Pay and count in Chinese: 块, 元, and 个本张
Numbers, prices, currencies, measures and essential classifiers.
Editorial: Javier Garcia Floriano · Contact
Founder of Chinese Trainer. These lists come from the app's HSK inventory (hanzi, pinyin, band), not from an official exam PDF.
Paying in China is a number plus a measure word, not a maths lecture. HSK 1 already gets you to 100 and 多少钱. At the till you hear 块, not 元: 十二块. 元 shows up on signs, receipts and the exam paper. This page keeps quantities, prices and measures (斤, 两, 公斤) and teaches 个, 本 and 张 — the three classifiers that save you in a 便利店. Chinese Trainer tags each row with HSK; the same words feed SRS. Save 一 through 十, 两, 百 and 块 first, and leave 百分之 and tiny decimals until you can hear a price without asking them to write it. At a stall, 这个多少钱 and 便宜一点 move more money than reciting the seven-times table.
Key takeaways
- Spoken yuan is 块. 元 is written, formal, or exam-register.
- Two of a measure word takes 两, not 二 (两块, 两个, 两本).
- 个 for generic things, 本 for books, 张 for flat things (paper, tables, tickets).
- 一 is yāo on phone numbers and order codes; in ordinary prices it stays yī.
- This list is this site's inventory, not an official HSK booklet.
How to use these words
The scene is a 便利店 till at 22:00. The reader says 十五块. You do not need to convert to your home currency out loud. Repeat the number, show the QR, and if you miss the classifier the cashier still charges you — they just hear “foreigner”. 个 covers bottles and snacks when you do not know the specific measure. 本 is the notebook next to them. 张 is the SIM card or metro ticket sold in the same aisle.
At the 菜市场 the unit changes. Greens are weighed in 斤 (half a kilo) and sometimes 两. 三斤西红柿 is not “three tomatoes”; it is weight. Ask 多少钱一斤, not 多少钱一个, if the pile is on the scale. 两 as “two” and 两 as a weight unit split by context: 两块钱 versus 二两肉. Do not mix 二个 with 两个: Chinese ears want 两.
For big numbers, 百 and 千 cover HSK 1–2. 一万 is the first jump you hear in rents. Practice hearing 一百五 (150) without stuffing in an extra 十. If they dictate a phone number, 一 becomes yāo and 七 sometimes gets extra stress. The dialogue below is a payment, not an abacus lesson: say it with the phone in your hand.
How this list was built
The published count is 186 rows for this situation after exclusions, not the raw keyword match. We checked this inventory against the HSK bands on chinesetest.cn. HSK is the level tagged on each row. Chinese Trainer is the app whose SRS uses the same rows. Chinese numbers is the situation this page teaches.
Word list
186 words in this topic (cleaned list) · HSK 1–2
Basic numbers
| HSK | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一 | yī | one |
| 1 | 七 | qī | seven |
| 1 | 三 | sān | three |
| 1 | 两 | liǎng | two |
| 1 | 九 | jiǔ | nine |
| 1 | 二 | èr | two |
| 1 | 六 | liù / lù | six |
| 1 | 再 | zài | again |
| 1 | 十 | shí | ten |
| 1 | 四 | sì | four |
| 1 | 百 | bǎi | one hundred |
| 1 | 零 | líng | zero |
| 1 | 身体 | shēntǐ | the body |
| 2 | 千 | qiān | thousand |
| 2 | 宜 | yí | fitting |
| 2 | 己 | jǐ | self |
| 2 | 数 | shù / shǔ / shuò | count |
| 2 | 听说 | tīngshuō | to hear |
| 2 | 外地 | wàidì | parts of the country other than where one is |
| 2 | 心中 | xīnzhōng | central point |
| 2 | 报名 | bàomíng | to sign up |
| 2 | 自己 | zìjǐ | oneself |
| 2 | 随便 | suíbiàn | as one wishes |
| 3 | 各 | gè | individual |
| 3 | 每 | měi | each |
| 3 | 个人 | gèrén | an individual |
| 3 | 体验 | tǐyàn | to experience for oneself |
| 3 | 分别 | fēnbié | to part |
| 3 | 自身 | zìshēn | itself |
| 4 | 码 | mǎ | number |
| 4 | 个别 | gèbié | individually |
| 4 | 之一 | zhīyī | one of |
| 4 | 号码 | hàomǎ | number |
| 4 | 无数 | wúshù | countless |
| 4 | 眼里 | yǎnli | in one's eyes |
| 4 | 竟然 | jìngrán | unexpectedly |
| 4 | 纷纷 | fēnfēn | one after another |
| 4 | 自信 | zìxìn | to have confidence in oneself |
| 4 | 表情 | biǎoqíng | expression |
| 5 | 匹 | pǐ | bolt of cloth |
| 5 | 筑 | zhù | building |
| 5 | 倒是 | dàoshì | contrary to what one might expect |
| 5 | 增多 | zēngduō | to increase |
| 5 | 居然 | jūrán | unexpectedly |
| 5 | 彼此 | bǐcǐ | each other |
| 5 | 或是 | huòshì | or |
| 5 | 数目 | shùmù | amount |
| 5 | 随意 | suíyì | as one wishes |
| 6 | 伍 | wǔ | five |
| 6 | 不料 | bùliào | unexpectedly |
| 6 | 两侧 | liǎngcè | two sides |
| 6 | 两手 | liǎngshǒu | one's two hands |
| 6 | 凡是 | fánshì | each and every |
| 6 | 名额 | míng'é | quota |
| 6 | 楼房 | lóufáng | a building of two or more stories |
| 6 | 次数 | cìshù | number of times |
| 6 | 留言 | liúyán | to leave a message |
| 6 | 自我 | zìwǒ | the self |
| 6 | 要么 | yàome | or |
| 6 | 车号 | chēhào | license-plate number |
| 7 | 吴 | wú | one of several warring states |
| 7 | 鼎 | dǐng | large |
| 7 | 一一 | yīyī | one by one |
| 7 | 一卡通 | yīkǎtōng | all-in-one card |
| 7 | 不得已 | bùdéyǐ | must |
| 7 | 举世无双 | jǔshì-wúshuāng | unrivaled |
| 7 | 五星级 | wǔxīngjí | five-star |
| 7 | 亲生 | qīnshēng | one's own |
| 7 | 亲身 | qīnshēn | personally |
| 7 | 仇人 | chóurén | foe |
| 7 | 使命 | shǐmìng | mission |
| 7 | 保管 | bǎoguǎn | to hold in safekeeping |
| 7 | 兼顾 | jiāngù | to handle two or more responsibilities at the same time |
| 7 | 力不从心 | lìbùcóngxīn | to lack the ability to do what one would wish |
| 7 | 力争 | lìzhēng | to work hard for |
| 7 | 力求 | lìqiú | to make every effort to |
| 7 | 半数 | bànshù | half the number |
| 7 | 反省 | fǎnxǐng | to reflect upon oneself |
| 7 | 口气 | kǒuqì | tone of voice |
| 7 | 各奔前程 | gèbènqiánchéng | each goes his own way |
| 7 | 壮胆 | zhuàngdǎn | to get one’s courage up |
| 7 | 如意 | rúyì | as one wants |
| 7 | 如愿以偿 | rúyuànyǐcháng | to have one's wish fulfilled |
| 7 | 如果说 | rúguǒ shuō | if |
| 7 | 宁可 | nìngkě | preferably |
| 7 | 对峙 | duìzhì | to stand facing each other |
| 7 | 尽情 | jìnqíng | as much as one likes |
| 7 | 年限 | niánxiàn | age limit |
| 7 | 底线 | dǐxiàn | bottom line |
| 7 | 心得 | xīndé | what one has learned |
| 7 | 心眼儿 | xīnyǎnr | one's thoughts |
| 7 | 心里话 | xīnlǐhuà | true feelings |
| 7 | 恨不得 | hènbude | to hate to be unable |
| 7 | 所作所为 | suǒzuò-suǒwéi | one's conduct and deeds |
| 7 | 扑面而来 | pūmiàn-érlái | lit. something hits one in the face |
| 7 | 拼命 | pīnmìng | to do one's utmost |
| 7 | 接二连三 | jiē'èr-liánsān | one after another |
| 7 | 收留 | shōuliú | to offer shelter |
| 7 | 整数 | zhěngshù | whole number |
| 7 | 晚年 | wǎnnián | one's later years |
| 7 | 有两下子 | yǒu liǎngxiàzi | to have real skill |
| 7 | 未知数 | wèizhīshù | unknown number |
| 7 | 本分 | běnfèn | one's part |
| 7 | 生平 | shēngpíng | life |
| 7 | 相提并论 | xiāngtí-bìnglùn | to discuss two disparate things together |
| 7 | 空隙 | kòngxì | crack |
| 7 | 编号 | biānhào | serial number |
| 7 | 翻番 | fānfān | to double |
| 7 | 聚精会神 | jùjīng-huìshén | to concentrate one's attention |
| 7 | 胡思乱想 | húsī-luànxiǎng | to indulge in flights of fancy |
| 7 | 自费 | zìfèi | at one's own expense |
| 7 | 若干 | ruògān | a certain number or amount |
| 7 | 表态 | biǎotài | to declare one's position |
| 7 | 言行 | yánxíng | words and actions |
| 7 | 认错 | rèncuò | to admit an error |
| 7 | 记忆犹新 | jìyì-yóuxīn | to remain fresh in one's memory |
| 7 | 评定 | píngdìng | to evaluate |
| 7 | 账号 | zhànghào | account number |
| 7 | 遂心 | suìxīn | to one's liking |
| 7 | 醒悟 | xǐngwù | to come to oneself |
| 7 | 铭记 | míngjì | to engrave in one's memory |
| 7 | 随心所欲 | suíxīnsuǒyù | to follow one's heart's desires |
| 7 | 随身 | suíshēn | to on one's person |
| 7 | 隐情 | yǐnqíng | something one wishes to keep secret |
| 7 | 顺手 | shùnshǒu | as an incidental action while doing something else |
125 words · Practice them in the app
Prices: 块 and 元
| HSK | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 元 | yuán | first |
| 1 | 块 | kuài | piece |
| 3 | 价 | jià | price |
| 3 | 值 | zhí | price |
| 3 | 价格 | jiàgé | price |
| 3 | 价钱 | jiàqián | price |
| 3 | 票价 | piàojià | ticket price |
| 4 | 特价 | tèjià | special price |
| 4 | 降价 | jiàngjià | to cut the price |
| 4 | 高价 | gāojià | high price |
| 5 | 涨 | zhǎng / zhàng | flood tide |
| 5 | 涨价 | zhǎngjià | to appreciate |
| 6 | 定价 | dìngjià | to set a price |
| 6 | 房价 | fángjià | house price |
| 6 | 至于 | zhìyú | to go so far as to |
| 7 | 低价 | dījià | low price |
| 7 | 售价 | shòujià | selling price |
| 7 | 平价 | píngjià | reasonably priced |
| 7 | 廉价 | liánjià | cheaply-priced |
| 7 | 拍卖 | pāimài | to auction |
| 7 | 行情 | hángqíng | market price |
| 7 | 身价 | shēnjià | social status |
22 words · Practice them in the app
个, 本, 张
| HSK | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 个 | gè / gě | measure word (general) |
| 1 | 本 | běn | root |
| 1 | 条 | tiáo | clause |
| 1 | 杯 | bēi | cup |
| 2 | 件 | jiàn | item |
| 2 | 量 | liáng / liàng | measure |
| 3 | 张 | zhāng | to display |
| 3 | 尽量 | jǐnliàng | as much as possible |
| 4 | 毫 | háo | fine hair |
| 4 | 临时 | línshí | as the time draws near |
| 5 | 尽可能 | jìn kěnéng | as far as possible |
| 7 | 艘 | sōu | for ships or vessels |
| 7 | 有所 | yǒusuǒ | to some extent |
| 7 | 有所不同 | yǒusuǒ bù tóng | to differ to some extent |
| 7 | 深受 | shēnshòu | to receive in no small measure |
| 7 | 特制 | tèzhì | specially made |
16 words · Practice them in the app
Weight and 斤
| HSK | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 斤 | jīn | a catty |
| 2 | 公斤 | gōngjīn | kilogram |
| 2 | 千克 | qiānkè | kilogram |
3 words · Practice them in the app
Half and percent
| HSK | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一半 | yībàn | half |
| 1 | 半天 | bàntiān | half of the day |
| 4 | 期中 | qīzhōng | interim |
| 7 | 中途 | zhōngtú | partway through |
| 7 | 半信半疑 | bànxìn-bànyí | half believing |
| 7 | 半场 | bànchǎng | half of a game or contest |
| 7 | 半真半假 | bànzhēn-bànjiǎ | half true and half false |
| 7 | 半路 | bànlù | halfway |
| 7 | 半边天 | bànbiāntiān | half the sky |
| 7 | 第一手 | dìyīshǒu | first-hand |
| 7 | 第一线 | dìyīxiàn | front line |
| 7 | 过半 | guòbàn | oifty percent |
12 words · Practice them in the app
Other words in this topic
| HSK | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 万 | wàn / mò | ten thousand |
| 2 | 亿 | yì | hundred million |
| 3 | 千万 | qiānwàn | ten million |
| 4 | 陆 | lù | land |
| 7 | 旬 | xún | ten-day period |
| 7 | 万万 | wànwàn | hundred million |
| 7 | 千方百计 | qiānfāng-bǎijì | lit. thousand ways |
| 7 | 千钧一发 | qiānjūn-yīfà | a thousand pounds hangs by a thread |
8 words · Practice them in the app
Example sentences
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这个多少钱？ | Zhège duōshao qián? | How much is this? |
| 十二块。 | Shí'èr kuài. | Twelve kuai. |
| 我要两本。 | Wǒ yào liǎng běn. | I want two (books/notebooks). |
| 三张票，一共一百五。 | Sān zhāng piào, yígòng yìbǎi wǔ. | Three tickets, 150 in all. |
| 四个，行吗？ | Sì ge, xíng ma? | Four — OK? |
| 西红柿多少钱一斤？ | Xīhóngshì duōshao qián yì jīn? | How much for a jin of tomatoes? |
| 太贵了，便宜一点。 | Tài guì le, piányi yìdiǎn. | That's expensive — a bit cheaper. |
| 一半就行。 | Yíbàn jiù xíng. | Half is enough. |
| 我的电话是一三八… | Wǒ de diànhuà shì yāo sān bā… | My number is 138… |
| 一共二十元，可以扫码。 | Yígòng èrshí yuán, kěyǐ sǎo mǎ. | Twenty yuan in all — you can scan. |
Dialogue: paying at a 便利店 and asking for weight
Neighbourhood till. The price comes in 块. Numbers and measures only.
| Speaker | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashier | 一共十五块。 | Yígòng shíwǔ kuài. | Fifteen kuai in all. |
| You | 两瓶水多少钱？ | Liǎng píng shuǐ duōshao qián? | How much for two bottles of water? |
| Cashier | 六块。这本呢？再加八块。 | Liù kuài. Zhè běn ne? Zài jiā bā kuài. | Six. And this notebook? Eight more. |
| You | 我要一张卡。 | Wǒ yào yì zhāng kǎ. | I want one card. |
| Cashier | 二十块。扫码还是现金？ | Èrshí kuài. Sǎo mǎ háishi xiànjīn? | Twenty. QR or cash? |
| You | 扫码。一共多少？ | Sǎo mǎ. Yígòng duōshao? | QR. What's the total? |
| Cashier | 四十九块。 | Sìshíjiǔ kuài. | Forty-nine kuai. |
| You | 好。西红柿多少钱一斤？ | Hǎo. Xīhóngshì duōshao qián yì jīn? | OK. How much for a jin of tomatoes? |
| Cashier | 这儿不卖。去菜市场。 | Zhèr bú mài. Qù càishìchǎng. | We don't sell those. Go to the wet market. |
| You | 谢谢。一半就行。啊，不是这儿。 | Xièxie. Yíbàn jiù xíng. À, bú shì zhèr. | Thanks. Half would do — ah, not here. |
Measure words for this topic
个 is the default (people, apples, problems). 本 covers books, notebooks and magazines. 张 covers paper, tables, beds, tickets and cards. 条 for fish, rivers, trousers and news items. 斤 is a weight unit, not a count classifier. 二个 almost always sounds wrong: say 两个.
Common mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 二元 at a stall | 两块 | The street says 块 and 两. 元 sounds like a sign or a textbook. |
| 二个苹果 | 两个苹果 | Before a measure word, two is 两. |
| 三个书 | 三本书 | Books take 本, not 个. |
| 一个票 | 一张票 | Tickets, paper and tables take 张. |
| Reading 一 as yī in a phone number | yāo | In phone numbers and codes, 一 is yāo so it does not clash with 七. |
FAQ
What is the difference between 块 and 元?
块 is what you hear when you pay. 元 is the written and exam word. WeChat may show 元; you still say 块.
Why can't I say 二个?
二 names the digit and shows up in phone numbers. Before a classifier or 块, Chinese wants 两.
Which classifiers should I learn first?
个, 本 and 张 cover a 便利店 and a classroom. Then 条, 杯 and 件. 斤 is a weight unit, not a 个 for greens.
How much HSK do I need to hear a price?
HSK 1 is enough if you know 一–百 and 块. The rest of this list is weight, percentages and big rental numbers.
How do I practice numbers?
Save 一 to 十, 两, 百 and 块 in Chinese Trainer SRS and pay out loud with grocery receipts. Do not memorize 兆 in month one.
Practice in the app
The same number rows feed Chinese Trainer SRS. Start HSK 1–2 free, save 块 and 两, and run today's deck before the next till.