What are the advantages and disadvantages of the traditional Chinese numbers?

Answer 1

The traditional Chinese number system has the advantage of being visually distinct and easy to recognize due to the unique characters used for each number. This can aid in clarity and precision when writing or reading numbers in Chinese. However, one major disadvantage is the complexity of the system, as it requires memorization of the characters for each number, which can be challenging for those unfamiliar with Chinese language and characters. Additionally, the traditional Chinese number system is not as commonly used in modern contexts, where Arabic numerals are more prevalent, which can lead to confusion or difficulty in communication.

Answer 2

There are no "traditional Chinese numbers". What there is, is a formal and informal way to write Chinese numbers.

In most situations, you would just use the informal characters (一 二 三 四 五 六 七 八 九 十）. They are easier to write being that there are less strokes in each character. They are also easier to remember.

Formal number characters (壹 贰 叁 肆 伍 陆 柒 捌 玖) are used when writing checks, bank slips, contracts, etc. Formal characters while having more strokes takes a little bit longer to write. The main difference is that with the formal characters, you can not just add one or two strokes to make it a different number.