Numbers

1. 一、二、三

   iq7 gni6 se1

   One, two, three

   Usage

   How to count in order

   Grammar Note

   When counting aloud use 二 (gni6); before measure words it becomes 兩 (lian6).

2. 四、五、六

   sy5 ng6 loq8

   Four, five, six

   Usage

   How to count in order

   Grammar Note

   四 (sy5) sounds close to "death", so some people avoid it. 五 is ng6 and 六 is loq8.

3. 七、八、九、十

   chiq7 paq7 cieu5 zeq8

   Seven, eight, nine, ten

   Usage

   How to count in order

   Grammar Note

   七 (chiq7), 八 (paq7) and 十 (zeq8) are entering-tone syllables, marked by the final q.

4. 廿、五十、一百

   gnie6 ng6 zeq8 iq7 paq7

   Twenty, fifty, one hundred

   Usage

   Larger numbers used for prices and ages

   Grammar Note

   Shanghainese says 廿 (gnie6) for 20. From 30 it is "number + 十", for example 三十.

5. 一共幾鈿？

   iq7 gon6 ci5 di6

   How much is it altogether?

   Usage

   Asks for the total price

   Grammar Note

   Composed with regular Shanghainese grammar. 一共 (iq7 gon6) is "altogether"; 幾鈿 is "how much".

6. 一千塊

   iq7 chi1 khue5

   One thousand yuan

   Usage

   How to say an amount in renminbi

   Grammar Note

   In speech the money unit is 塊 (khue5), the spoken counterpart of written 元.

7. 第一、第二、第三

   di6 iq7 di6 gni6 di6 se1

   First, second, third

   Usage

   Ordinal numbers

   Grammar Note

   Ordinals are formed by putting 第 (di6) before the number.

8. 半個鐘頭

   poe5 geq8 tson1 deu6

   Half an hour

   Usage

   Used for durations

   Grammar Note

   鐘頭 (tson1 deu6) is "hour"; Mandarin 小時 is not used.

9. 兩個

   lian6 geq8

   Two (of something)

   Usage

   "Two" before a measure word

   Grammar Note

   Before a classifier, "two" is 兩 (lian6), not 二.

10. 零

    lin6

    Zero

    Usage

    The number zero

    Grammar Note

    零 reads lin6.

11. 我廿七歲

    ngu6 gnie6 chiq7 soe5

    I'm 27 years old

    Usage

    Gives an age; swap in your own number

    Grammar Note

    Composed with regular Shanghainese grammar. 廿七 (gnie6 chiq7) is 27; ages are "number + 歲".

12. 我今年廿八歲

    ngu6 cin1 gni6 gnie6 paq7 soe5

    I turn 28 this year

    Usage

    Gives the age you reach this year

    Grammar Note

    Composed with regular Shanghainese grammar. 今年 (cin1 gni6) is "this year".

13. 兩百、三百、一千

    lian6 paq7 se1 paq7 iq7 chi1

    Two hundred, three hundred, one thousand

    Usage

    Hundreds and thousands

    Grammar Note

    200 is 兩百 (lian6 paq7), not 二百.

14. 一萬、十萬、一百萬

    iq7 ve6 zeq8 ve6 iq7 paq7 ve6

    Ten thousand, one hundred thousand, one million

    Usage

    Large amounts

    Grammar Note

    Numbers are grouped by 萬 (ve6), ten thousand; a million is 一百萬.

15. 十五、廿五

    zeq8 ng6 gnie6 ng6

    Fifteen, twenty-five

    Usage

    Saying 15 and 25

    Grammar Note

    15 is 十五 (zeq8 ng6) and 25 is 廿五 (gnie6 ng6).

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