Learn how to count up to one hundred
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| 大家好(daai6 gaa1 hou2)! Hello and welcome to Cantonese Survival phrases brought to you by cantoneseclass101.com, my name is Nicole and I will be your language teacher and culture guide throughout this course. This course is designed to equip you with the language skills and knowledge to enable you to get the most out of your visit to Hong Kong or anywhere else in the Cantonese world. You will be surprised at how far a little Cantonese will go. Now before we jump in, remember to stop by cantoneseclass101.com and there you will find the accompanying PDF and additional info in this post. If you stop by, be sure to leave us a comment. |
| Survival phrases, lesson 17. Counting. Today, we are going to continue with counting as we cover number 11 to 100. Now let’s just quickly review 0 to 10. 0 零(ling4), 1一(jat1), 2二( ji6), 3 三(saam1), 4四(sei3), 5五(ng5), 6 六 (luk6), 7 七(cat1), 8 八(baat3), 9 九(gau2), 10十(sap6). Now in Cantonese, counting from 11 to 20 is also quite straightforward. So let’s jump right in. 11 十一(sap6 jat1) or 10 1. Let’s hear it one more time 十一(sap6 jat1) 10 1 or 11 十一(sap6 jat1). Now we use this same way to form numbers from 12 to 19. 12 十二(sap6 ji6), 十二(sap6 ji6), 十二(sap6 ji6) 13十三(sap6 saam1), 十三(sap6 saam1),十三(sap6 saam1) 14十四(sap6 sei3), 十四(sap6 sei3), 十四(sap6 sei3) 15十五(sap6 ng5), 十五(sap6 ng5), 十五(sap6 ng5) 16十六 (sap6 luk6), 十六 (sap6 luk6), 十六 (sap6 luk6) 17十七(sap6 cat1), 十七(sap6 cat1), 十七(sap6 cat1) 18 十八(sap6 baat3), 十八(sap6 baat3), 十八(sap6 baat3) 19 十九(sap6 gau2), 十九(sap6 gau2), 十九(sap6 gau2) 20二十(ji6 sap6) or 2 10 二十(ji6 sap6), 二十(ji6 sap6), 二十(ji6 sap6). And we form numbers from 21 to 99 just like the 10s. Let’s say 23 二十三(ji6 sap6 saam1). That’s 2 10 3. So first you have 20 and then 3. 二十(ji6 sap6),and then 三(saam1) and the way you say 20 is 2 10. So you have 二十(ji6 sap6) and then 三(saam1) 3. 23 is 二十三(ji6 sap6 saam1). Let’s hear it again 二十三(ji6 sap6 saam1) or in some colloquial Cantonese, you will hear 廿三(jaa6 saam1), 廿三(jaa6 saam1). Now instead of saying 二十(ji6 sap6), we use a sound that’s 廿(jaa6). Let’s hear it again 廿(jaa6). 廿三(jaa6 saam1) That’s 23. 廿三(jaa6 saam1) 23. Now what about 25? That’s right 2 10 5. 二十五(ji6 sap6 ng5) Let’s hear it again 二十五(ji6 sap6 ng5) and in colloquial Cantonese, we say 廿五(jaa6 ng5), 廿五(jaa6 ng5). That’s also 25 廿五(jaa6 ng5). Now let’s go over numbers from 30 to 100. 30 just like 20, we say 3 10, 三十(saam1 sap6), 三十(saam1 sap6), 三十(saam1 sap6). 40 四十(sei3 sap6), 四十(sei3 sap6), 四十(sei3 sap6) 50 五十(ng5 sap6), 五十(ng5 sap6), 五十(ng5 sap6) and 60 六十( luk6 sap6), 六十( luk6 sap6), 六十( luk6 sap6) 70 七十(cat1 sap6), 七十(cat1 sap6),七十(cat1 sap6) 80 八十(baat3 sap6), 八十(baat3 sap6), 八十(baat3 sap6) 90九十(gau2 sap6), 九十(gau2 sap6), 九十(gau2 sap6) 100一百(jat1 baak3). |
| Notice that instead of saying 10 10 we use the word 百(baak3). That’s 100. Let’s hear it again 百(baak3) 100. Sounds very similar to the number 8 八(baat3). Now let’s put them together for comparison 百(baak3) 100, 八(baat3) 8. The difference between these two sounds is how big your mouth is. When you say 100 百(baak3) your mouth is round and big 百(baak3). When you say 8 八(baat3) your mouth is not as big 八(baat3). Now let’s hear them both again 百(baak3) 100, 八(baat3) 8. So for 100, we say 1 100 一百(jat1 baak3). What if it’s 200, we say 2 100 二百(ji6 baak3) and 300 三百(saam1 baak3) and go on. Now let’s try some lucky numbers. In Cantonese, a really lucky number is the number 8 八(baat3). Now let’s try to say 88 八十八(baat3 sap6 baat3). So to say 88 is 8 10 8 八十八(baat3 sap6 baat3). Let’s hear it again 八十八(baat3 sap6 baat3). |
| Now the reason for the number 8 being lucky is that 8 sounds similar to the word fortune or success which is 發(faat3). Now let’s put them together for comparison. 八(baat3) is number 8. 發(faat3) is the word for fortune or success. 八(baat3)and 發(faat3) they sound similar. So usually in Hong Kong or anywhere else in Cantonese or even in China, any license or number that’s related to 8 or includes an 8 will be more expensive. If you want to get a license with the number 8 八(baat3), it would cost you more than a regular number and also shopping in Hong Kong can be a great experience and one can enhance that experience by learning how to say in numbers. For example, if you want to shop for clothes but have no idea how to tell the clerks your size, studying today’s lesson will really help you buy the lovely dress or suit that you saw in the window. |
| So remember to practice how to say numbers from 0 to 100 in Cantonese. So practice numbers from 0 to 100 in Cantonese. That will be helpful. All right, to close our today’s lesson, we would like you to practice what you’ve just learned. I will provide you with the English equivalent of the phrase and you are responsible for shouting it out loud. You have a few seconds before I give you the answers. 加 油(gaa1 jau2)! 11 十一(sap6 jat1), 19 十九(sap6 gau2), 20 二十(ji6 sap6), 23 二十三(ji6 sap6 saam1) or 廿三(jaa6 saam1), 50 五十(ng5 sap6), 99 九十九(gau2 sap6 gau2 ), 100 一百(jat1 baak3). |
| All right, that about does it for today. Remember to stop by cantoneseclass101.com and pick up the PDF. If you stop by, remember to leave us a comment. Bye bye. |
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