<p>We usually just write as 50000, and sometimes follow the western standard 50,000.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-05T06:18:52.200Z
2013-08-05T07:14:02.100Z
2013-08-05T07:14:02.100Z
user3120
<p>It's <code>50 000</code> or <code>50,000</code>, the same as international standard.</p>

<p>Reference: <a href="http://www.china-language.gov.cn/wenziguifan/shanghi/021.htm" rel="noreferrer">出版物上数字用法的规定</a> (General rules for writing numerals in publications) </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>8    多位整数与小数: <br><strong><em>8 Multidigit integers and decimals:</em></strong></p>
  
  <p>8.1  阿拉伯数字书写的多位整数和小数的分节 <br><strong><em>8.1 Segmentations for multidigit integers and decimals written in Arabic numerals</em></strong></p>
  
  <p>8.1.1  专业性科技出版物的分节法：从小数点起，向左和向右每三位数字一组，组间空四分之一个汉字(二分之一个阿拉伯数字)的位置。 <br> <strong><em>8.1.1 Segmentation rules for professional scientific publications: from the decimal point, towards the left and the right, make every three digits a group; the width of the gap between two adjacent groups should be 1/4 of a Chinese character width (or 1/2 of an Arabic numeral width).</em></strong></p>

<pre><code>示例：2 748 456      3.141 592 65
</code></pre>
  
  <p>8.1.2  非专业性科技出版物如排版留四分空有困难，可仍采用传统的以千分撇“,”分节的办法。小数部分不分节。四位以内的整数也可以不分节。 <br> <strong><em>8.1.2 For non-"professional scientific publications", if it is difficult to use "quarter space", the traditional segment comma "," is acceptable. Decimal part should not be segmented. Integers less than 4 digits can be either segmented or not segmented.</em></strong></p>

<pre><code>示例：2,748,456    3.14159265    8703 
</code></pre>
</blockquote>

<h3>Edit by Stan:</h3>

<p>If following 8.1.1, then the <code>四分空</code>(quarter space) should be used according to the standard. Unfortunately, the standard hasn't exactly defined which space should be used. The list of spaces can be found in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_(punctuation)#Spaces_in_Unicode" rel="noreferrer">wiki</a>. And practically, when rendering <strong>NOT</strong> by a monospaced font, I suggest using</p>

<ul>
<li>U+2005 Four-Per-Em Space, or</li>
<li>U+202F Narrow No-Break Space</li>
</ul>

<p>for the "quarter space". Specially, the "Narrow No-Break Space" is for the intention of not breaking a digit number.</p>

<p>Rendering results with mixed font <code>宋体+Calibri</code> via Microsoft Word are as follows:</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/MRCNu.png" alt="space"></p>

<p>and for the line-breaking case (text aligning setting: <code>两端对齐 Justify</code>)</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/LiNvj.png" alt="space-linebreak">
*Note that in the "Narrow No-Break Space" case, no matter how you edit the content, the number won't be break into two lines.</p>

<p>BTW, you can use the <code>Alt</code> and the numeric keypad to input the special space, like <code>Alt+8197</code> or <code>Alt+8239</code>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-05T07:40:35.460Z
+1 very good reference! And I refine your answer according to [the formal scanned copy](http://www.jwc.fudan.edu.cn/picture/article/67/fd/41/e19754a64d07b27764cad04b39e6/4f0c3003-a41e-45e8-a325-148986332e63.pdf) and this [wiki page](https://zh.m.wikipedia.org/zh-mo/Wikipedia:%E6%A0%BC%E5%BC%8F%E6%89%8B%E5%86%8C). Main modifications are 1) the 千分撇 is changed to a **half-width** comma; 2) `3，14159265` is not correct according to the context. It's changed to `3.14159265`.
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-05T08:17:01.223Z
Yet, the definition of `空四分之一个汉字(二分之一个阿拉伯数字)的位置` (the width of the space between every three digits should be 1/4 width of a Chinese character or 1/2 width of a digit) is a bit difficult to follow. See [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_(punctuation)), I suggest using the `U+2005 Four-Per-Em Space Space` if following 8.1.1, because a simple space seems too wide.
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-05T08:27:45.357Z
@Stan There are concepts like 全角空格,半角空格,etc, but I have no idea how to represent them in Unicode. The reference I quote is a printing standard. Your way seems better than a normal space.
Yu Hao
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-05T08:31:05.970Z
If you don't mind, I'd like to help you add the rendering result via Microsoft Word to your answer :)
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-05T08:32:33.660Z
@Stan Of course not, that will be very nice.
Yu Hao
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-05T07:26:10.273Z
2013-08-06T06:33:28.667Z
2013-08-06T06:33:28.667Z
Yu Hao
<p>If writing for an exclusively Chinese audience, would the number 五萬  be written as 5,0000 or 50,000?  </p>

<p>To flesh out the question, we could consider:</p>

<ul>
<li>五千      5000  or 5,000</li>
<li>五萬     5,0000 or 50,000</li>
<li>五十萬   50,0000 or 500,000  </li>
<li>五百萬  500,0000  or 5,000,000 </li>
</ul>

<p>Am curious, about both text and software which is published with only a native Chinese speaking audience in mind.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-05T05:59:50.510Z
Formally, it follows the western standard, i.e. 5,000 and 50,000 etc.
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-05T15:55:47.957Z
I think the title would be a bit more clear as "Where should a comma be placed in large numbers" rather than something so specific.
Question Marks
<grammar><number><punctuation>
Where should I place the comma in large numbers?
# Where should I place the comma in large numbers?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-08-05)

If writing for an exclusively Chinese audience, would the number 五萬 be written as 5,0000 or 50,000?

To flesh out the question, we could consider:

* 五千 5000 or 5,000
* 五萬 5,0000 or 50,000
* 五十萬 50,0000 or 500,000
* 五百萬 500,0000 or 5,000,000

Am curious, about both text and software which is published with only a native Chinese speaking audience in mind.

**Tags:** grammar, number, punctuation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Formally, it follows the western standard, i.e. 5,000 and 50,000 etc.  
> **username_2**: I think the title would be a bit more clear as "Where should a comma be placed in large numbers" rather than something so specific.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2013-08-05. Score: 12 | Accepted answer

It's `50 000` or `50,000`, the same as international standard.

Reference: [出版物上数字用法的规定](http://www.china-language.gov.cn/wenziguifan/shanghi/021.htm) (General rules for writing numerals in publications)

> 8 多位整数与小数:   
> ***8 Multidigit integers and decimals:***
>
> 8.1 阿拉伯数字书写的多位整数和小数的分节   
> ***8.1 Segmentations for multidigit integers and decimals written in Arabic numerals***
>
> 8.1.1 专业性科技出版物的分节法：从小数点起，向左和向右每三位数字一组，组间空四分之一个汉字(二分之一个阿拉伯数字)的位置。   
>  ***8.1.1 Segmentation rules for professional scientific publications: from the decimal point, towards the left and the right, make every three digits a group; the width of the gap between two adjacent groups should be 1/4 of a Chinese character width (or 1/2 of an Arabic numeral width).***
>
> ```
> 示例：2 748 456      3.141 592 65
>
> ```
>
> 8.1.2 非专业性科技出版物如排版留四分空有困难，可仍采用传统的以千分撇“,”分节的办法。小数部分不分节。四位以内的整数也可以不分节。   
>  ***8.1.2 For non-"professional scientific publications", if it is difficult to use "quarter space", the traditional segment comma "," is acceptable. Decimal part should not be segmented. Integers less than 4 digits can be either segmented or not segmented.***
>
> ```
> 示例：2,748,456    3.14159265    8703 
>
> ```

### Edit by username_1:

If following 8.1.1, then the `四分空`(quarter space) should be used according to the standard. Unfortunately, the standard hasn't exactly defined which space should be used. The list of spaces can be found in [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_(punctuation)#Spaces_in_Unicode). And practically, when rendering **NOT** by a monospaced font, I suggest using

* U+2005 Four-Per-Em Space, or
* U+202F Narrow No-Break Space

for the "quarter space". Specially, the "Narrow No-Break Space" is for the intention of not breaking a digit number.

Rendering results with mixed font `宋体+Calibri` via Microsoft Word are as follows:

![space](https://i.sstatic.net/MRCNu.png)

and for the line-breaking case (text aligning setting: `两端对齐 Justify`)

![space-linebreak](https://i.sstatic.net/LiNvj.png)
\*Note that in the "Narrow No-Break Space" case, no matter how you edit the content, the number won't be break into two lines.

BTW, you can use the `Alt` and the numeric keypad to input the special space, like `Alt+8197` or `Alt+8239`.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: +1 very good reference! And I refine your answer according to [the formal scanned copy](http://www.jwc.fudan.edu.cn/picture/article/67/fd/41/e19754a64d07b27764cad04b39e6/4f0c3003-a41e-45e8-a325-148986332e63.pdf) and this [wiki page](https://zh.m.wikipedia.org/zh-mo/Wikipedia:%E6%A0%BC%E5%BC%8F%E6%89%8B%E5%86%8C). Main modifications are 1) the 千分撇 is changed to a **half-width** comma; 2) `3，14159265` is not correct according to the context. It's changed to `3.14159265`.  
> **username_1**: Yet, the definition of `空四分之一个汉字(二分之一个阿拉伯数字)的位置` (the width of the space between every three digits should be 1/4 width of a Chinese character or 1/2 width of a digit) is a bit difficult to follow. See [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_(punctuation)), I suggest using the `U+2005 Four-Per-Em Space Space` if following 8.1.1, because a simple space seems too wide.  
> **username_4**: @username_1 There are concepts like 全角空格,半角空格,etc, but I have no idea how to represent them in Unicode. The reference I quote is a printing standard. Your way seems better than a normal space.  
> **username_1**: If you don't mind, I'd like to help you add the rendering result via Microsoft Word to your answer :)  
> **username_4**: @username_1 Of course not, that will be very nice.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2013-08-05. Score: 1

We usually just write as 50000, and sometimes follow the western standard 50,000.


---

