num.
The absence of quantity in counting; a placeholder for nothing. Zero, naught, or nil; also the zero point on scales or scores. Rain (雨) drops falling like empty circles over a person (令) — nothing to count.
零
Common Usage & Traps
- 零下 — below zero (temperature)
- 零钱 — small change; spare cash
- 零分 — zero points; a score of zero
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零个苹果没有苹果 / 一个苹果也没有For zero apples in daily speech, Chinese prefers negation over 零 + measure word.
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一百五 (when you mean 105)一百零五Dropping 零 makes 一百五 sound like 150, not 105.
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零钱 (as 'zero money')零钱 = small change零 here means odd or scattered, not the number zero.
Why does 一百零五 mean 105, but 一百五 usually means 150?
零 plugs the empty tens slot: 一百零五 is 105; 一百五 usually means 150.
A missing middle place needs 零 as a placeholder. So 105 is 一百零五, not 一百五. When you drop 零, 一百五 becomes casual shorthand for 150. For 150, the full form is 一百五十.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning 105 | 一百零五 | 一百五 |
| Meaning 150 | 一百五十 (or 一百五) | 一百零五 |
| Empty middle slot | Use 零 | Drop 零 |
Why do people say 二零二零年, not 两千零二十年?
Years are read digit by digit, so 2020 is 二零二零年, not 两千零二十年.
For years, Chinese reads each digit like a phone number. So 2020 is 二零二零年. The quantity 2020 is different: 两千零二十. Don't mix the two patterns.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Year 2020 | 二零二零年 | 两千零二十年 |
| Quantity 2020 | 两千零二十 | 二零二零 |
| Reading style | Digit by digit for years | Full number for years |
If I say 我有零钱, do I mean I have zero money?
No—零钱 means small change or spare cash, not zero money.
零钱 uses 零 in the older sense of odd or scattered. It means coins, small bills, or spare cash. 我有零钱 means I have small change. 我没有钱 means I have no money. Don't read 零钱 as zero money.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | small change / spare cash | zero money |
| Example | 我有零钱。 | 我有零钱 = I have zero money. |
| Zero money | 我没有钱。 | 我有零钱。 |
Can I say 零个苹果 to mean 'zero apples'?
You can, but native speakers usually say 没有苹果 or 一个苹果也没有.
零个苹果 is not exactly wrong, but it sounds like a math answer. In daily Chinese, zero quantity is expressed with 没有 or 一个...也没有. So 'I have zero apples' is 我没有苹果 or 我一个苹果也没有. Avoid 零个苹果 in normal conversation.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Zero apples | 没有苹果 / 一个苹果也没有 | 零个苹果 |
| Context | Daily speech | Math/textbook answer |
| With measure word | Use negation, not 零 + 个 | 零个 + noun |
Featured in Story Deep Dive
Follow how this word unfolds across the narrative arc of this graded story.
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.
- Scene #1
零 百千万亿，可以医椅衣。
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