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Cantonese Lesson 3
Numbers
and Counting

\lihng\

0

 

sahp

10

-yat-

1

baak

100

yih

2

\chin\

1000

\saam\

3

maahn

10000

sei

4

 

/ngh/

5

/leuhng/

a couple

luhk

6

go

[mw]

-chat-

7

daih

[ordinal]

baat

8

/dim/

decimal

/gau/

9

 bun

decimal

Whole Numbers

The Chinese number system and the Western number system are very similar, but differ early on.  While the English number words from 11-100 undergo sound changes, the Chinese numbers remain predictable.

In Chinese, whole numbers follow the format: 

萬  千  百  十  (ones)=

Ordinalizing numbers is accomplished by simply adding daih to the front of a number.  To make "one" become "the first", "-yat-" becomes "daih -yat-"

Decimal Numbers

Decimal numbers are read with the whole number read first, the word /dim/ (to denote the decimal point), and then each each decimal place read.  Zeros are treated the same as other digits.  If the whole number is zero the initial zero can be read or omitted.

Examples:

1.5 

-yat- /dim/ /ngh/ 1.0 -yat- /dim/ \lihng\

0.02

\lihng\ /dim/ \lihng\ yih 1.00 -yat- /dim/ \lihng\ \lihng\

1.10001

-yat- /dim/ -yat- \lihng\ \lihng\ \lihng\ -yat- 1.01 -yat- /dim/ \lihng\ -yat-

0.0010

\lihng\ /dim/ \lihng\ \lihng\ -yat- \lihng\ 0.5 \lihng\ /dim/ /ngh/

10.30

sahp /dim/ \saam\ \lihng\ 300.03 \saam\ baak /dim/ \lihng\ \saam\ 

Counting

Counting in Chinese is somewhat different than in English.  Chinese requires the use of a special class of words called "measure words."  These serve to give units for counting and classifying nouns.  Some words in English perform similar functions, but the difference is that in Cantonese all words require a measure word when being counted.

This section will only explain what is needed to know in order to count generic objects.  Grammar Lesson 7 dedicated to using measure words.

Examples:

1 person

一個人

 go \yahn\

Notice how in the first examples "\yahn\" is italicized to show that it can be omitted.  In the last examples it is not even included since it is not common to refer to a fraction of a person.

Most natives omit "-yat-" when it is the whole number being counted.  Although, it is understandable when included.

2 people

兩個人

 /leuhng/ go \yahn\

22 people

二十二個人

 yih sahp yih go \yahn\

1 and a half people

一個半人

 go bun \yahn\

2 and a half people

兩個半人

 /leuhng/ go bun \yahn\

3 and a half people

三個半人

 \saam\ go bun \yahn\

1.2

一個二

 go yih

2.2

兩個二

 /leuhng/ go yih

3.2

三個二

 \saam\ go yih

Learning Hints/Additional Information

This may be too much information to learn all at once.  You may wish to practice one part of the lesson until it is mastered before attempting to learn the other sections.

Cantonese has made contractions for the numbers from 21-99, excluding each multiple of ten.  The contraction is made by shortening the word for the tens position (sahp) into the "aa" vowel sound pronounced at a mid tone.  Numbers in the 20's and 30's are even further shortened, keeping on the initial of the first number plus "aa" and spoken with a distinct high falling tone.

yih sahp

\y'aa\

\saam\ sahp

\s'aa\

sei sahp

sei aa

/ngh/ sahp

/ngh/ aa

luhk sahp

luhk aa

-chat- sahp

\cha'a\

baat sahp

\b'aa\

/gau/ sahp

/gau/'a

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