Editing Chinese numerals (section)

=== Whole numbers ===
Multiple-digit numbers are constructed using a multiplicative principle; first the digit itself (from 1 to 9), then the place (such as 10 or 100); then the next digit.

In Mandarin, the multiplier {{Lang-zh|c={{linktext|兩}}|s=|t=|p=|labels=no}} (''liǎng'') is often used rather than {{zhi|c=二|p=èr}} for all numbers 200 and greater with the "2" numeral (although as noted earlier this varies from dialect to dialect and person to person). Use of both {{zhi|c=兩|p=liǎng}} or {{zhi|c=二|p=èr}} are acceptable for the number 200. When writing in the Cantonese dialect, {{zhi|c=二|j=yi<sup>6</sup>}} is used to represent the "2" numeral for all numbers. In the [[Min Nan|southern Min]] dialect of Chaozhou ([[Teochew dialect|Teochew]]), {{zhi|c=兩}} (''no<sup>6</sup>'') is used to represent the "2" numeral in all numbers from 200 onwards. Thus:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan=2 | Number
! rowspan=2 | Structure
! colspan=4 | Characters
|-
! [[Standard Mandarin|Mandarin]]
! [[Standard Cantonese|Cantonese]]
! [[Chaozhou dialect|Chaozhou]]
!| [[Shanghainese]]
|-
| 60 || [6] [10] || {{zhi|c=六十}} || {{zhi|c=六十}} || {{zhi|c=六十}} || {{zhi|c=六十}}
|-
| 20 || [2] [10] or [20] || {{zhi|c=二十}} || {{zhi|c=二十}} or {{zhi|c=廿}} || {{zhi|c=二十}} || {{zhi|c=廿}}
|-
| 200 || [2] (èr or liǎng) [100] || {{zhi|c=二百}} or {{zhi|c=兩百}} || {{zhi|c=二百}} or {{zhi|c=兩百}} || {{zhi|c=兩百}} || {{zhi|c=兩百}}
|-
| 2000 || [2] (èr or liǎng) [1000] ||  {{zhi|c=二千}} or {{zhi|c=兩千}} || {{zhi|c=二千}} or {{zhi|c=兩千}} || {{zhi|c=兩千}} || {{zhi|c=兩千}}
|-
| 45 || [4] [10] [5] || {{zhi|c=四十五}} || {{zhi|c=四十五}} or {{zhi|c=卌五}} || {{zhi|c=四十五}} || {{zhi|c=四十五}}
|-
| 2,362 || [2] [1000] [3] [100] [6] [10] [2] || {{zhi|c=兩千三百六十二}} || {{zhi|c=二千三百六十二}} || {{zhi|c=兩千三百六十二}} || {{zhi|c=兩千三百六十二}}
|}

For the numbers 11 through 19, the leading 'one' ({{lang-zh|c={{linktext|一}}|s=|t=|p=yī|labels=no}}) is usually omitted. In some dialects, like Shanghainese, when there are only two significant digits in the number, the leading 'one' and the trailing zeroes are omitted. Sometimes, the one before "ten" in the middle of a number, such as 213, is omitted. Thus:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan=2 | Number
! colspan=2 | Strict Putonghua
! colspan=2 | Colloquial or dialect usage
|-
! Structure
! Characters
! Structure
! Characters
|-
| 14 || [10] [4] || {{zhi|c=十四}} ||  ||
|-
| 12000 || [1] [10000] [2] [1000] || {{zhi|c=一萬兩千}} || [1] [10000] [2] || {{zhi|c=一萬二}} or {{zhi|c=萬二}}
|-
| 114 || [1] [100] [1] [10] [4] || {{zhi|c=一百一十四}} || [1] [100] [10] [4] || {{zhi|c=一百十四}}
|-
| 1158 || [1] [1000] [1] [100] [5] [10] [8]|| {{zhi|c=一千一百五十八}} ||
|}

Notes:
# Nothing is ever omitted in large and more complicated numbers such as this.

In certain older texts like the Protestant Bible, or in poetic usage, numbers such as 114 may be ''written'' as [100] [10] [4] ({{zhi|c=百十四}}).

Outside of Taiwan, digits are sometimes grouped by [[myriad]]s instead of thousands. Hence it is more convenient to think of numbers here as in groups of four, thus 1,234,567,890 is regrouped here as 12,3456,7890. Larger than a myriad, each number is therefore four zeroes longer than the one before it, thus 10000 × {{zhi|p=wàn|t=萬}} = {{zhi|p=yì|t=億}}. If one of the numbers is between 10 and 19, the leading 'one' is omitted as per the above point. Hence (numbers in parentheses indicate that the number has been written as one number rather than expanded):
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Number
! Structure
! Taiwan
! Mainland China
|-
| 12,345,678,902,345 (12,3456,7890,2345) || (12) [1,0000,0000,0000] (3456) [1,0000,0000] (7890) [1,0000] (2345) || {{zhi|c=十二兆三千四百五十六億七千八百九十萬兩千三百四十五}} || {{zhi|c=十二兆三千四百五十六亿七千八百九十万二千三百四十五}}
|}

In Taiwan, pure Arabic numerals are officially always and only grouped by thousands.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.stat.gov.tw/mp.asp?mp=4|script-title=zh:中華民國統計資訊網(專業人士)|website=中華民國統計資訊網|language=zh|access-date=31 July 2016|archive-date=5 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805115259/http://www.stat.gov.tw/mp.asp?mp=4|url-status=live}}</ref> Unofficially, they are often not grouped, particularly for numbers below 100,000. Mixed Arabic-Chinese numerals are often used in order to denote myriads. This is used both officially and unofficially, and come in a variety of styles:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Number
! Structure
! Mixed numerals
|-
| 12,345,000 || (1234) [1,0000] (5) [1000] || 1,234萬5千<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.stat.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=39923&ctNode=2291|script-title=zh:中華民國統計資訊網(專業人士)|publisher=中華民國統計資訊網|language=zh|access-date=31 July 2016|archive-date=28 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828144750/http://www.stat.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=39923&ctNode=2291|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|123,450,000
|(1) [1,0000,0000] (2345) [1,0000]
|{{zhi|c=1億2345萬}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cna.com.tw/news/asoc/201607310205-1.aspx|title=石化氣爆 高市府代位求償訴訟中|website=中央社即時新聞 CNA NEWS|date=31 July 2016 |access-date=31 July 2016|archive-date=1 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801202022/http://www2.cna.com.tw/news/asoc/201607310205-1.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|12,345
|(1) [1,0000] (2345)
|{{zhi|c=1萬2345}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cna.com.tw/news/aspt/201607300304-1.aspx|title=陳子豪雙響砲 兄弟連2天轟猿動紫趴|website=中央社即時新聞 CNA NEWS|date=30 July 2016 |access-date=31 July 2016|archive-date=31 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731200037/http://www2.cna.com.tw/news/aspt/201607300304-1.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>
|}

Interior zeroes before the unit position (as in 1002) must be spelt explicitly. The reason for this is that trailing zeroes (as in 1200) are often omitted as shorthand, so ambiguity occurs. One zero is sufficient to resolve the ambiguity. Where the zero is before a digit other than the units digit, the explicit zero is not ambiguous and is therefore optional, but preferred. Thus:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Number
! Structure
! Characters
|-
| 205 || [2] [100] [0] [5] || {{zhi|c=二百零五}}
|-
| 100,004(10,0004) || [10] [10,000] [0] [4] || {{zhi|c=十萬零四}}
|-
| 10,050,026(1005,0026) || (1005) [10,000] (026) or (1005) [10,000] (26) || {{zhi|c=一千零五萬零二十六}} or {{zhi|c=一千零五萬二十六}}
|}