How common it is
一 appears often in everyday Chinese, so it is worth practicing early and reviewing often.
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Pronunciation focus
Say yī slowly first, then repeat it in a short phrase. Listen for the tone shape.
Usage note
数字“一”用来表示数量为一个。
shùzì ‘yī’ yònglái bǎoshí shùliàng wèiyīgè。
The number '一' is used to indicate a quantity of one.
Context note
“一”常用于表示顺序、数量或时间点，比如第一、一次、一天。
‘yī’ cháng yònglái bǎoshí xùndìng、shùliàng huò qíshí diàntime。
'一' is often used to indicate order, quantity or a time point, such as first, once, or one day.
5 examples
我有一本书。
wǒ yǒu yì běn shū。
I have one book.
他来了一次。
tā lái le yí cì。
He came once.
每天早上我跑步一公里。
měi tiān zǎo shàng wǒ pǎo bù yì gōng lǐ。
Every morning I run one kilometer.
他住在一楼。
tā zhù zài yī lóu。
He lives on the first floor.
我吃了两顿饭，还有一顿。
wǒ chī le liǎng dùn fàn， hái yǒu yí dùn。
I ate two meals and still have one more.
5 mini stories
小明每天早上跑步一公里，然后回家吃早餐。
xiǎo míng měi tiān zǎo shàng pǎo bù yì gōng lǐ， rán hòu huí jiā chī zǎo cān。
Xiaoming runs one kilometer every morning, then goes home for breakfast.
妈妈说今天是一周的第一天。
mā ma shuō jīn tiān shì yì zhōu de dì yī tiān。
Mom says today is the first day of this week.
小红每天早上有一杯牛奶，她很喜欢喝。
xiǎo hóng měi tiān zǎo shàng yǒu yì bēi niú nǎi， tā hěn xǐ huan hē。
Xiaohong has one cup of milk every morning, and she likes it very much.
爸爸说他来了一次就走了。
bà ba shuō tā lái le yí cì jiù zǒu le。
Dad said he came once and left.
小华每天早上有一节英语课，她很喜欢这门课程。
xiǎo huá měi tiān zǎo shàng yǒu yì jié yīng yǔ kè， tā hěn xǐ huan zhè mén kè chéng。
Xiaohua has one English class every morning, and she likes the course very much.