How to say “one (1)” in Chinese
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
Tone tip
On its own and when counting, 一 is yī (first tone). In phrases it changes: yì before tones 1/2/3, yí before a fourth tone. See tone sandhi.
In a sentence
我要一杯水。
Wǒ yào yì bēi shuǐ.
I'd like one glass of water.
Hear it and say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio and scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "one (1)" in Chinese?+
"one (1)" in Mandarin Chinese is 一, pronounced yī. On its own and when counting, 一 is yī (first tone). In phrases it changes: yì before tones 1/2/3, yí before a fourth tone. See tone sandhi.
What does 一 mean literally?+
一 breaks down as 一 (yī) = one. Together it means "one (1)".
How do I get the tones right in yī?+
On its own and when counting, 一 is yī (first tone). In phrases it changes: yì before tones 1/2/3, yí before a fourth tone. See tone sandhi.
More phrases like this
Master the tones behind it
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
See all the phrases on the how to say things in Chinese index.