Lesson 2 – Numbers
Chinese number logic
Chinese numbers are beautifully logical. 11 = "ten-one" (十一), 20 = "two-ten" (二十), 99 = "nine-ten-nine" (九十九). No irregular "eleven" or "twelve" — once you know 1-10, you can count to 99!
The 的 (de) possession particle
"的" shows possession, like "'s" in English. Noun + 的 + Noun.
Lucky and unlucky numbers
Numbers carry deep meaning in Chinese culture. 8 (八 bā) sounds like 发 (fā, "prosper") and is considered extremely lucky — phone numbers and license plates with 8s sell for premium prices. 4 (四 sì) sounds like 死 (sǐ, "death") and is avoided — many buildings skip the 4th floor entirely, going from 3 to 5.
Finger counting Chinese style
Chinese people can count from 1 to 10 on one hand using specific finger gestures. Numbers 1–5 are similar to Western counting, but 6–10 each have their own unique hand sign. This is very practical in noisy markets — you can negotiate prices with just your fingers!