Mastering Numerals & Quantitative Grammar (数词与量表达)
Welcome to your complete revision guide for Numerals under the Pearson Edexcel A Level Chinese (9CN0) specification. Whether you are preparing for spoken Mandarin or Cantonese, discussing statistical trends in Paper 3 (Speaking / IRP), translating challenging quantitative texts in Paper 1, or translating precise English prose into Chinese in Paper 2, getting numbers right is essential.
Don't worry if quantitative Chinese feels confusing at first! While English and Chinese often structure numbers in opposite ways, Chinese numerical grammar actually follows very logical, consistent rules. Let's break each structure down step-by-step.
---1. Fractions (分数的表达)
The Core Rule: Think "Total Parts First"
In English, we say the numerator (the top number) first and the denominator (the bottom number) second: "three quarters" (\(\frac{3}{4}\)).
In Chinese, this order is strictly reversed. You state the total number of parts into which the whole is divided first, followed by the specific number of parts you have.
Standard Formula:
Denominator + 分之 + Numerator
- \(\frac{3}{4}\) = 四分之三 (sì fēn zhī sān / Cantonese: sei3 fan1 zi1 saam1) — Literally: "Out of four parts, three."
- \(\frac{2}{3}\) = 三分之二 (sān fēn zhī èr) — Literally: "Out of three parts, two."
- \(\frac{1}{2}\) = 二分之一 (èr fēn zhī yī) — (You can also say 一半 yíbàn for "half").
Using Fractions in Full Sentences
When a fraction modifies a noun, attach it using the structural particle 的 (de):
我们学校四分之三的老师都是男老师。
(Three quarters of the teachers in our school are male teachers.)
Key Rule to Remember:
When reading the number 2 in fractions, always use 二 (èr), never 两 (liǎng). Write \(\frac{2}{3}\) as 三分之二, never 三分之两.
Key Takeaway: Always invert English fractions: \(\frac{A}{B}\) is expressed as B 分之 A.
---2. Percentages (百分比 / 百分数)
The Core Rule: A Fraction out of 100
A percentage is simply a fraction where the denominator is always fixed at 100 (百分, bǎifēn).
Standard Formula:
百分之 + Number
- \(66\%\) = 百分之六十六 (bǎi fēn zhī liùshíliù)
- \(50\%\) = 百分之五十 (bǎi fēn zhī wǔshí)
- \(25.5\%\) = 百分之二十五点五 (bǎi fēn zhī èrshíwǔ diǎn wǔ)
Example in Context:
我们班百分之六十六的学生都是中国人。
(66% of the students in our class are Chinese.)
Key Takeaway: Replace the "%" symbol directly with the prefix 百分之 before the number.
---3. Decimals (小数)
The Core Rule: Read Point-by-Point
The decimal point is written and read as 点 (Traditional: 點, diǎn). The whole number before the decimal is read normally, but every digit after the decimal point must be read individually as a single digit.
Standard Formula:
Whole Number + 点 + Digits read individually
- \(0.66\) = 零点六六 (líng diǎn liù liù) — Do NOT read as "零点六十六".
- \(3.1415\) = 三点一四一五 (sān diǎn yī sì yī wǔ)
- \(12.08\) = 十二点零八 (shí'èr diǎn líng bā)
Example in Context:
他跑步只比我快了0.66秒。
(He ran only 0.66 seconds faster than me.)
Key Takeaway: Never group the digits after 点 into tens, hundreds, or thousands; read each single digit one by one.
---4. Indeterminate Excess (余数 / 概数: 多, 余, 几)
When you want to say "more than", "over", or "odd" (e.g., "more than 20 people", "over 3 months"), Chinese uses 多 (duō), 余 (Traditional: 餘, yú), or 几 (Traditional: 幾, jǐ). Pay special attention to the word order!
Rule A: Base Number Ends in Zero (\(10, 20, 100, 500, 1000\dots\))
When the base number is a round unit ending in zero, the excess applies to the base number directly. Place 多 or 余 before the measure word.
Formula: Number + 多/余 + Measure Word + Noun
- 二十多个人 (èrshí duō ge rén) = More than 20 people / 20-odd people (between 21 and 29).
- 五百多年 (wǔ bǎi duō nián) = Over 500 years / 500-odd years.
- 三十余名学生 (sānshí yú míng xuésheng) = More than 30 students.
Rule B: Base Number Ends in a Non-Zero Single Digit (\(1\) to \(9\))
When the number is a single digit, 多 indicates a fraction or remainder of the measure word itself. Place 多 after the measure word.
Formula: Number + Measure Word + 多 + Noun
- 三个多月 (sān ge duō yuè) = More than 3 months (e.g., 3 months and 2 weeks; between 3 and 4 months).
- 五块多钱 (wǔ kuài duō qián) = More than 5 yuan (e.g., 5 yuan and 40 cents).
- 八斤多苹果 (bā jīn duō píngguǒ) = Over 8 jin of apples.
Comparison Check:
Notice the huge difference word order makes:
• 三十多个月 = Over 30 months (30–39 months).
• 三个多月 = Over 3 months (3–4 months).
Using 几 (jǐ) for Unspecified Quantities
- 十几个人 (shí jǐ ge rén) = 11 to 19 people (ten-something people).
- 几十个人 (jǐ shí ge rén) = Tens of people (20 to 90 people).
- 几百名学生 (jǐ bǎi míng xuésheng) = Several hundred students.
Key Takeaway: If the number ends in \(0\), put 多 before the measure word. If the number ends in \(1\)–\(9\), put 多 after the measure word.
---5. Approximation (约数 / 估计)
When you want to say "approximately", "about", or "around", use these common specification markers:
- 大约 / 大概 (dàyuē / dàgài) — Placed before the number phrase:
我们学校大约有一千名学生。 (Our school has approximately 1,000 students.) - 左右 (zuǒyòu) — Placed after the number/time expression:
他学汉语学了三年左右。 (He has studied Chinese for around three years.) - 上下 (shàngxià) — Placed after an age or measurement:
那位老师五十岁上下。 (That teacher is around 50 years of age.)
Key Takeaway: 大约/大概 go in front; 左右/上下 follow behind.
---6. Juxtaposition (相邻数词连用)
The Core Rule: Side-by-Side Integers
To express an approximate range like "three or four" or "seven to eight", Chinese simply places two adjacent integers side-by-side. No connecting word for "or" (或者) is used.
- 三四天 (sān-sì tiān) = Three or four days.
- 七八十个人 (qī-bāshí ge rén) = 70 to 80 people.
- 十七八岁 (shí qī-bā suì) = 17 or 18 years old.
- 两三本书 (liǎng-sān běn shū) = Two or three books.
Important Limitation:
Juxtaposition is strictly restricted to consecutive, adjacent numbers (e.g., 两三, 三四, 四五, 五六, 六七, 七八, 八九). If the numbers are not adjacent, you must use 或者 (huòzhě) or 或 (huò):
三个或者五个 (Three or five) — NOT 三五个.
Key Takeaway: Place adjacent digits consecutively without conjunctions to give a quick estimate.
---7. Multiples (倍数)
The Core Rule: Multiplying Quantities
The character 倍 (bèi) means "-fold" or "times".
- 两倍 (liǎng bèi) = Twofold / double
- 三倍 (sān bèi) = Threefold / triple
- 五倍 (wǔ bèi) = Five times
Standard Sentence Patterns
- A 是 B 的 X 倍 (A is X times as much/large as B):
现在的产量是过去的五倍。
(Current output is 5 times that of the past.) - A 比 B 增加(了) / 提高(了) X 倍 (A increased by X times compared to B — net increase):
今年的利润比去年增加两倍。
(This year's profit increased twofold compared to last year.)
Crucial Examiner Pitfall: Growth Only!
In Chinese, 倍 can only be used for increases and growth. It can never be used for decreases or reductions.
- Incorrect: *价格降低了两倍 (Translating "the price reduced by two times").
- Correct: Express reductions using percentages or fractions: 价格降低了百分之五十 (The price decreased by 50%) or 价格减少了一半 (The price was halved).
Key Takeaway: Use 倍 exclusively when quantities go up, never when they go down!
---8. Quick Summary & Exam Traps Checklist
Before submitting translations in Paper 1 or Paper 2, run through this quick checklist:
- Fraction Inversion: Did you put the denominator before 分之? (三分之一 = \(\frac{1}{3}\), not \(\frac{3}{1}\)).
- Decimals: Did you read all digits after 点 one by one? (\(0.66\) = 零点六六).
- Position of 多: Is 多 before the measure word for round numbers (二十多个) and after the measure word for units \(1\)–\(9\) (两个多)?
- 二 vs. 两: Did you use 二 in fractions and decimals (三分之二, 零点二) and 两 for multiples and general counting (两倍, 两个)?
- Multiples (倍): Did you ensure 倍 is only used for numerical increases, using fractions or percentages for decreases?