Talking About Money
钱数表示法
Read and say prices naturally
Chinese currency uses three units: 块 (yuán, dollars), 毛 (jiǎo, dimes/tenths), and 分 (fēn, cents/hundredths). In casual speech, use 块 and 毛. In formal writing, use 元 and 角.
The last unit in a price can be dropped in casual speech: 三块五 (3.50) instead of 三块五毛. But if you skip a middle unit, you need 零: 十块零五分 (10.05).
Lesson Targets
Podcast
Podcast: Talking About Money (钱数表示法)
Listen to Jason & Amy explain the 钱数表示法 pattern
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Understanding 钱数表示法
Shopping in China? You need to master the money system. It's like dollars and cents, but with three levels: 块 (whole units, like dollars), 毛 (tenths, like dimes), and 分 (hundredths, like pennies). In everyday life, people mostly use 块 and 毛 — 分 is so small it barely exists anymore. The fun part: casual speech loves shortcuts. Instead of 三块五毛零分, everyone just says 三块五. Clean and quick. Think of Chinese money like telling time: just as you say "three thirty" instead of "three hours thirty minutes zero seconds," Chinese drops the obvious parts. Mobile payment has taken over China (WeChat Pay and Alipay), so you might not handle cash often, but you still need to read and say prices every day!
Key Points
- 块 (kuài) = yuan/dollar — the main unit. Formal: 元 (yuán)
- 毛 (máo) = 0.1 yuan — like a dime. Formal: 角 (jiǎo)
- 分 (fēn) = 0.01 yuan — like a penny. Rarely used today
- Shortcut: the last unit word can be dropped — 七块二 means 七块二毛
- If a middle unit is zero, add 零: 五块零三分 (5.03)
- To ask the price: 多少钱？(How much?) or 几块钱？(How many kuai?)
- Use 一共 (yígòng) for totals: 一共多少钱？(How much in total?)
- Common response: 找你X块 means "here's your change of X yuan"
Bargaining (讨价还价 tǎojià huánjià) is still common at Chinese markets, street vendors, and small shops. The phrase 便宜一点儿吧 (A little cheaper, please) is your best friend. But never bargain in supermarkets or malls — that would be embarrassing!
Key Vocabulary
Example Sentences
九块三毛。
9.30 yuan.
Standard two-unit price
十五块六毛三分。
15.63 yuan.
Full three-unit price
这件衣服多少钱？
How much is this piece of clothing?
一共二十块。
Twenty yuan in total.
Whole-number price
两块五。
2.50 yuan.
Shortcut: 毛 is dropped after the last digit
能便宜一点儿吗？
Can you make it a little cheaper?
Essential haggling phrase
这双鞋九百九十九块。
This pair of shoes is 999 yuan.
Larger price — still just 块
我用微信支付。
I'll pay with WeChat Pay.
Modern payment method in China
找你十五块。
Here's your 15 yuan change.
找 means "to give change" in this context
太贵了，我买不起。
Too expensive; I can't afford it.
Useful at upscale shops!
Common Mistakes
块 and 元 are the SAME unit (casual vs. formal). Use one or the other, never both together.
When the 毛 position is zero, you must say 零 (zero) to avoid confusion. 五块三分 sounds like it could be 5.3 fēn, but 五块零三分 is clearly 5.03 yuan.
The order is always Number + 块 + Number + 毛. 钱 (money) should not be inserted between the units.
Practice Exercises
Tips & Tricks
In real life, you'll hear 块 (kuài) 99% of the time. Save 元 (yuán) for formal writing, receipts, and bank documents.
At a street market, memorize this sequence: 多少钱？→ [hear the price] → 太贵了！便宜一点儿吧。You'll use it every time.
Prices in China often end with .9 (like 19.9 or 29.9), just like Western pricing psychology. When you see 九块九, think of it as the Chinese version of $9.99.
Modern China is nearly cashless. Learn 微信支付 (WeChat Pay) and 支付宝 (Alipay) — you'll hear and see these everywhere. But you still need to SAY prices out loud!
If you hear 打折 (dǎzhé), that means "discount." 打八折 means 80% of the original price (a 20% discount). The number after 打 is what you PAY, not what you save.
Homework
Create a shopping list with five items and assign each one a realistic Chinese price. Write a mini-dialogue where you ask the price, the shopkeeper answers, and you try to bargain. Use 块 and 毛 naturally.