Hokkien numerals
Sorji (數字 Hokkien numerals; numbers in Taiwanese) come in two different sets:
In normal speech, a mix of both types is used. Let's start with colloquial.
To count "how many"
To count "how many", "cardinal numbers" are used. Use the colloquial system (cit, nng, svaf) together with a classifier (the classifier will change tone when spoken). For example:
- cidtaai tiexnsi 🔊, nngxtaai chiaf 🔊, svataai lefngkhix 🔊, ...
- one television, two cars, three air conditioners ...
From 11, id and ji begin to be used instead of cit & nng. For example:
From 100, count the hundreds place with cit, nng, svaf... and from 101, the blank tens place is khoxng (空† zero):
- cidpaq 🔊-taai, cidpaq-khoxng-id 🔊-taai, cidpaq-khoxng-ji 🔊, ...
- 100, 101, 102, ...
There are shortcuts when the ones place is blank:
- pah'id 🔊, cidpaq-zab'id 🔊, ..., pahji 🔊, cidpaq-jixzap'id 🔊
- 110, 111, ..., 120, 121
As we said, the next hundreds place is counted with nng.
- nngxpaq 🔊, nngxpaq-id 🔊, nngxpaq-ji 🔊
- 200, 210, 220
Above 200, there's a shortcut using ar as a "weak form" of "hundred" (paq -> aq -> ar):
- jixar-id, jixar-ji, ...
- 210, 220, ...
- goxar-id, goxar-ji, ...
- 510, 520, ...
Thousands:
- cidzhefng 🔊, zheng'id 🔊 / cidzheng'id 🔊, nngxchiefn 🔊
- 1,000, 1,100, 2,000
Ten thousand:
Table of literary and colloquial numbers
| 1 | 2 | 3 / 三 | 4 / 四 | 5 / 五 | 6 / 六 | 7 / 七 | 8 / 八 | 9 / 九 | 10 / 十 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peh | cit (蜀) | nng (兩) | svaf | six | go | lak | chid | pøeq | kao | zap |
| Buun | id (一) | ji (二) | safm | sux | gvor | liok | pad | kiuo | sip |
Other cases
Ordinal numbers
For ordinal numbers, when the numerals are preceded by the prefix te:
Telephone digits
Telephone digits are read using the literary system. The digits are grouped according to certain rules and tone sandhi is applied. For example, 3945068 is read: 394, 50, 68 (samkiwsux, gvofkhoxng, liogpad; safm-kiuo-sux, gvor-khoxng, liok-pad; see Khax Tiexn'oe).
Date
The year is also read using the literary system. For example: 1998 is read: 19, 98-nii (itkiuo, kiwpatnii; see Jidkix Cidphvy).