Formal Written Chinese Numbers: Understanding 大写 (Dà Xiě)

Understanding Formal Written Chinese Numbers

Did you know that every Chinese number has two ways of being written? Instead of using the simple characters “一, 二, 三…” for “1, 2, 3,” the capitalized version, known as 大写 (dà xiě), is more complex and primarily used to prevent forgeries in financial transactions.

Why Does Chinese Have Two Numbering Systems?

Although Arabic numerals are widely used globally, different languages express numbers in unique ways. In English, aside from Arabic numerals, numbers can also be written in words or represented using Roman numerals. Similarly, in Chinese, numbers are commonly seen in character form, such as 一, 二, 三, but there is also a formal numerical system called 大写 (dà xiě).

Significance of 大写 (Dà Xiě) in Financial Transactions

There are two primary ways to write Chinese numerals:

• Standard Numerals: Used in everyday communication.
• Financial Numerals (大写): Used for official and financial documents to prevent forgery.

Since the standard numerals are too simplistic, they pose a risk in financial transactions. Just as numbers are spelled out when writing checks in English, Mandarin speakers rely on 大写 to prevent alterations and fraud. For instance, 三十 (30) can be easily modified into 五千 (5000) with a few extra strokes. However, using 叁拾 (30) instead of 三十 eliminates this risk.

Comparison: Standard vs. Financial Chinese Numerals

How to Use 大写 (Dà Xiě) in Chinese Currency

In financial transactions, Chinese currency (人民币, rén mín bì) follows a structured format. Here are the key rules:

• 人民币 (rén mín bì) comes before the numerical value, similar to “USD” or “EUR” in other currencies.
• 元 (yuán) follows whole numbers. For example, ￥10.00 is written as 人民币 拾元.
• 角 (jiǎo) follows tenths. For example, ￥10.10 is written as 人民币 拾元壹角.
• 分 (fēn) follows hundredths. For example, ￥10.01 is written as 人民币 拾元壹分.

Examples of Writing Prices in Chinese

When expressing monetary values in Chinese, different formats are used for daily transactions and formal financial documents.

Here are a few examples of how you might see these numbers used in different contexts:

• Daily Use: 我买了一台电脑，花了一千三百五十元。(I bought a computer for 1,350 yuan.)
• Financial Use: 合同金额为壹仟叁佰伍拾元整。(The contract amount is 1,350 yuan.)
• Large Amounts: 这栋房子的价格是二百七十五万元。(The price of this house is 2,750,000 yuan.)
• Official Documents: 付款金额：贰佰柒拾伍万元整。(Payment amount: 2,750,000 yuan.)

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