How to Type Chinese Numbers 0 to 10 with Keyboard Shortcuts?

Chinese Pinyin is one of the difficult written languages to learn. However, the basic numbers are easy to type with Pinyin Simplified input source. Even when you do not have the language installed on your PC or Mac, you can easily type Chinese numbers using alt code keyboard shortcuts. In addition, there are also other built-in tools available to insert Chinese numbers in your documents.

Alt Code Shortcuts Summary for Chinese Numbers

Here is a summary of shortcut keys for Windows and Mac from 0 to 10 in Chinese.

Number	Chinese Number	Pīnyīn	Windows Shortcut	Mac Shortcut
0	零	líng	Alt + 38646	Option + 96F6
1	一	yī	Alt + 19968	Option + 4E00
2	二	èr	Alt + 20108	Option + 4E8C
3	三	sān	Alt + 19977	Option + 4E09
4	四	sì	Alt + 22235	Option + 56DB
5	五	wǔ	Alt + 20116	Option + 4E94
6	六	liù	Alt + 20845	Option + 516D
7	七	qī	Alt + 19971	Option + 4E03
8	八	bā	Alt + 20843	Option + 516B
9	九	jiǔ	Alt + 20061	Option + 4E5D
10	十	shí	Alt + 21313	Option + 5341

Note: You do not need to press + key in the shortcuts. It is an indication of holding alt or option key together when pressing the code. The 5 digits code under Windows Shortcut column is in decimal format while the 4 digits code in the last Mac Shortcut column is in hexadecimal format. It is also called hex code or codepoint in Unicode (written like U+5341).

Alt Code for Chinese Numbers in Windows PC

• Press and hold the alt key either left or right side of spacebar on your keyboard.
• Type the alt code decimal numbers one by one using number pad.
• Take your hand off the alt key.

For example, press alt and then 20843 to make Chinese number 8 like 八. Remember, you should use number or numeric pad for pressing the numbers. Using the default number keys showing on top row of your laptop keyboard will NOT work. If you are frequently using alt codes, then consider purchasing a long keyboard with number pad or only a small USB number pad to attach to your existing keyboard.

Using Alt + X Shortcuts in Word Documents

If you do not have number pad on your keyboard, then there is an alternate option for using alt code shortcuts in Windows PC. Though this method works with normal alphanumeric keys on your keyboard, it will work ONLY in Microsoft Word documents and not in any other app.

• Type the four digit hexadecimal code.
• Press and hold one of the alt keys and then press X key.
• Take your hand off the alt key.

For example, type 4E09 then press alt and x keys together to convert the code to Chinese number 3 like 三.

Insert Chinese Numbers with Character Map App

If you do not like to use keyboard shortcut of if they are not working, you can use the Character Map app in Windows instead.

• Press “Win + R” keys to open Run prompt.
• Type charmap in the text box and press “OK” button.

• This will open Character Map app and make sure the “Advanced View” is checked. Select “Character set” as “Unicode” and “Group by” as “All” from the dropdowns.
• Type the hexadecimal code in “Go to Unicode” text box and press enter.
• Select the first character which should be the corresponding Chinese number for the hex code you have entered.
• Click “Select” button and then “Copy” button to copy the number to clipboard.
• Now, you can paste the copied number anywhere using “Control + V” shortcuts.

If you want to insert Chinese numbers with enclosed circles or parenthesis, then click “Group by” dropdown and select “Unicode Subrange” option. This will open another small pop-up and select “Ideographic Symbols” from the list of items. Now, you will find the Chinese numbers showing with parenthesis (first row) and with enclosed circles (fourth row). Like before, select the format you want to copy and paste anywhere.

Option Code for Chinese Numbers in Mac

You can use option key in Mac to type Chinese numbers.

• First, change the input source to Unicode Hex Input method.
• Press and hold one of the option keys.
• Type the hexadecimal code value.
• Take your hand off from the option key.

For example, press option and then type 516D to make Chinese number 6 like 六. Note that you do not need to use capital letters or hold shift key when pressing the D key.

Insert Chinese Numbers with Character Viewer in Mac

If have difficulties in using the above method, then you can insert the numbers using Character Viewer app instead of keyboard shortcuts.

• Position the cursor where you want to insert Chinese number.
• Press “Command + Control + Spacebar” keys or go to “Edit > Emoji & Symbols” menu.
• This will open Character Viewer app and type the hexadecimal code value to filter the result.
• Double click on the number showing under “Character code” section to insert it in your document.
• Now, you can close the Character Viewer app.

For example, type 516D to filter Chinese number six (六) and insert in your document. The advantage with this method is that you can find Chinese numbers in enclosed or parenthesis formats under “Related Characters” section. Scroll down in “Related Characters” section to find more “Font Variations” for the number you searched for. Simply double click on any of these numbers to insert instead of using plain format. For example, you can easily insert circled Chinese number 5 like ㊄ or closed parenthesis 7 like ㈦ or heavy 9 with Hiragino Sans W9 font variation like 九.

Shortcut Image Reference

Below is the image showing list of shortcuts for typing Chinese numbers 0 to 10 in Windows and Mac. You can save the image for offline reference.

Note: Chinese characters are wide and hence will occupy two bytes instead of single byte compared to English letters. This means two letter space will be used for typing a single Chinese number. In addition, the line height also will change when you insert Chinese numbers in-between other English characters. Therefore, make sure to use them with proper formatting to avoid messing up with your alignment.