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Lesson Transcript

Hi! 大家好,我是李殷如。
(Dà jiā hǎo, wǒ shì Lǐ Yīnrú.)
“Hi, everyone! I'm Yinru Li.”
In this lesson, you will learn how to tell someone your phone number in Chinese.
When giving phone numbers in Chinese, we say each digit separately.
So first, let’s take a look at how we say the 10 single-digit numbers in Chinese.
So, from the smallest to the biggest.
零 (líng)
一 (yī)
二 (èr)
三 (sān)
四 (sì)
五 (wǔ)
六 (liù)
七 (qī)
八 (bā)
九 (jiǔ)
Now, let’s count down from 9 to zero. Okay, here we go.
九 (jiǔ)
八 (bā)
七 (qī)
六 (liù)
五 (wǔ)
四 (sì)
三 (sān)
二 (èr)
一 (yī)
零 (líng)
Okay. Now, a special note on this number one, 一 (yī), usually, number one is said as 一 (yī), but when giving a phone number, the number one is often said as 一 (yāo), 一 (yāo). The reason is that number one and number seven, 一 (yī), 七 (qī), they’re pretty close, so to avoid any confusion, we usually say number one as 一 (yāo) and a string of numbers, such as in the phone number. So, in phone numbers, number one is often said as 一 (yāo).
Okay, now, let’s do- let’s read all these numbers one more time. Feel free to read after me.
零 (líng)
一 (yī) / 一 (yāo)
二 (èr)
三 (sān)
四 (sì)
五 (wǔ)
六 (liù)
七 (qī)
八 (bā)
九 (jiǔ)
Good job!
Next, we’re gonna hear a dialogue. Someone is registering her phone number in an office. So, here is how the dialogue goes.
您的电话号码是多少?
(Nín de diànhuà hàomǎ shì duōshao?)
我的电话号码是 123 0198 7654。
(Wǒ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì yāo èr sān, líng yāo jiǔ bā, qī liù wǔ sì.)
One more time, a bit slower.
您的电话号码是多少?
(Nín de diànhuà hàomǎ shì duōshao?)
我的电话号码是 123 0198 7654。
(Wǒ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì yāo èr sān, líng yāo jiǔ bā, qī liù wǔ sì.)
Now, let’s take a closer look at this dialogue.
First is the question:
您的电话号码是多少?
(Nín de diànhuà hàomǎ shì duōshao?)
So, 您的 (nín de), 您的 (nín de) is “your,” but this is the polite “your” because we use 您 (nín), instead of 你 (nǐ). So, because this is someone talking to their customer, someone they’re serving, that’s why they use this 您 (nín), the polite 您 (nín). But if you’re just, in everyday life, you’re talking to a friend or classmate, you can just use 你 (nǐ); 你的 (nǐ de). That is also polite, 你的 (nǐ de).
你的电话号码 (Nǐ de diànhuà hàomǎ)
电话 (diànhuà) “telephone”
号码 (hàomǎ) “number”
Together, 电话号码 (diànhuà hàomǎ) “phone number.”
是 (shì) “is”
多少 (duōshao)
多少 (Duōshao) is a question word that is used to ask about numbers.
多少 (duōshao)
So, together:
您的电话号码是多少?
(Nín de diànhuà hàomǎ shì duōshao?)
Now, the answer:
我的电话号码是 (Wǒ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì) [this number].
Okay. First, 我的 (wǒ de) “my”
电话号码 (diànhuà hàomǎ) “phone number” is this number.
Okay. Now, we put some spaces between the numbers, but usually in China, when you’re given a phone number either on a business card or on an ad, there’s often no space or hyphens between the long number. But it’s a good idea to put pauses when you say the phone number, when you give one and your phone number.
A common way to do it is after first three digits, 停一下 (tíng yīxià), put a pause there, and the next four digits, 停一下 (tíng yīxià), put a pause there, and the last four digits.
Such as 123 0198 7654 (yāo èr sān, líng yāo jiǔ bā, qī liù wǔ sì).
Okay. Now, let’s look at two more examples of giving your phone number in Chinese.
我的电话号码是 (Wǒ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì)。。。
So what is his phone number?
111 6689 7789 (yāo yāo yāo, liù liù bā jiǔ, qī qī bā jiǔ)
我的电话号码是 111 6689 7789
(Wǒ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì yāo yāo yāo, liù liù bā jiǔ, qī qī bā jiǔ)。
Okay, let’s try one more. This one is- first, let’s look at this number, see if we can say it. Now, let’s do it together.
我的电话号码是 123 1234 5678
(Wǒ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì yāo èr sān, yāo èr sān sì, wǔ liù qī bā)。
You can also say it as 123 1234 5678 (yī èr sān, yī èr sān sì, wǔ liù qī bā). It’s not wrong, but it’s- you will hear 123 (yāo èr sān) a lot when you hear phone numbers in Chinese.
So, the pattern to give your phone number in Chinese is:
我的电话号码是 (Wǒ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì) [PHONE NUMBER]。
“My phone number is [PHONE NUMBER].”
As simple as that.

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