century BC. The oracle bone script numerals were found on tortoise shell and animal bones. In early civilizations, the Shang were able to express any numbers, however large, with only nine symbols and a counting board though it was still not positional .[13]
Some of the bronze script numerals such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, and 13 became part of the system of rod numerals.
In this system, horizontal rod numbers are used for the tens, thousands, hundred thousands etc. It is written in Sunzi Suanjing that "one is vertical, ten is horizontal".[14]
| Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi | Шаблон:Zhi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Файл:Counting rod v7.png | Файл:Counting rod h1.png | Файл:Counting rod v8.png | Файл:Counting rod h2.png | Файл:Counting rod v4.png |
| 7 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 4 |
The counting rod numerals system has place value and decimal numerals for computation, and was used widely by Chinese merchants, mathematicians and astronomers from the Han dynasty to the 16th century.
In 690 AD, Empress Wǔ promulgated Zetian characters, one of which was "〇". The word is now used as a synonym for the number zero.Шаблон:Refn
Alexander Wylie, Christian missionary to China, in 1853 already refuted the notion that "the Chinese numbers were written in words at length", and stated that in ancient China, calculation was carried out by means of counting rods, and "the written character is evidently a rude presentation of these". After being introduced to the rod numerals, he said "Having thus obtained a simple but effective system of figures, we find the Chinese in actual use of a method of notation depending on the theory of local value [i.e. place-value], several centuries before such theory was understood in Europe, and while yet the science of numbers had scarcely dawned among the Arabs."[15]
During the Ming and Qing dynasties (after Arabic numerals were introduced into China), some Chinese mathematicians used Chinese numeral characters as positional system digits. After the Qing period, both the Chinese numeral characters and the Suzhou numerals were replaced by Arabic numerals in mathematical writings.
Cultural influences
Traditional Chinese numeric characters are also used in Japan and Korea and were used in Vietnam before the 20th century. In vertical text (that is, read top to bottom), using characters for numbers is the norm, while in horizontal text, Arabic numerals are most common. Chinese numeric characters are also used in much the same formal or decorative fashion that Roman numerals are in Western cultures. Chinese numerals may appear together with Arabic numbers on the same sign or document.
See also
Notes
References
Шаблон:Reflist Шаблон:Chinese language
- ↑ 大寫數字『 Шаблон:Webarchive
- ↑ 2,0 2,1 2,2 2,3 2,4 Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ 3,0 3,1 3,2 3,3 3,4 Шаблон:Cite book
- ↑ 4,00 4,01 4,02 4,03 4,04 4,05 4,06 4,07 4,08 4,09 4,10 Шаблон:In lang 1981 Gazette of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Шаблон:Webarchive, No. 365 Шаблон:Webarchive, page 575, Table 7: SI prefixes
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Yip, Po-Ching; Rimmington, Don, Chinese: A Comprehensive Grammar, Routledge, 2004, p. 12.
- ↑ Yip, Po-Ching; Rimmington, Don, Chinese: A Comprehensive Grammar, Routledge, 2004, p. 13.
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ The Shorter Science & Civilisation in China Vol 2, An abridgement by Colin Ronan of Joseph Needham's original text, Table 20, p. 6, Cambridge University Press Шаблон:Isbn
- ↑ The Shorter Science & Civilisation in China Vol 2, An abridgement by Colin Ronan of Joseph Needham's original text, p5, Cambridge University Press Шаблон:ISBN
- ↑ Chinese Wikisource Шаблон:Webarchive 孫子算經: Шаблон:Zhi，Шаблон:Zhi，Шаблон:Zhi，Шаблон:Zhi，Шаблон:Zhi。
- ↑ Alexander Wylie, Jottings on the Sciences of the Chinese, North Chinese Herald, 1853, Shanghai
