Cantonese Numbers
Welcome to the sixth Cantonese lesson about numbers. This time we will learn about cardinal and ordinal numbers, followed by grammar rules, then animal names, finally a conversation in Cantonese to help you practice your daily phrases. Click on the sound icon to hear the words.
| Cardinal | Cantonese | Pronunciation | Ordinal | Cantonese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| one | 一 | [jat1]  | first | 第一 | [dai6 jat1] |
| two | 二 | [ji6] | second | 第二 | [dai6 ji6] |
| three | 三 | [saam1] | third | 第三 | [dai6 saam1] |
| four | 四 | [sei3] | fourth | 第四 | [dai6 sei3] |
| five | 五 | [ng5] | fifth | 第五 | [dai6 ng5] |
| six | 六 | [luk6] | sixth | 第六 | [dai6 luk6] |
| seven | 七 | [cat1] | seventh | 第七 | [dai6 cat1] |
| eight | 八 | [baat3] | eighth | 第八 | [dai6 baat3] |
| nine | 九 | [gau2] | ninth | 第九 | [dai6 gau2] |
| ten | 十 | [sap6] | tenth | 第十 | [dai6 sap6] |
| eleven | 十一 | [sap6 jat1] | eleventh | 第十一 | [dai6 sap6 jat1] |
| twelve | 十二 | [sap6 ji6] | twelfth | 第十二 | [dai6 sap6 ji6] |
| thirteen | 十三 | [sap6 saam1] | thirteenth | 第十三 | [dai6 sap6 saam1] |
| fourteen | 十四 | [sap6 sei3] | once | 一次 | [jat1 ci3] |
| fifteen | 十五 | [sap6 ng5] | twice | 兩次 | [loeng5 ci3] |
| sixteen | 十六 | [sap6 luk6] | Monday | 星期一 | [seng1 gei1 jat1] |
| seventeen | 十七 | [sap6 cat1] | Tuesday | 星期二 | [seng1 gei1 ji6] |
| eighteen | 十八 | [sap6 baat3] | Wednesday | 星期三 | [seng1 gei1 saam1] |
| nineteen | 十九 | [sap6 gau2] | Thursday | 星期四 | [seng1 gei1 sei3] |
| twenty | 二十 | [ji6 sap6] | Friday | 星期五 | [seng1 gei1 ng5] |
| seventy one | 七十一 | [cat1 sap6 jat1] | Saturday | 星期六 | [seng1 gei1 luk6] |
| one hundred | 一百 | [jat1 baak3] | Sunday | 星期日 | [seng1 gei1 jat6] |
Numbers Grammar Rules
Cantonese cardinal numbers refer to the counting numbers, because they show quantity. For example: I speak two languages. Ordinal numbers on the other hand tell the order of things and their rank: my first language is Cantonese. The examples below use numbers in different ways and places to demonstrate how they behave in a sentence.
| Grammar + Rules | Cantonese + Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| I have three dogs [number + noun] | 我有三頭狗 [ngo5 jau5 saam1 tau4 gau2] |
| my daughter has two cats [number + noun] | 我的女兒有二隻猫 [ngo5 di1 jyu5 ji4 jau5 ji6 zek3 maau1] |
| she speaks seven languages [verb + number] | 她會講七種語言 [ji1 kui2 gong2 cat1 zung2 jyu5 jin4] |
| my brother has one son [number + singular noun] | 我的哥哥/弟弟 有一個兒子 [ngo5 di1 go1 go1 / dai6 dai6 jau5 jat1 go3 ji4 zi2] |
| this is my second lesson [ordinal number + noun] | 這是我的第二課堂 [ze2 si6 ngo5 di1 dai6 ji6 fo3 tong4] |
| did you read the third book? [ordinal number + noun] | 你有否讀過第三本書 [nei5 jau5 fau2 dau6 gwo1 dai6 saam1 bun2 syu1] |
We're not done yet! The following is a list of animals.
cow 牛 [ngau4] | goat 羊 [joeng4] | donkey 驢 [leoi4] | horse 馬 [maa5] |
dog 狗 [gau2] | cat 貓 [maau1] | mouse 老鼠 [lou5 syu2] | bird 鳥 [niu5] |
Conversation in Cantonese
Now we finally reach the last part, the practice of the daily conversations. These phrases are used to get to know new people, and break the ice.
| English | Cantonese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Where are you from? | 你是哪裡人？ | [nei5 si6 naa1 lei5 jan4] |
| I'm from the U.S | 我來自（美國 / 香港） | [ngo5 lai4 zi6 mei5 gwok3 hoeng1 gong2] |
| I'm American | 我是美藉華人 | [ngo5 si6 mei5 ze3 faa1 jan4] |
| Where do you live? | 你住在哪裡？ | [nei5 zyu6 zoi6 naa1 lei5] |
| I live in the U.S | 我住在（美國/香港） | [ngo5 zyu6 zoi6 mei5 gwok3 hoeng1 gong2] |
| What do you do for a living? | 你做姓行？ | [nei5 zou6 seng3 haang4] |
| I'm a student | 我是（教師 /學生 /工程師） | [ngo5 si6 gaau1 si1 hok6 saang1 gung1 cing4 si1] |
Did you enjoy this lesson about numbers in Cantonese? I hope so, if you have any problem with this lesson contact me with questions you have here. You can now check the next lesson below.
| Cantonese Phrases |
Inspirational Quote: Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking. William B. Sprague |