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一
yī
one
Say it like yee
Base tone is 1st tone, but it shifts: 一個 is yí ge, 一點 is yì diǎn. Listen for the shift rather than forcing it.
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二
èr
two
Say it like uhr
Used for counting, dates and numbers on its own.
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兩
liǎng
two (before a measure word)
Say it like lyahng
Before a measure word or a noun, use 兩: 兩個人 "two people", not 二個人.
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三
sān
three
Say it like sahn
1st tone: keep it flat and high.
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四
sì
four
Say it like sih
4th tone, falling sharply. Note it sounds close to death 死 to some ears; it is just fine to say it.
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五
wǔ
five
Say it like woo
3rd tone: let it dip before it rises.
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六
liù
six
Say it like lyoh
4th tone. Nothing like the English "six" - start high and drop.
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七
qī
seven
Say it like chee
1st tone. The q is an aspirated ch, not a k.
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八
bā
eight
Say it like bah
1st tone and flat.
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九
jiǔ
nine
Say it like jyoh
3rd tone.
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十
shí
ten
Say it like shir
2nd tone, rising. Eleven is 十一, twenty is 二十, and so on.
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百
bǎi
hundred
Say it like bye
三百 is three hundred. 3rd tone on 百.
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千
qiān
thousand
Say it like chyehn
兩千 is two thousand. Remember to use 兩 before a measure word.
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現在幾點
xiànzài jǐ diǎn
what time is it now?
Say it like shyen-dzeye jee dyehn
幾點 literally "how many o clock". The everyday way to ask the time.
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現在
xiànzài
now
Say it like shyen-dzeye
現 is 4th tone. Drop it at the front of almost any question.
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今天
jīntiān
today
Say it like jeen-tyehn
Two 1st tones. Keep it high and level.
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明天
míngtiān
tomorrow
Say it like meeng-tyehn
明 is 2nd tone and rises into the 1st tone of 天.
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昨天
zuótiān
yesterday
Say it like dzwoh-tyehn
昨 is 2nd tone.
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等一下
děng yíxià
wait a moment
Say it like dung yee-shyah
One of the most useful phrases in the language. Also used for "in a bit".
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今天早上
jīntiān zǎoshang
this morning
Say it like jeen-tyehn dzow-shahng
早上 is morning. 上 is neutral here.
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今天晚上
jīntiān wǎnshang
tonight
Say it like jeen-tyehn wahn-shahng
晚上 is evening. 灣 and 晚 are not the same tone - 晚 is 3rd tone.
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一小時
yì xiǎoshí
one hour
Say it like yee shyow-shir
小時 is hour. 小 is 3rd tone, 時 is 2nd tone.
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一分鐘
yì fēnzhōng
one minute
Say it like yee fun-jong
分鐘 is minute. 分 is 1st tone and flat.
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多久
duōjiǔ
how long
Say it like dwoh-jyoh
Answers come in 一點 or 半小時 "half an hour".
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多少錢
duōshao qián
how much does it cost?
Say it like dwoh-shao chyehn
The single most useful shopping phrase. 錢 is 2nd tone.
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貴
guì
expensive
Say it like gway
4th tone, falling. Raise your eyebrows when you say it.
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便宜
piányi
cheap
Say it like pyehn-yee
便 is 2nd tone, 宜 is neutral. Not to be confused with 方便 "convenient".
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塊
kuài
dollar (colloquial unit)
Say it like kwye
The spoken measure word for money: 一百塊 "one hundred dollars".
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台幣
Táibì
Taiwan dollar
Say it like tie-bee
Useful to disambiguate prices when travelling. 幣 is 4th tone.
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太貴了
tài guì le
that is too expensive
Say it like tie gway luh
太 plus an adjective plus 了 is the standard "too ...".
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便宜一點好不好
piányi yìdiǎn hǎo bu hǎo
could you make it a little cheaper?
Say it like pyehn-yee yee-dyehn how buh how
好不好 at the end turns it into a gentle appeal. Friendly, not pushy.
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怎麼付錢
zěnme fù qián
how do I pay?
Say it like dzun-muh foo chyehn
付 is 4th tone. Handy when you cannot tell if a place takes cards.
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可以刷卡嗎
kěyǐ shuākǎ ma
can I pay by card?
Say it like kuh-yee shwah-kah ma
刷卡 is literally "swipe a card". Works for credit and debit.