by Devon McNeely
If you are a student in a Chinese martial art whether it is a Northern or Southern Kung Fu Style, Shaolin, Wing Chun, Tai Chi, or one of the many other styles, it is helpful if you have some knowledge about the language and at the very least the numbers 1 – 10. This will come into play when practicing warmups, drills, taolu, or stretching.
There are 2 major languages that the instructor may use during a class. which they use is often based on if the style originates from northern or southern China. The official language of China is Mandarin, thoguh some arts use Cantonese which is the native language for southern China. Ask your instructor if you are unsure which of these you should be learning.
It’s important that students are able to count to ten and sometimes up to twenty. Luckily once you Learn one through ten you will not need to learn any other numbers until you get up to one hundred. This is true for both Mandarin and Cantonese.
If you want to learn about either Chinese language you can study more at www.chinaeducenter.com to study Mandarin or www.cantoneseclass101.com to study Cantonese.
Counting in Mandarin
One (1) – Yi (Ee)
Two (2) – Er (Arr)
Three (3) – San (Sahn)
Four (4) – Si (Suh)
Five (5) – Wu (Woo)
Six (6) – Liu (Lee-Oo)
Seven (7) – Qi (Chee)
Eight (8) – Ba (Bah)
Nine (9) – Jiu (Jee-Oh)
Ten (10) – Shi (Shee)
For 11 through 19, add the word for 10 (Shi) in front of the last number. Eleven, For example, is Shi Yi (Shee Ee) – the Mandarin words for 10 and 1.
Eleven (11) – Shi Yi (Shee Ee)
Twelve (12) – Shi Er (Shee Arr)
Thirteen (13) – Shi San (Shee Sahn)
Fourteen (14) – Shi si (Shee Suh)
Fifteen (15) – Shi Wu (Shee Woo)
Sixteen (16) – Shi Liu (Shee Lee-Oo)
Seventeen (17) – Shi Qi (Shee Chee)
Eighteen (18) – Shi Ba (Shee Bah)
Nineteen (19) – Shi Jiu (Shee Jee-Oh)
Twenty (20) – Er Shi (Arr-Shee)
For 20 and likewise for 30, 40, 50, and so on, you would put the number of tens, then Shi, and finally the last digit. In English this would sound like two-ten-two for twenty-two (22). In Mandarin, it would be Er Shi Er (Arr-Shee Arr).
Ten (10) – Shi (Shee)
Twenty (20) – Er Shi (Arr Shee)
Thirty (30) – San Shi (Sahn Shee)
Forty (40) – Si Shi (Suh Shee)
Fifty (50) – Wu Shi (Woo Shee)
Sixty (60) – Liu Shi (Lee-Oo Shee)
Seventy (70) – Qi Shi (Chee Shee)
Eighty (80) – Ba Shi (Bah Shee)
Ninety (90) – Jiu Shi (Jee-Oh Shee)
One Hundred (100) – Yibai (Yee-Bye)
Counting in Cantonese
One (1) – Yat (Yot)
Two (2) – Yee (Yee)
Three (3) – Saam (Saam)
Four (4) – Sei (Say)
Five (5) – Ng (Mmm)
Six (6) – Luk (Loo-K)
Seven (7) – Chaat (Ch-At)
Eight (8) – Baat (Ba-At)
Nine (9) – Gaau (Ga-Ou)
Ten (10) – Sup (Sup)
For 11 through 19, add the Japanese word for 10 (Sup) in front of the last number the same way as in Mandarin. 11, therefore, would be Sup Yat (Sup Yot) – literealy 10 and 1.
Eleven (11) – Sup Yat (Sup Yot)
Twelve (12) – Sup Yee (Sup Yee)
Thirteen (13) – Sup Saam (Sup Saam)
Fourteen (14) – Sup Sei (Sup Say)
Fifteen (15) – Sup Ng (Sup Mmm)
Sixteen (16) – Sup Luk (Sup Loo-K)
Seventeen (17) – Sup Chaat (Sup Ch-At)
Eighteen (18) – Sup Baat (Sup Ba-At)
Nineteen (19) – Sup Gaau (Sup Ga-Ou)
Twenty (20) – Yee Sup (Yee Sup)
For 20, 30, 40, 50, and so on, you would again put the number of tens, then Sup, and finally the last digit. Our example of two-ten-two for twenty-two (22) would be Yee Sup Yee in Cantonese.