<blockquote>
<p>the members were <strong>counting</strong> without 十 between numbers.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This is exactly where the &quot;十&quot; can be completely omitted, when one is <strong>counting</strong>. It is quite normal to omit the &quot;十&quot; after passing 20 when counting, especially when one is counting <strong>fast</strong>.</p>
<p>I cannot recall other circumstances when the &quot;十&quot; can be omitted.</p>
<p>Also, one might drop the hundred part completely after 100, starting from 一 again. The hundred part is may be only included when a whole hundred is reached. E.g. 九七, 九八, 九九, 一百, 一, 二, 三, 四, ......, 九七, 九八, 九九, 二百, 一, 二,  三, 四, ...... The hundred part is memorized instead of spoken out. (Sometimes one might use fingers to keep track of the number of hundreds)</p>
<p>Disclaimer: I am a native Chinese speaker in Beijing. This may differ in different regions or in different dialects.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-26T14:13:57.947Z
Thanks! I learn a lot from you.
Tony Mora
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-26T17:51:23.450Z
Same here. When counting items, we often keep all numbers within 2 syllables, so that to keep the rhythm of counting.
River
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-26T11:45:32.393Z
2020-10-26T11:45:32.393Z
fefe
<p>When it is an amount,  二十五 cannot be reduced to 二五</p>
<p>In the clip, the man was counting 25, 26... . He was reading out the digits on a stopwatch (not an amount)</p>
<p>If you hear someone counting &quot;一五，二五，三五，四五&quot;, that person is citing the 乘數表 (multiplication table).  Counting a group of five items as a time,</p>
<p>Column 5 in multiplication table:</p>
<p><strong>一五</strong>得五 (1 X 5 = 5)</p>
<p><strong>二五</strong>得一十 (2 X 5 = 10)</p>
<p><strong>三五</strong>一十五 (3 X 5 = 15)</p>
<p><strong>四五</strong>中二十 (4 X 5 = 20)</p>
<p>五五二十五 (5 X 5 = 25)</p>
<p>六五中三十 (6 X 5 = 30)</p>
<p>七五三十五 (7 X 5 = 35)</p>
<p>八五中四十 (8 X 5 = 40)</p>
<p>九五四十五 (9 X 5 = 45)</p>
<p><em>Side note: 二五 could be short for <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/39256/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">二五仔</a> which is Cantonese slang for traitor</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-26T09:48:01.113Z
But is it the same form as for countdown? I just recheck the clip from 奔跑吧第, the PD was doing countdowns “ 二五,  二六, 二七, 二八, 二九, ...” instead of “ 二十五, 二十七, 二十八, 二十九, ...” You can check from 7:44 into the clip from the show, here: https://youtu.be/4cMFmHEwh1U
Tony Mora
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-26T10:18:59.423Z
He was reading out the digits on a stopclock
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-26T14:15:45.383Z
Ahhh, so that’s what it is!
Tony Mora
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-26T09:33:21.497Z
2020-10-28T20:49:56.873Z
2020-10-28T20:49:56.873Z
Tang Ho
<p>Using 二五 (&quot;two five&quot;) in place of 二十五  (&quot;twenty five&quot;) would be considered incorrect (so don't use it on a Chinese test).  However, in the video it's possible the pronunciation of 十 is partly (if not wholly) swallowed if the people are speaking quickly and repetitively, or are speaking with a dialect.</p>
<p>This succinct pronunciation is common for native Chinese speakers, and there are many typical examples of it presented in the YouTube video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdPZeWIxrtc" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Understand FAST Chinese Conversations | Common Reductions in Everyday Speech</a>.</p>
<p>I expect the 十 in 二十五 sounds like a brief grunt between 二 and 五, like when people pronounce 不知道 (bù zhī dào) as &quot;bù r dào&quot; or even just &quot;bù ào&quot;.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-26T14:15:13.943Z
Thanks for your helpful explanation.
Tony Mora
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-26T10:27:15.233Z
2020-10-26T10:27:15.233Z
Becky 李蓓
<p>Can I just say <strong>二五</strong> when I’m talking or counting instead of <strong>二十五</strong>? Will it make a difference between the two of them? Or is it because <strong>二五</strong> is like everyday speech (<strong>informal</strong>) and <strong>二十五</strong> (<strong>formal</strong>) for writing?</p>
<p>I watched 奔跑吧第 “Keep Running” show in order to learn and improve my chinese. I remembered in one of the episode of the show, the members were counting without 十 between numbers. I’m trying to learn the “everyday” chinese by watching chinese dramas and variety shows in order to improve my comprehension and speech.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-26T12:56:28.877Z
It's only valid while counting.
dan
<word-choice><usage><difference>
What’s the difference between 二五 and 二十五?
# What’s the difference between 二五 and 二十五?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-10-26)

Can I just say **二五** when I’m talking or counting instead of **二十五**? Will it make a difference between the two of them? Or is it because **二五** is like everyday speech (**informal**) and **二十五** (**formal**) for writing?

I watched 奔跑吧第 “Keep Running” show in order to learn and improve my chinese. I remembered in one of the episode of the show, the members were counting without 十 between numbers. I’m trying to learn the “everyday” chinese by watching chinese dramas and variety shows in order to improve my comprehension and speech.

**Tags:** word-choice, usage, difference

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It's only valid while counting.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-10-26. Score: 7

> the members were **counting** without 十 between numbers.

This is exactly where the "十" can be completely omitted, when one is **counting**. It is quite normal to omit the "十" after passing 20 when counting, especially when one is counting **fast**.

I cannot recall other circumstances when the "十" can be omitted.

Also, one might drop the hundred part completely after 100, starting from 一 again. The hundred part is may be only included when a whole hundred is reached. E.g. 九七, 九八, 九九, 一百, 一, 二, 三, 四, ......, 九七, 九八, 九九, 二百, 一, 二, 三, 四, ...... The hundred part is memorized instead of spoken out. (Sometimes one might use fingers to keep track of the number of hundreds)

Disclaimer: I am a native Chinese speaker in Beijing. This may differ in different regions or in different dialects.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks! I learn a lot from you.  
> **username_3**: Same here. When counting items, we often keep all numbers within 2 syllables, so that to keep the rhythm of counting.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-10-26. Score: 2

When it is an amount, 二十五 cannot be reduced to 二五

In the clip, the man was counting 25, 26... . He was reading out the digits on a stopwatch (not an amount)

If you hear someone counting "一五，二五，三五，四五", that person is citing the 乘數表 (multiplication table). Counting a group of five items as a time,

Column 5 in multiplication table:

**一五**得五 (1 X 5 = 5)

**二五**得一十 (2 X 5 = 10)

**三五**一十五 (3 X 5 = 15)

**四五**中二十 (4 X 5 = 20)

五五二十五 (5 X 5 = 25)

六五中三十 (6 X 5 = 30)

七五三十五 (7 X 5 = 35)

八五中四十 (8 X 5 = 40)

九五四十五 (9 X 5 = 45)

*Side note: 二五 could be short for [二五仔](http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/39256/) which is Cantonese slang for traitor*

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: But is it the same form as for countdown? I just recheck the clip from 奔跑吧第, the PD was doing countdowns “ 二五,  二六, 二七, 二八, 二九, ...” instead of “ 二十五, 二十七, 二十八, 二十九, ...” You can check from 7:44 into the clip from the show, here: https://youtu.be/4cMFmHEwh1U  
> **username_4**: He was reading out the digits on a stopclock  
> **username_0**: Ahhh, so that’s what it is!  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2020-10-26. Score: 1

Using 二五 ("two five") in place of 二十五 ("twenty five") would be considered incorrect (so don't use it on a Chinese test). However, in the video it's possible the pronunciation of 十 is partly (if not wholly) swallowed if the people are speaking quickly and repetitively, or are speaking with a dialect.

This succinct pronunciation is common for native Chinese speakers, and there are many typical examples of it presented in the YouTube video [Understand FAST Chinese Conversations | Common Reductions in Everyday Speech](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdPZeWIxrtc).

I expect the 十 in 二十五 sounds like a brief grunt between 二 and 五, like when people pronounce 不知道 (bù zhī dào) as "bù r dào" or even just "bù ào".

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks for your helpful explanation.  

---

