The Origin and the Connotation of Chinese Numbers

Abstract

Chinese numbers are a particular set of words playing a crucial role in communication and being frequently used in everyday life. This paper presents information about the origin and the inherent meanings of Chinese numbers : zero “零” líng, one “一 ” yī, two “二 ” èr, three “三 ” sān, four “四” sì, five “五” wǔ, six “六” liù, seven “七” qī, eight “ 八” bā, nine “九” jiǔ, ten “十” shí, one hundred “百” bǎi, one thousand “千” qiān and ten thousand “万/萬” wàn. The origin of Chinese numbers can be classified into two types. First, the number characters were invented to convey numerical information. Second, the number characters were developed from the meanings of other Chinese words. Chinese numbers thus not only convey basic or original numerical information but also cultural and linguistic connotations.