Language/Yue-chinese/Vocabulary/Numbers
Welcome to our lesson on Yue Chinese Numbers! In this session, we will embark on an exciting journey to learn how to count and use numbers in Yue Chinese. Mastering numbers is not just essential for basic communication, but it also opens the door to understanding prices, time, dates, and so much more. Whether you're planning a trip to Hong Kong or just curious about the language, knowing how to count will serve you well.
Here's what we will cover in this lesson:
Introduction to Numbers in Yue Chinese[edit | edit source]
In any language, numbers form the backbone of communication. They help us quantify things, express time, and navigate our daily lives. Yue Chinese, like many languages, has its own unique system for numbers. In this lesson, we will focus on the numbers from 1 to 100, and you'll find that the patterns are quite logical once you get the hang of them.
Basic Numbers[edit | edit source]
Let's start with the basic numbers from 1 to 10. These are the building blocks of counting in Yue Chinese. Below is a table to illustrate:
Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
一 | jat1 | one |
二 | ji6 | two |
三 | saam1 | three |
四 | sei3 | four |
五 | ng5 | five |
六 | luk6 | six |
七 | cat1 | seven |
八 | baat3 | eight |
九 | gau2 | nine |
十 | sap6 | ten |
With these numbers, you can already start counting! Now, let's take a look at 11 to 20.
Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
十一 | sap6 jat1 | eleven |
十二 | sap6 ji6 | twelve |
十三 | sap6 saam1 | thirteen |
十四 | sap6 sei3 | fourteen |
十五 | sap6 ng5 | fifteen |
十六 | sap6 luk6 | sixteen |
十七 | sap6 cat1 | seventeen |
十八 | sap6 baat3 | eighteen |
十九 | sap6 gau2 | nineteen |
二十 | ji6 sap6 | twenty |
Notice how the numbers are formed! For 11 to 19, we simply add the basic number to 十 (ten). For 20, we have a special form: 二十 (two tens).
Counting Beyond 20[edit | edit source]
Once you’re comfortable with 1 to 20, counting gets easier. The pattern continues, where you combine the tens with the units. Let’s look at tens up to 100.
Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
三十 | saam1 sap6 | thirty |
四十 | sei3 sap6 | forty |
五十 | ng5 sap6 | fifty |
六十 | luk6 sap6 | sixty |
七十 | cat1 sap6 | seventy |
八十 | baat3 sap6 | eighty |
九十 | gau2 sap6 | ninety |
一百 | jat1 baak3 | one hundred |
For example, to say 31, you would say 三十一 (saam1 sap6 jat1), which translates literally to "three tens one."
Forming Numbers from 21 to 99[edit | edit source]
To form numbers from 21 to 99, you use the pattern of tens and units. Let’s look at some examples:
- 21: 二十一 (ji6 sap6 jat1) - "two tens one"
- 45: 四十五 (sei3 sap6 ng5) - "four tens five"
- 68: 六十八 (luk6 sap6 baat3) - "six tens eight"
- 99: 九十九 (gau2 sap6 gau2) - "nine tens nine"
This pattern is consistent and makes it easier to learn. Just remember to say the tens first, followed by the units.
Practicing with Examples[edit | edit source]
Now that you understand the basics of counting in Yue Chinese, let’s solidify that knowledge with more examples. Here are 20 numbers for you to practice:
Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
三十一 | saam1 sap6 jat1 | thirty-one |
四十二 | sei3 sap6 ji6 | forty-two |
五十三 | ng5 sap6 saam1 | fifty-three |
六十四 | luk6 sap6 sei3 | sixty-four |
七十五 | cat1 sap6 ng5 | seventy-five |
八十六 | baat3 sap6 luk6 | eighty-six |
九十七 | gau2 sap6 cat1 | ninety-seven |
二十七 | ji6 sap6 cat1 | twenty-seven |
一百零一 | jat1 baak3 ling4 jat1 | one hundred one |
二十一 | ji6 sap6 jat1 | twenty-one |
三十七 | saam1 sap6 cat1 | thirty-seven |
四十九 | sei3 sap6 gau2 | forty-nine |
五十八 | ng5 sap6 baat3 | fifty-eight |
六十九 | luk6 sap6 gau2 | sixty-nine |
七十六 | cat1 sap6 luk6 | seventy-six |
八十四 | baat3 sap6 sei3 | eighty-four |
九十八 | gau2 sap6 baat3 | ninety-eight |
二十五 | ji6 sap6 ng5 | twenty-five |
三十六 | saam1 sap6 luk6 | thirty-six |
四十六 | sei3 sap6 luk6 | forty-six |
Exercises for Practice[edit | edit source]
Now that you have covered numbers, it’s time to practice! Here are some exercises that will help reinforce what you’ve learned:
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks[edit | edit source]
Translate the following numbers from English to Yue Chinese:
1. 12
2. 25
3. 38
4. 54
5. 69
Solutions:
1. 十二 (sap6 ji6)
2. 二十五 (ji6 sap6 ng5)
3. 三十八 (saam1 baat3)
4. 五十四 (ng5 sap6 sei3)
5. 六十九 (luk6 sap6 gau2)
Exercise 2: Number Matching[edit | edit source]
Match the Yue Chinese numbers to their English translations:
1. 四十 (sei3 sap6)
2. 九十一 (gau2 sap6 jat1)
3. 二十 (ji6 sap6)
4. 三十 (saam1 sap6)
Solutions:
1. 40
2. 91
3. 20
4. 30
Exercise 3: Write the Numbers[edit | edit source]
Write the Yue Chinese numbers for the following English numbers:
1. 46
2. 83
3. 50
4. 11
5. 27
Solutions:
1. 四十六 (sei3 sap6 luk6)
2. 八十三 (baat3 sap6 saam1)
3. 五十 (ng5 sap6)
4. 十一 (sap6 jat1)
5. 二十七 (ji6 sap6 cat1)
Exercise 4: Listening Exercise[edit | edit source]
Listen to your instructor say the following numbers in Yue Chinese and write them down:
1. 15
2. 32
3. 47
4. 59
5. 78
Solutions:
1. 十五 (sap6 ng5)
2. 三十二 (saam1 ji6)
3. 四十七 (sei3 sap6 cat1)
4. 五十九 (ng5 gau2)
5. 七十八 (cat1 baat3)
Exercise 5: Translate the Numbers[edit | edit source]
Translate the following Yue Chinese numbers to English:
1. 六十 (luk6 sap6)
2. 三十二 (saam1 ji6)
3. 九十 (gau2 sap6)
4. 二十九 (ji6 sap6 gau2)
5. 八十七 (baat3 sap6 cat1)
Solutions:
1. 60
2. 32
3. 90
4. 29
5. 87
Exercise 6: Create Your Own Numbers[edit | edit source]
Create five sentences using numbers in Yue Chinese. For example, “I have three apples” can be translated to “我有三個蘋果” (ngo5 jau5 saam1 go3 ping4 gwo2).
Solutions: (Sample Sentences)
1. 我有五本書 (I have five books)
2. 他有二十元 (He has twenty dollars)
3. 她有八隻狗 (She has eight dogs)
4. 我們有十個朋友 (We have ten friends)
5. 我買了六個蘋果 (I bought six apples)
Exercise 7: Number Story[edit | edit source]
Write a short story using at least ten numbers in Yue Chinese.
Solutions: (Sample Story)
我有三個朋友。他們分別是二十歲、三十歲和四十歲。我們一起去買了五十個蘋果和六十個橙子。晚上我們一起喝了七杯水,然後看了八部電影。這一天真是太開心了!
Exercise 8: Number Bingo[edit | edit source]
Create a Bingo game using numbers 1 to 30 in Yue Chinese. Call out numbers in English and have students mark the corresponding Yue Chinese number.
Solutions: (Sample Numbers for Bingo)
1. 一 (1)
2. 二 (2)
3. 三 (3)
4. 四 (4)
5. 五 (5)
6. 六 (6)
7. 七 (7)
8. 八 (8)
9. 九 (9)
10. 十 (10)
Exercise 9: Group Activity[edit | edit source]
In groups, practice counting from 1 to 100 in Yue Chinese. Each student takes turns saying a number until you reach 100.
Exercise 10: Number Quiz[edit | edit source]
Create a short quiz with ten questions about the numbers learned in this lesson. Each question can have multiple choices or true/false options.
Solutions: (Sample Questions)
1. What is the translation of 20 in Yue Chinese?
- A) 十 (10)
- B) 二十 (20) - Correct Answer
- C) 三十 (30)
2. How do you say 77 in Yue Chinese?
- A) 七十七 (77) - Correct Answer
- B) 六十七 (67)
- C) 八十七 (87)
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
Congratulations on completing this lesson on numbers in Yue Chinese! Remember, practice makes perfect. The more you use the numbers, the more comfortable you will become. Feel free to revisit this lesson whenever you need a refresher, and don't hesitate to reach out with any questions. Keep counting, and enjoy your journey in learning Yue Chinese!
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Animals
- Colors
- Television and Movies
- Health
- Clothes
- Days of the Week
- Workplace Vocabulary
- Education
- Food and Drink