Numbers

1. 一、二、三

   jat1, ji6, saam1

   One, two, three

   Usage

   Basic counting numbers in Cantonese

   Grammar Note

   Cantonese numbers: 一(jat1), 二(ji6), 三(saam1), 四(sei3), 五(ng5), 六(luk6), 七(cat1), 八(baat3), 九(gau2), 十(sap6).

2. 四、五、六

   sei3, ng5, luk6

   Four, five, six

   Usage

   Numbers four through six in Cantonese

   Grammar Note

   "四 (sei3)" sounds similar to "死 (sei2)" meaning "death". Many HK buildings skip floor 4 in elevators.

3. 七、八、九、十

   cat1, baat3, gau2, sap6

   Seven, eight, nine, ten

   Usage

   Numbers seven through ten in Cantonese

   Grammar Note

   "八 (baat3)" rhymes with "發 (faat3)" meaning "prosperity", making it a lucky number in Cantonese culture.

4. 二十、五十、一百

   ji6 sap6, ng5 sap6, jat1 baak3

   Twenty, fifty, one hundred

   Usage

   Common numbers used for prices and transactions

   Grammar Note

   Multiples of 10 use "number + 十 (sap6)": 二十 = 20, 三十 = 30, 四十 = 40, etc.

5. 呢個係幾多錢？

   ni1 go3 hai6 gei2 do1 cin2?

   How much does this cost?

   Usage

   General phrase for asking the price of something

   Grammar Note

   "幾多錢 (gei2 do1 cin2)" means "how much money". The shorter form "幾錢 (gei2 cin2)" is equally common.

6. 一千蚊

   jat1 cin1 man1

   One thousand Hong Kong dollars

   Usage

   Used when discussing prices in the thousands of HK dollars

   Grammar Note

   "蚊 (man1)" is the colloquial Cantonese word for Hong Kong dollar. More casual than "元 (jyun4)".

7. 第一、第二、第三

   dai6 jat1, dai6 ji6, dai6 saam1

   First, second, third

   Usage

   Ordinal numbers used to express order or ranking

   Grammar Note

   Adding "第 (dai6)" before any number creates an ordinal. This structure is shared with Mandarin.

8. 半個鐘

   bun3 go3 zung1

   Half an hour, 30 minutes

   Usage

   Used to express duration. Often paired with "幾耐 (gei2 noi6)" meaning "how long will it take"

   Grammar Note

   "個鐘 (go3 zung1)" is colloquial Cantonese for "hour". Literally "one clock". "一個鐘" = 1 hour, "半個鐘" = 30 minutes.

9. 兩個

   loeng5 go3

   Two (with measure word)

   Usage

   Used when counting objects. "兩" is used before measure words, while "二" stands alone

   Grammar Note

   "二 (ji6)" is used in counting sequences; "兩 (loeng5)" precedes measure words: "兩個人" = two people.

10. 零

    ling4

    Zero

    Usage

    Used when reading phone numbers, addresses, or any number containing zero

    Grammar Note

    "零 (ling4)" is the standard zero. When reading phone numbers, "零" is used for each "0" digit.

11. 我二十七歲

    ngo5 ji6 sap6 cat1 seoi3

    I'm 27 years old

    Usage

    Answering when someone asks "nei5 gei2 do1 seoi3?" (how old are you?)

    Grammar Note

    Age is "number + 歲 (seoi3)" with no copula 係. In speech 二十 is often contracted to 廿 (jaa6).

12. 我今年二十八歲

    ngo5 gam1 nin4 ji6 sap6 baat3 seoi3

    I turn 28 this year

    Usage

    Saying that your birthday falls within this year, so your age changes

    Grammar Note

    Cantonese says "gam1 nin4 + number + seoi3" for "I turn N this year"; no verb for "become" is used. Same frame as "ngo5 go3 zai2 gam1 nin4 ng5 seoi3".

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