Chinese Numbers Explained
Now that you know words for distance and duration you can talk about speed:
| Rate of Speed |
|---|
| speed | degree |
| 速 | 度 |
| sù | dù |
| How fast? |
|---|
| how (much) | fast |
| 多 | 快 |
| duō | kuài |
The pattern for expressing speed is the same as with other kinds of rates like frequency: the time unit comes first and then the number with the distance units. So 50 Kilometers per hour is structured like "one hour 50 kilometers" or "each hour 50 kilometers". For example:
| 50 Kilometers per Hour |
|---|
| one | hour | fifty | kilometers |
| 一 | 小时 | 五十 | 公里 |
| yī | xiǎo shí | wŭ shí | gōng lǐ |
| 50 Kilometers per Hour (alt.) |
|---|
| each | hour | fifty | kilometers |
| 每 | 小时 | 五十 | 公里 |
| měi | xiǎo shí | wŭ shí | gōng lǐ |
Some more examples with other units:
| 55 Miles per Hour |
|---|
| one | hour | fifty-five | miles |
| 一 | 小时 | 五十五 | 英里 |
| yī | xiǎo shí | wŭ shí wŭ | yīng lǐ |
| 10 Meters per Second |
|---|
| each | second | ten | meters |
| 每 | 秒 | 十 | 米 |
| měi | miǎo | shí | mǐ |
Since speed is often expressed in terms of distance covered in an hour, the word for 'hourly speed' can be used:
.
| 50 Kilometers per Hour (abbr.) |
|---|
| hourly speed | fifty | kilometers |
| 时速 | 五十 | 公里 |
| shí sù | wŭ shí | gōng lǐ |
You'll frequently see velocity referenced in terms of the speed limit:
. Notice in the second example the units of length are omitted, since it's generally implied that speeds are expressed in terms of kilometers:
| Speed Limit is 50 Kph |
|---|
| speed limit | is | each | hour | fifty | kilometers |
| 限速 | 为 | 每 | 小时 | 五十 | 公里 |
| xiàn sù | wèi | měi | xiǎo shí | wŭ shí | gōng lǐ |
| 50 Kph Speed Limit (Abbr.) |
|---|
| speed limit | fifty |
| 限速 | 五十 |
| xiàn sù | wŭ shí |
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Copyright © 2020 David Richmond
