ChinesePod - Beginner ChinesePod - Beginner

Elementary | Big Numbers

Oct 16, 2026 · 16m

Summary

This ChinesePod beginner lesson teaches how to read and say large numbers in Chinese, focusing on units like ten thousand (万) and hundred million (亿). Hosts John and Jennie explain how Chinese number groupings differ from English, using a dialogue where a student asks a teacher to read a large bank balance. They break down the specific tones and characters for each unit, emphasizing that 100,000 is "ten ten-thousands" rather than a standalone word. Finally, John shares practical tips for memorizing key reference points, such as "million" (100万) and China’s population (14亿), to help learners…

Topics discussed

Introduction and preview of the word for numbers Dialogue listening practice (three times) Dialogue translation and breakdown Explaining the dialogue context and key vocabulary Basic units: ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand The difference between Chinese and English number groupings Larger units: hundred thousand, million, ten million, hundred million Visualizing the numbers and concluding the dialogue analysis ChinesePod Trivia and app promotion Re-listening to the dialogue John's tip: memorize 'million' as a reference point John's tip: memorize China's population (1.4 billion) Closing remarks and sign-off Lesson access information and resources
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