<p>零 doesn't stand for &quot;zero&quot;, it's just a connection between a whole part and some smaller parts to make it pronounce more comfortably.</p>
<p>For example, when it comes to ￥3.5, it's both proper to say 三元零五角 and 三元五角.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-29T15:02:07.537Z
三元零五角 can be shortened to 三元五角 because there's no unit in-between 元 and 角, It is also true for 三元五角五分, but 零 in 三元零五分 cannot be omitted between the in-between unit 角 is empty. Another example: 一千零一夜 cannot be reduced to 一千一夜, and you don't need 零 in 一千一百一十一夜
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-29T15:11:42.690Z
$101.05 is "一百零一元零五分" ; $111.15 is "一百一十一元一角五分" or "一百一十一元零十五分"
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-29T18:34:30.660Z
"零 doesn't stand for "zero", it's just a connection between a whole part and some smaller parts....." Agree, it acts as "and" in the English numbering system - $305  = three hundred and 5 dollars when speaking with clarity.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-29T11:36:15.743Z
2022-04-29T11:36:15.743Z
Rafael_DD
<p>已有的答案基本回答了你的问题，除此之外，汉字中的零主要有以下几个意思：</p>
<p>The existing answers basically solved your confusion. While, in addition, &quot;零&quot; in Chinese has following meanings:</p>
<p>1.零碎(fragmentary)；小数目的（跟“整”相对）：～用。～售。化整为～。</p>
<p>2.零头(remnant)；零数：挂～儿。年纪已经八十有～。</p>
<p><em>3.放在两个数量中间，表示单位较高的量之下附有单位较低的量：一年～三天。八元～二分。</em></p>
<p>4.数的空位(empty)，在数码中多作“○”：三～一号。二～～～年。</p>
<p>5.表示没有数量(zero)：一减一等于～。这种药的效力等于～。</p>
<p>6.某些量度的计算起点(starting point of some measurement)：～点。～下十摄氏度。</p>
<p>7.姓。</p>
<p>8.（草木花叶）枯萎而落下(fallen)：～落。凋～。</p>
<p>9.（雨、泪等）落下：涕～。</p>
<p>我认为3更贴合你的问题，但是按照2来理解也可以。</p>
<p>I think meaning 3 fits your problem more, but understanding according to meaning 2 is also reasonable.
btw，《三体》非常好看</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-30T13:29:57.353Z
2022-04-30T13:29:57.353Z
Swamp
<p>This dictionary definition addresses the use of 零:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>用于表示质量、长度、时间、年岁等的两位数中间，表示单位较高的量下附有单位较低的量</p>
</blockquote>
<p>E.g. 五斤零六两 / 三点零一刻 / 一岁零五个月 / 一丈零二尺 / 一年零十天。</p>
<p>This use is somehow relevant to the sense 零头(remnant). 年 is a unit and 月 is 零头.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-29T14:25:00.460Z
2022-04-29T14:25:00.460Z
dan
<p>Becky</p>
<p>So why is there a 零 in 三年零九个月?
Let's say zero in mobile like 0980-030-123, the 0 before numbers is pronounced as &quot;o&quot; instead of &quot;zero&quot;.</p>
<p>In the context of Chinese, 三年九個月 a little bit refer to an actual age or period, instead of the tone that I think the story really meant : ...this era is about 3 years and 9 months..., it's a golden age.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-01T08:56:35.630Z
2022-05-01T08:56:35.630Z
ChengEn
<p>It is basiclly work as &quot;and&quot; in english.
Example: 303 3 hundred and 3, chinese:  三百零三
work the same as when you use something liek 'hmm', 'like', etc while your brain forget the word.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-29T19:14:38.270Z
2022-04-29T19:14:38.270Z
Williams Jr
<p>Like &quot;and&quot; in English, it is just to connect numbers in different units. Adding or not are both correct actually.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-29T12:46:35.560Z
2022-04-29T12:46:35.560Z
wznmickey
<p>三年<strong>零</strong>九個月 actually should be 三年<strong>另</strong>九個月, three years and nine months.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-29T11:59:39.167Z
2022-04-29T11:59:39.167Z
joehua
<blockquote>
<p>Why is there a 零 in 三年零九个月?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Based on my comments, 零 is a stand-in for in-between units that are empty.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>三元零五角 can be shortened to 三元五角 because there's no unit in-between 元 and 角, It is also true for 三元五角五分, but 零 in 三元零五分 cannot be omitted because the in-between unit 角 is empty. Another example: 一千零一夜 cannot be reduced to 一千一夜, and you don't need 零 in 一千一百一十一夜</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>$101.05 is &quot;一百零一元零五分&quot; ; $111.15 is &quot;一百一十一元一角五分&quot; or &quot;一百一十一元零十五分&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So strictly speaking, 零 in 三年零九个月 is not needed when describing a number (in this case, a time period). The reason we say 三年零九个月 is 零 is used interchangeably with 另 (plus/ and) here</p>
<p>三年<strong>零</strong>九个月 = 三年<strong>另</strong>九个月 = three years <strong>plus/and</strong> nine months</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-29T23:21:55.893Z
To me, 三年零九个月 sounds better than 三年九个月. 三年另九个月 is probably a regional use. It's first time I see it. It looks like a traditional way to me.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-29T23:33:38.143Z
And I guess most of people around would say 十年零一个月 rather than 十年一个月 because 一个月 is nothing compared with 十年.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-30T04:04:07.477Z
I can see 三年零九个月 sounds better than 三年九个月, but where do you place 零 in 三年九个月二十一天十八小時六分二十二秒?
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-30T06:01:05.740Z
It would be 三年'零'九个月二十一天十八小時六分二十二秒. In this case, the unit is still 年 and the rest(whatever it is) is 零头.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-30T06:06:25.840Z
we can also say(though verbosely): 三年'零'九个月'零'二十一天'零'十八小時'零'六分'零'二十二秒. This way, the speaker tries to be more specific/accurate and probably a bit for emphasis. He might want to be formal too. The point is he wants to narraw down to 'trivial'.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-29T15:24:31.063Z
2022-04-29T16:35:12.113Z
2022-04-29T16:35:12.113Z
Tang Ho
<blockquote>
<p>……大王，您所期待的长恒纪元就到来了，这个恒纪元将持续<strong>三年零九个月</strong>，其间气候温暖，是一个黄金纪元。<br />
<sub>刘慈欣，《三体》</sub></p>
</blockquote>
<p>This is from the novel <em>The Three Body Problem</em>.  I'm a little bit puzzled as to why there is a 零 added in 三年零九个月 = &quot;three years and nine months&quot;; we usually we don't add 零 before numbers, and I would ordinarily expect 三年九个月 to be appropriate.  Maybe I should just chalk this up to poetic license usage.</p>
<p><strong>Question</strong>: Why is there a 零 in 三年零九个月?</p>

<usage>
Why is there a 零 in 三年零九个月?
# Why is there a 零 in 三年零九个月?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-04-29)

> ……大王，您所期待的长恒纪元就到来了，这个恒纪元将持续**三年零九个月**，其间气候温暖，是一个黄金纪元。  
> 刘慈欣，《三体》

This is from the novel *The Three Body Problem*. I'm a little bit puzzled as to why there is a 零 added in 三年零九个月 = "three years and nine months"; we usually we don't add 零 before numbers, and I would ordinarily expect 三年九个月 to be appropriate. Maybe I should just chalk this up to poetic license usage.

**Question**: Why is there a 零 in 三年零九个月?

**Tags:** usage


---

## 8 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-04-29. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

> Why is there a 零 in 三年零九个月?

Based on my comments, 零 is a stand-in for in-between units that are empty.

> 三元零五角 can be shortened to 三元五角 because there's no unit in-between 元 and 角, It is also true for 三元五角五分, but 零 in 三元零五分 cannot be omitted because the in-between unit 角 is empty. Another example: 一千零一夜 cannot be reduced to 一千一夜, and you don't need 零 in 一千一百一十一夜

> $101.05 is "一百零一元零五分" ; $111.15 is "一百一十一元一角五分" or "一百一十一元零十五分"

So strictly speaking, 零 in 三年零九个月 is not needed when describing a number (in this case, a time period). The reason we say 三年零九个月 is 零 is used interchangeably with 另 (plus/ and) here

三年**零**九个月 = 三年**另**九个月 = three years **plus/and** nine months

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: To me, 三年零九个月 sounds better than 三年九个月. 三年另九个月 is probably a regional use. It's first time I see it. It looks like a traditional way to me.  
> **username_5**: And I guess most of people around would say 十年零一个月 rather than 十年一个月 because 一个月 is nothing compared with 十年.  
> **username_2**: I can see 三年零九个月 sounds better than 三年九个月, but where do you place 零 in 三年九个月二十一天十八小時六分二十二秒?  
> **username_5**: It would be 三年'零'九个月二十一天十八小時六分二十二秒. In this case, the unit is still 年 and the rest(whatever it is) is 零头.  
> **username_5**: we can also say(though verbosely): 三年'零'九个月'零'二十一天'零'十八小時'零'六分'零'二十二秒. This way, the speaker tries to be more specific/accurate and probably a bit for emphasis. He might want to be formal too. The point is he wants to narraw down to 'trivial'.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-04-29. Score: 4

零 doesn't stand for "zero", it's just a connection between a whole part and some smaller parts to make it pronounce more comfortably.

For example, when it comes to ￥3.5, it's both proper to say 三元零五角 and 三元五角.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: 三元零五角 can be shortened to 三元五角 because there's no unit in-between 元 and 角, It is also true for 三元五角五分, but 零 in 三元零五分 cannot be omitted between the in-between unit 角 is empty. Another example: 一千零一夜 cannot be reduced to 一千一夜, and you don't need 零 in 一千一百一十一夜  
> **username_2**: $101.05 is "一百零一元零五分" ; $111.15 is "一百一十一元一角五分" or "一百一十一元零十五分"  
> **username_3**: "零 doesn't stand for "zero", it's just a connection between a whole part and some smaller parts....." Agree, it acts as "and" in the English numbering system - $305  = three hundred and 5 dollars when speaking with clarity.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2022-04-30. Score: 2

已有的答案基本回答了你的问题，除此之外，汉字中的零主要有以下几个意思：

The existing answers basically solved your confusion. While, in addition, "零" in Chinese has following meanings:

1.零碎(fragmentary)；小数目的（跟“整”相对）：～用。～售。化整为～。

2.零头(remnant)；零数：挂～儿。年纪已经八十有～。

*3.放在两个数量中间，表示单位较高的量之下附有单位较低的量：一年～三天。八元～二分。*

4.数的空位(empty)，在数码中多作“○”：三～一号。二～～～年。

5.表示没有数量(zero)：一减一等于～。这种药的效力等于～。

6.某些量度的计算起点(starting point of some measurement)：～点。～下十摄氏度。

7.姓。

8.（草木花叶）枯萎而落下(fallen)：～落。凋～。

9.（雨、泪等）落下：涕～。

我认为3更贴合你的问题，但是按照2来理解也可以。

I think meaning 3 fits your problem more, but understanding according to meaning 2 is also reasonable.
btw，《三体》非常好看


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2022-04-29. Score: 2

This dictionary definition addresses the use of 零:

> 用于表示质量、长度、时间、年岁等的两位数中间，表示单位较高的量下附有单位较低的量

E.g. 五斤零六两 / 三点零一刻 / 一岁零五个月 / 一丈零二尺 / 一年零十天。

This use is somehow relevant to the sense 零头(remnant). 年 is a unit and 月 is 零头.


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2022-05-01. Score: 1

Becky

So why is there a 零 in 三年零九个月?
Let's say zero in mobile like 0980-030-123, the 0 before numbers is pronounced as "o" instead of "zero".

In the context of Chinese, 三年九個月 a little bit refer to an actual age or period, instead of the tone that I think the story really meant : ...this era is about 3 years and 9 months..., it's a golden age.


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2022-04-29. Score: 1

It is basiclly work as "and" in english.
Example: 303 3 hundred and 3, chinese: 三百零三
work the same as when you use something liek 'hmm', 'like', etc while your brain forget the word.


---

### Answer by username_8 on 2022-04-29. Score: 0

Like "and" in English, it is just to connect numbers in different units. Adding or not are both correct actually.


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### Answer by username_9 on 2022-04-29. Score: -2

三年**零**九個月 actually should be 三年**另**九個月, three years and nine months.


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