Ordinals, Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages

Once you can count in Chinese, these four extras come quickly. Each one is just a small pattern added on top of the numbers you already know. We'll take them one at a time.

Ordinals: first, second, third

To turn a number into an ordinal ("first," "second," and so on), you put 第 dì in front of it:

第 + number

• 第一 dì yī (first)
• 第二 dì èr (second)
• 第三 dì sān (third)
• 第十 dì shí (tenth)

When you attach an ordinal to a noun, you still need a measure word, just like with regular counting:

• 第一个人 dì yī ge rén (the first person)
• 第二本书 dì èr běn shū (the second book)
• 第三次 dì sān cì (the third time)

One thing to notice: ordinals use 二, not 两. So it's 第二个, never 第两个. The 两/二 rule from counting still applies here, and ordinals always take 二.

Fractions: the "X parts, Y of them" pattern

Fractions work backwards from English. You say the bottom number first, then the top. The pattern is:

denominator + 分之 + numerator

分之 fēn zhī sits in the middle. Read it as "parts, of which." So you're saying "out of X parts, Y":

• 三分之一 sān fēn zhī yī = 1/3 (out of three parts, one)
• 四分之三 sì fēn zhī sān = 3/4 (out of four parts, three)
• 五分之二 wǔ fēn zhī èr = 2/5

The trick is just remembering that the big number comes first. Once that clicks, every fraction follows the same shape.

Percentages: a special fraction

A percentage is really just a fraction out of 100, and Chinese treats it exactly that way. You say "百 (hundred) 分之 (parts of which) + the number":

百分之 + number

• 百分之五十 bǎi fēn zhī wǔ shí = 50%
• 百分之百 bǎi fēn zhī bǎi = 100%
• 百分之十 bǎi fēn zhī shí = 10%

So 百分之 always means "percent." Just put the number after it. Notice the order matches fractions: the 100 (the whole) comes first, then the part.

Decimals: 点 marks the dot

For decimals, you use 点 diǎn, which means "point." Everything before the dot is read as a normal number. Everything after the dot is read digit by digit.

whole number + 点 + each digit

• 3.5 = 三点五 sān diǎn wǔ
• 0.8 = 零点八 líng diǎn bā
• 12.06 = 十二点零六 shí èr diǎn líng liù

That last one shows the rule clearly. Before the 点, you say twelve as a whole number (十二). After it, you read each digit separately, including the zero: 零六, not "six." So decimals are easy as long as you remember to split each digit after the point.

Putting it together

These show up constantly in daily life. A few realistic examples, all using words you know:

• 这是我第一次来中国。Zhè shì wǒ dì yī cì lái Zhōngguó. (This is my first time coming to China.)
• 三分之一的学生是女生。Sān fēn zhī yī de xuésheng shì nǚshēng. (A third of the students are girls.)
• 今天打八折，便宜百分之二十。Jīntiān dǎ bā zhé, piányi bǎi fēn zhī èr shí. (Today there's a 20% discount.)

Quick recap

Four small patterns, all built on the numbers you already have. Add 第 for ordinals (and remember they use 二). Read fractions back to front with 分之 in the middle, big number first. Percentages are just 百分之 plus a number. And for decimals, say the whole number, then 点, then each digit one by one. None of these need new vocabulary beyond a couple of connector words, so they're quick wins.