🔢 數字
Numbers & Counting
Count from 1 to 100, learn classifiers, and use numbers in everyday conversations.
1
Numbers 1–10
Cantonese numbers are straightforward. Learn these ten and you can build any number up to 99.
| Chinese | Jyutping | English |
|---|---|---|
| 一 | jat1 | 1 |
| 二 | ji6 | 2 |
| 三 | saam1 | 3 |
| 四 | sei3 | 4 |
| 五 | ng5 | 5 |
| 六 | luk6 | 6 |
| 七 | cat1 | 7 |
| 八 | baat3 | 8 |
| 九 | gau2 | 9 |
| 十 | sap6 | 10 |
💡
The number 4 (四 sei3) sounds like "death" (死 sei2) and is considered unlucky. The number 8 (八 baat3) sounds like "prosperity" (發 faat3) and is very lucky!
2
Building Bigger Numbers
Numbers 11–99 follow a simple pattern: say the tens digit, then 十 (sap6), then the ones digit. For example, 25 is 二十五 (ji6 sap6 ng5).
| Chinese | Jyutping | English |
|---|---|---|
| 十一 | sap6 jat1 | 11 |
| 二十 | ji6 sap6 | 20 |
| 二十五 | ji6 sap6 ng5 | 25 |
| 五十 | ng5 sap6 | 50 |
| 九十九 | gau2 sap6 gau2 | 99 |
| 百 | baak3 | 100 |
我要三十個
ngo5 jiu3 saam1 sap6 go3
I want thirty
佢二十五歲
keoi5 ji6 sap6 ng5 seoi3
He/she is 25 years old
3
Classifiers (Measure Words)
In Cantonese, you can't just say "two apples." You need a classifier between the number and the noun. The most common one is 個 (go3), which works as a general classifier.
| Chinese | Jyutping | English |
|---|---|---|
| 個 | go3 | General classifier |
| 隻 | zek3 | For animals, hands, boats |
| 杯 | bui1 | For cups/glasses |
| 碟 | dip2 | For plates/dishes |
| 本 | bun2 | For books |
| 兩 | loeng5 | Two (used with classifiers) |
兩個人
loeng5 go3 jan4
Two people
一杯茶
jat1 bui1 caa4
One cup of tea
三碟點心
saam1 dip2 dim2 sam1
Three plates of dim sum
💡
When saying "two" with a classifier, use 兩 (loeng5) instead of 二 (ji6). So it's 兩個 not 二個.