One hundred: a top bar of completion capping the radiant white sun.
A single stroke 一 over 白 (pure light). Trap: one line above makes it 百 (100); without that top line, it is 白 (white).
百
Common Usage & Traps
- 一百 — one hundred
- 两百 — two hundred
- 五百 — five hundred
- 一百块 — one hundred yuan
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百人一百人When counting a specific hundred people, Chinese requires the numeral 一 before 百. Bare 百人 sounds like a newspaper headline, not natural speech.
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百块一百块For a specific amount of money, you must say 一百块. 百块 alone is not used in spoken Chinese.
When do I say 一百 and when can I just say 百?
Say 一百 when counting a specific hundred; bare 百 only works inside larger numbers or fixed words.
百 is a bound numeral. On its own it cannot stand as a complete number in modern spoken Chinese. If you mean 'one hundred people', you must say 一百人, not 百人. Bare 百 appears in larger numbers like 五百 (500) or 三百五十 (350), and in fixed compounds like 百分之 (percent). Beginners often drop the 一 because English says 'a hundred', but Chinese does not allow that here.
| Context | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Counting people | 一百人 | 百人 |
| Counting money | 一百块 | 百块 |
| Inside a larger number | 五百 | 五一百 |
How do I tell 百 and 白 apart?
百 has a horizontal stroke on top; 白 does not. One stroke changes 'hundred' into 'white'.
百 and 白 differ by a single horizontal stroke at the top. 百 means 'hundred'; 白 means 'white'. If you write 白 when you mean 百, you turn 一百 (one hundred) into 一白, which is not a word. The top stroke in 百 is the only visual cue, so slow down when writing numbers.
| Character | Meaning | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| 百 | hundred | Has top horizontal stroke |
| 白 | white | No top horizontal stroke |
Appears in Stories 11 stories
This humorous dialogue follows a man who spends all his savings on his girlfriend's Apple phone and a lucky number, leaving him broke. A fun read for HSK 3 learners.
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八千六百多 ！
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打一次要 一百多 ，现在我只在马路上慢跑了。
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她还要换一个电话号码，我帮她选了一个888的号码——这个号码又要 八百 块。
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天啊，买完手机，换完新号，我的银行卡上只有 一百 块了！
Is four years to reach HSK 5 fast or slow? Follow a conversation between two learners as they compare study hours and share realistic strategies for busy adults.
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大学里面的学生，每天学四个学时，四年要学 两千八百 个学时。
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我这四年上网跟老师上课，学了最多 四百 个学时。
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我自己还下了一个APP，做HSK题，自己学了最多 两百 个小时。
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六百 个小时HSK五级，你的学习真好！
Why would a millionaire leave a table of lobster and wagyu untouched? This story explores the hidden rules of business dining and the true cost of staying alert.
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他说，不撑怎么办，底下 三百多个 人等着发工资。
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车是 百万 级的，内饰干净得不像有人坐过。
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结果第二天对方笑着砍了他五个点的价，一边还看着他眼睛说，看你昨天吃东西的样子就知道你这人没坏心眼，肯定没跟我们要高价，就便宜 百分之五 吧。
This rhythmic poem helps you practice numbers from one to ten and larger units. Listen to the beat and count along!
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七八九， 十零百 。
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七十五， 八百三 ，九千四，六万一。
This playful poem helps you count and practice vocabulary about clothes, students, and pets. Enjoy the rhythm while learning new words.
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买了五只小猫， 七百零五 块钱。
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卖了六只小狗， 四百零九 元钱。
Read about a work trip to Beijing where a group of colleagues takes a very large airplane. Practice weather words and actions in a simple travel story.
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我们坐的飞机很大，是 五百 人的大飞机。
In this funny HSK 2 story, a boy asks his father for money every day. When his father tries to teach him a lesson, the boy's clever reply will make you laugh.
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那，你今天给我 一百块钱 吧“！
This playful poem turns numbers into a rhythm of daily life. As you read, practice counting, days of the week, and common time words in a fun, memorable way.
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零 百 千万亿，可以医椅衣。
Learn the fascinating story behind the Chinese idiom '东山再起' (Dongshan Zaiji), which means to make a comeback. Discover its historical roots and modern usage.
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最厉害的是，他在淝水之战中指挥东晋军队，以八万人打败了号称 百万 的前秦军队，保住了自己的国家。
Follow Xiao Li as he copes with the effects of forest fires near his home in the US and reflects on environmental changes. A thoughtful story for HSK 4 learners.
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至少 一百万 棵树着了火，很多树已经倒了。
Read this short story about people waiting in the rain for a new phone. You will practice numbers, time, and everyday vocabulary.
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苹果十九很贵， 八千七百多 块钱。
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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