Numbers are the building blocks of any language, and Vietnamese is no exception. Understanding Vietnamese numbers is crucial for navigating everyday situations, from shopping at local markets to bargaining with taxi drivers. This comprehensive guide will unveil the secrets of Vietnamese numbers, making your travels or language learning journey in Vietnam a breeze.
1. Counting in Vietnamese: The Basics
Vietnamese utilizes a decimal system, similar to English, with separate words for each number. Here’s a breakdown of the cardinal numbers (one to ten) in Vietnamese:
1 – Mot (pronounced mote)
2 – Hai (pronounced hī)
3 – Ba (pronounced ba)
4 – Bốn (pronounced bon)
5 – Năm (pronounced num)
6 – Sáu (pronounced sow)
7 – Bảy (pronounced bai)
8 – Tám (pronounced tam)
9 – Chín (pronounced chin)
10 – Mười (pronounced mwee)
Counting from eleven onwards follows a pattern. The number “one” (mot) is placed before the number in the tens place. For example:
11 – Mười một (mwee mot) – literally “ten one”
12 – Mười hai (mwee hī) – literally “ten two”
13 – Mười ba (mwee ba) – literally “ten three”
This pattern continues until nineteen, which is “mười chín” (mwee chin).
2. Numbers Beyond the Basics: Tens, Hundreds, and Beyond
Counting in larger numbers follows a similar logic. Here’s a breakdown of the tens, hundreds, and thousands:
Tens: The word for “ten” (mười) is used as a prefix for tens. For example:
20 – Hai mươi (hī mwee) – literally “two ten”
30 – Ba mươi (ba mwee) – literally “three ten”
Hundreds: The word for “hundred” (trăm) follows the number. For example:
100 – Một trăm (mot tram) – literally “one hundred”
200 – Hai trăm (hī tram) – literally “two hundred”
Thousands: The word for “thousand” (ngàn) follows the number. For example:
1,000 – Một ngàn (mot ngàn) – literally “one thousand”
2,000 – Hai ngàn (hī ngàn) – literally “two thousand”
For numbers beyond thousands, the same us phone number database principle applies. You can combine these elements to form any number:
3,542 – Ba nghìn năm trăm bốn mươi hai (ba ngàn num tram bon mươi hī) – literally “three thousand five hundred forty two”
3. Ordinal Numbers in Vietnamese
Ordinal numbers indicate order or position (first, second, third). Vietnamese ordinal numbers are formed by adding the word “thứ” (pronounced too) before the cardinal number. For example:
1st – Thứ nhất (thoo nhat)
2nd – Thứ hai (thoo hī)
3rd – Thứ ba (thoo ba)
10th – Thứ mười (thoo mwee)
For ordinal numbers beyond ten, the same pattern is used. Therefore, the appropriate cardinal numbers for tens, hundreds, and thousands.
4. Fractions and Decimals in Vietnamese
Therefore, Fractions in Vietnamese are expressed using SNBD Host the cardinal number for the numerator and the word “phần” (pronounced fan) meaning “part” followed by the denominator. For example:
1/2 – Một phần hai (mot fan hī) – literally “one part two”
3/4 – Ba phần tư (ba fan too) – literally “three parts four”
Decimals are expressed using the word “phẩy” (pronounced fai) as a decimal point. The digits after the decimal point are read individually. For example:
3.14 – Ba phẩy mười bốn (ba fai mwee bon) – literally “three point ten four”
5.20 – Năm phẩy hai mươi (num fai hī mwee) – literally “five point two ten”
5. Cultural Nuances and Special Cases
Therefore, While the core principles of Vietnamese numbers are straightforward, there are a few cultural nuances and special cases to be aware of:
Zero: The word for zero is “số không” (so koong), literally meaning “empty number.”