Reading Money Amounts in Chinese
块 / 毛 / 分
Spoken mainland Mandarin reads money from larger units to smaller ones: 块, then 毛, then 分. 九块三 means 9.30 yuan because the final 毛 can be omitted in casual speech. Keep the units in descending order. Do not place 毛 or 分 before a following 块 amount.
Published July 23, 2026
Reviewed July 23, 2026
01 / PATTERN
See the Structure
MODEL
Whole Units + 块 + Tenths + 毛 + Hundredths + 分
Read the structure
Spoken mainland Mandarin reads money from larger units to smaller ones: 块, then 毛, then 分. 九块三 means 9.30 yuan because the final 毛 can be omitted in casual speech. Keep the units in descending order. Do not place 毛 or 分 before a following 块 amount. Keep the model Whole Units + 块 + Tenths + 毛 + Hundredths + 分 visible while you compare each sentence.
这本书九块三。
This book costs 9.30 yuan.
Choose the right context
State whole yuan with 块 in conversation: 五块。 Add tenths after 块 with 毛 or a bare final digit: 九块三。 Add hundredths after 毛 with 分 when the exact amount matters.
这杯茶十五块六毛。
This tea costs 15.60 yuan.
Respect the boundary
Do not reverse the order of 块 and 毛 or 分. Do not interpret a bare digit after 块 as another whole-yuan amount. Do not use this colloquial unit set as the only formal written price format.
这本书三毛九块。
(This book costs 9.30 yuan.)
Repair the pattern
毛 amount placed before the larger 块 amount: Money units run from larger to smaller. The 块 amount must come before the 毛 amount: 九块三毛, often shortened to 九块三. 分 amount placed before the larger 块 amount: 分 is smaller than 块, so it cannot precede the whole-yuan amount. Read the amount from 块 down to 分.
这本书九块三。
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.
这本书九块三。
This book costs 9.30 yuan.
这
Whole Units
This part occupies the Whole Units position in the model pattern.
本
块
This part occupies the 块 position in the model pattern.
书
Tenths
This part occupies the Tenths position in the model pattern.
九块
毛
This part occupies the 毛 position in the model pattern.
三
Hundredths
This part occupies the Hundredths 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.
这本书九块三。
This book costs 9.30 yuan.
这杯茶十五块六毛。
This tea costs 15.60 yuan.
一共二十五块零八分。
The total is 25.08 yuan.
04 / LIMITS
When to Use It — and When Not To
Use it when
- State whole yuan with 块 in conversation: 五块。
- Add tenths after 块 with 毛 or a bare final digit: 九块三。
- Add hundredths after 毛 with 分 when the exact amount matters.
Do not use it when
- Do not reverse the order of 块 and 毛 or 分.
- Do not interpret a bare digit after 块 as another whole-yuan amount.
- Do not use this colloquial unit set as the only formal written price format.
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.
这本书三毛九块。
这本书九块三。
毛 amount placed before the larger 块 amount
Money units run from larger to smaller. The 块 amount must come before the 毛 amount: 九块三毛, often shortened to 九块三.
这杯茶五分三块。
这杯茶三块零五分。
分 amount placed before the larger 块 amount
分 is smaller than 块, so it cannot precede the whole-yuan amount. Read the amount from 块 down to 分.
这本书三毛九块。
Money units run from larger to smaller. The 块 amount must come before the 毛 amount: 九块三毛, often shortened to 九块三.
这杯茶五分三块。
分 is smaller than 块, so it cannot precede the whole-yuan amount. Read the amount from 块 down to 分.
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 块 / 毛 / 分.
07 / APPLY
Apply It in Your Sentence
Write one original sentence with 块 / 毛 / 分. 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
Reading Money Amounts Questions
What does 九块三 mean?
It means nine yuan and three mao, or 9.30 yuan. In casual speech, 毛 can be omitted when the final digit clearly gives tenths.
What order do Chinese money units follow?
From larger to smaller: 块, 毛, 分. For example, 15.63 yuan is 十五块六毛三分.
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: Appendix A, A.1.6.1 数的表示法, 【一43】钱数表示法
Supports placement in HSK 1; it does not independently establish the usage explanation.
Official sourceModern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide, 3rd ed.
Ross, Ma, Chen, He and Yeh · Routledge · 2024
Locator: §8.5 (money and prices)
Spoken money expressions are noun phrases built with the classifier units 块, 毛, and 分 in descending value order, with smaller unit labels sometimes omitted.
Official source10 / CONTINUE
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