Large Numbers with 千, 万, and 亿 in Chinese
千/万/亿
Mandarin builds large numbers around units of ten, hundred, thousand, ten-thousand, and hundred-million. 万 groups four zeros and 亿 groups eight, so English comma groupings do not map word for word. Use 零 to bridge a skipped internal place before a later nonzero digit.
Published July 23, 2026
Reviewed July 23, 2026
01 / PATTERN
See the Structure
MODEL
Digit + 千/万/亿 + Lower Units
Read the structure
Mandarin builds large numbers around units of ten, hundred, thousand, ten-thousand, and hundred-million. 万 groups four zeros and 亿 groups eight, so English comma groupings do not map word for word. Use 零 to bridge a skipped internal place before a later nonzero digit. Keep the model Digit + 千/万/亿 + Lower Units visible while you compare each sentence.
这里有两千人。
There are two thousand people here.
Choose the right context
Use 千 after a digit to express thousands. Use 万 as the unit for ten thousand rather than saying ten thousands mechanically. Insert 零 when an internal place is skipped and a lower nonzero digit follows.
这辆车十万元。
This car costs one hundred thousand yuan.
Respect the boundary
Do not treat 万 as if it meant one thousand. Do not omit 零 across a skipped internal place before a later digit. Do not repeat a unit after every zero in a written number.
1005读作一千零五零。
(1005 is read one thousand, zero, five, zero.)
Repair the pattern
Extra 零 follows a completed whole-number reading: 一千零五 is the complete whole-number reading of 1005; an additional final 零 cannot be appended after the units digit. Skipped place uses two 零: A single 零 bridges the entire run of skipped hundreds and tens positions; it is not repeated for each zero digit.
1005读作一千零五。
Use the repaired structure without changing the intended meaning.
02 / MAP
Read the Sentence
Read from left to right and notice the job performed by each part. The labels describe this example; they are not a rule that every Chinese sentence must copy.
这里有两千人。
There are two thousand people here.
这里
Digit
This part occupies the Digit position in the model pattern.
有
千/万/亿
This part occupies the 千/万/亿 position in the model pattern.
两千
Lower Units
This part occupies the Lower Units position in the model pattern.
人
Digit
This part occupies the Digit position in the model pattern.
03 / EXAMPLES
Examples You Can Reuse
Keep the structure stable while changing the people, objects, times, or conditions. Pinyin is shown as reading support; use the Chinese sentence and translation to confirm the grammar relationship.
这里有两千人。
There are two thousand people here.
这辆车十万元。
This car costs one hundred thousand yuan.
他的学校有一万零五十个学生。
His school has 10,050 students.
04 / LIMITS
When to Use It — and When Not To
Use it when
- Use 千 after a digit to express thousands.
- Use 万 as the unit for ten thousand rather than saying ten thousands mechanically.
- Insert 零 when an internal place is skipped and a lower nonzero digit follows.
Do not use it when
- Do not treat 万 as if it meant one thousand.
- Do not omit 零 across a skipped internal place before a later digit.
- Do not repeat a unit after every zero in a written number.
05 / REPAIR
Compare Right and Wrong
Compare the smallest meaningful change. Each explanation identifies a placement, scope, form, or clause relationship instead of treating the whole sentence as one undifferentiated mistake.
1005读作一千零五零。
1005读作一千零五。
Extra 零 follows a completed whole-number reading
一千零五 is the complete whole-number reading of 1005; an additional final 零 cannot be appended after the units digit.
1005读作一千零零五。
1005读作一千零五。
Skipped place uses two 零
A single 零 bridges the entire run of skipped hundreds and tens positions; it is not repeated for each zero digit.
1005读作一千零五零。
一千零五 is the complete whole-number reading of 1005; an additional final 零 cannot be appended after the units digit.
1005读作一千零零五。
A single 零 bridges the entire run of skipped hundreds and tens positions; it is not repeated for each zero digit.
06 / PRACTICE
Practice the Grammar Point
Complete three short tasks in order: judge the pattern, repair a common error, and build the sentence. Feedback is fixed and reviewed, so these activities do not use a checker allowance.
1. Judge the sentence
2. Choose the correction
3. Build the sentence
Build a complete sentence with 千/万/亿.
07 / APPLY
Apply It in Your Sentence
Write one original sentence with 千/万/亿. Your draft moves to the checker through this browser session, selects this grammar point as the first review focus, and waits for you to submit.
08 / QUESTIONS
Large Numbers with 千, 万, and 亿 Questions
How much is one 亿?
It is 100,000,000, or one hundred million.
Why is 100,000 十万?
Mandarin groups this quantity as ten units of ten thousand.
09 / SOURCES
Sources and Review Notes
These references support different parts of the lesson. GF0025-2021 supports level placement only; professional grammar works support the explanation, limits, examples, and cross-checks. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement.
Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (GF0025-2021)
Ministry of Education and State Language Commission · Ministry of Education of the PRC · 2021
Locator: GF0025-2021 Appendix A, Level 2 item 【二09】 (PDF p. 186)
Provides official Level 2 directory placement and examples only; it does not establish the learner-facing usage explanation.
Official sourceModern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide, 3rd ed.
Ross, Ma, Chen, He and Yeh · Routledge · 2024
Locator: Chapter 6, Numbers; cardinal numbers and large-number units
Explains the decimal unit sequence, the special grouping roles of 万 and 亿, and 零 in spoken numbers.
Official source10 / CONTINUE
Continue with a Connected Rule
Compare
A一量词，B一量词Alternating Unit Pattern A一量词，B一量词
Compare the exact large number composed of 千万亿 and the sub-item distribution of A一量词B一量词 to distinguish the total amount and individual configuration.
Compare
数词+量词+抽象事物Quantifying Abstract Matters
Compare place-value numbers with 千、万、亿 against classifier phrases such as 三项任务 or 两种可能.
Continue learning
数量短语Basic Quantity Phrases
Compose 千万亿 according to Chinese digits to complete 数量短语, and then review the connection rules of numerals and quantifier nouns.
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Compose 千万亿 according to Chinese digits to complete 数量短语, and then review the connection rules of numerals and quantifier nouns.