number / noun HSK 1
zero · nought · fractional part · odd (of numbers)
Meaning
零 is the Chinese word for the number zero. It is used in phone numbers, addresses, decimals, and when expressing 'point-something' in numbers. It also appears in compound numbers to indicate a gap in place value.
Usage
In spoken Mandarin, 零 is used for zero in phone numbers (like 1-0-8) and decimals (3.5 = 三点五 sān diǎn wǔ, but 3.05 = 三点零五 sān diǎn líng wǔ). When a compound number has a zero in the tens place, 零 is inserted: 101 = 一百零一 yī bǎi líng yī. It's also used in temperature (零下 = below zero) and expressions meaning 'odd' or 'fractional'.
Examples
- 01我的电话号码里有三个零。.My phone number has three zeros.
- 02今天的气温是零下五度。.Today's temperature is minus five degrees.
Common collocations
- 零下below zero (temperature)
- 零钱small change, coins
- 零食snacks
- 零件spare parts, components
Origin
The character 零 originally meant 'drizzle' or 'fall in drops,' with the rain radical (雨). It came to mean 'zero' because of the idea of something tiny, fragmentary, or remaining.