1.0 Numbers Basics

Except for one and two, most numbers in Penang Hokkien are quite "regular" in that they are expressed in one single way. One and two are the only numbers that each have two forms, and extra attention has to be paid to them.

1.1: Single digit numbers

0 = khong3 [k^hoŋ]
1 = it3 [it] / cit1 [tsit] (see explanation for usage)
2 = jee33 [dzi] / nor33 [nɔ] (see explanation for usage)
3 = snar1 [sã]
4 = see3 [si]
5 = gor33* [gɔ]
6 = lark1 [lak]
7 = chit3 [ts^hit]
8 = pek3 [peʔ]
9 = kau4 [kau]

* Tone 3 unsandiable morphemes are written with the tone 33. For details, read unsandiable morphemes.

1.2: Numbers greater than single digit

ten = cap1 [tsap]
hundred = pak3 [paʔ]
thousand = cheng1 [tseŋ]
ten thousand = ban33 [ban]

2.0 Colloquial and Literary Readings of Numbers

Numerals in Hokkien have both literary and colloquial readings. In Penang Hokkien, these two readings have merged in regular usage, with some numbers being expressed with the literary reading and some with the colloquial reading. The time of the hour is often expressed with the combination of literary and colloquial readings. The following are numerals and their literary and colloquial readings.

Colloquial Reading (Everyday Pronunciation) of Numbers

Literary Reading (Book Pronunciation) of Numbers

3.0 Reading Numbers

The way numbers are read in Penang Hokkien is very similar to English.

3.1: Each digit is followed by its numeral classifier (ten, hundred, thousand, etc.) and read from the highest to the lowest numeral classifier.

Seventy-five thousand, one hundred and forty-two
Chit1-cap3-gor33-cheng1, cit3-pak3-see1-cap3-jee33

3.2: As with English, the "one" in 10 is not expressed, but it is in hundred, thousand, etc.

10: cap1
100: cit3-pak3
1000: cit3-cheng1
10,000: cit3-ban33

3.3: As with English, the "one" is not expressed on numbers in the hundreds. The "cap1" is also often dropped for tens. It can however be spoken in full if desired. Notice the tone difference of the final digit for the abbreviated and the full form.

160 = hundred and sixty = pak1-lark1 (short for cit3-pak1-lark3-cap1)

3.4: ten thousand can be expressed as ban33 or cap3-cheng1

20,000: nor33-ban1 or jee33-cap3-cheng1
25,000: jee33-cap3-gor33-cheng1 (we don't say nor33-ban33-gor33-cheng1)

3.5: cheng1 performs as a separator similar to thousand; numbers in this region is expresses as thousand, ten thousands and hundred thousands.

65,000: lark3-cap3-gor33-cheng1
127,000: cit3-pak1-jee33-cap3-chit1-cheng1

3.6: Numbers in hundreds and thousands are often spoken in an abbreviated form. If such a number starts with "1", the "cit1" is often dropped if there is another number following it. The numeral classifier (such as -pak3 or cap1) for the subsequent number is also dropped.

130: pak1-snar1 (short for cit3-pak1-snar3-cap1)
1600: cheng3-lark1 (short for cit3-cheng1-lark3-pak3)
2400: nor33-cheng3-see3* (short for nor33-cheng1,** see3-pak3)
57,800: gor33-cap3-chit1-cheng3-pek3* (short for gor33-cap3-chit1-cheng1,** pek1-pak3; alternatively gor33-ban33-chit1-cheng3-pek3)

Note:
* When the numeral classifer is dropped, the final spoken number takes on the Basic Form.
** When the number is spoken in full, the word for thousand is in the Basic Form (cheng1 instead of cheng3). The word cheng1 acts like the comma separating the thousands from the remaining amount. To show this separation, no hyphen is placed immediately following cheng1.

If the final digit is separated from the front digit by a zero or zeroes, the word khong3 is inserted once. The khong3 is not inserted if the digit is not the final one.

108: cit3-pak1-khong1-pek3 (in such instances, the cit3 cannot be dropped)
507: gor33-pak1-khong1-chit3
7001: chit1-cheng1 khong1-it3
7010: chit1-cheng3-cap1
7100: chit1-cheng3-it3 (also called chit1-cheng1, cit3-pak3)

4.0: Tone Sandhi of Numbers

Numbers with tone 33 do not change their tone when they sandhi.

three: snar1
thirty-three: snar3-cap3-snar1

Note in the above example that the underlined 3 is in Modified Form while is in the final 3 in the Basic Form. In a large figure with many digits, all digits are in Modified Form (unless they are 5) except for the final digit.

123,459: cit3-pak1-jee33-cap3-snar3-cheng1-see1-pak1-gor33-cap3-kau4

As you can observe from the above number, the tones in the Modified Form are either 1 or 3. All digits (that are Irregular Words) are pronounced in the Modified Form except the final digit, which is pronounced in the Basic Form.

5.0 Numbers Requiring Special Attention

5.1: It3 and cit1

Both the literary reading and colloquial reading of "one" is used in Penang Hokkien. They are employed under specific circumstances. 5.2: It3
5.2.1: It3 is used as the final digit of integers with more than one digit.

1: it3
31 snar3-cap3-it3
451: see1-pak1-gor33-cap3-it3
9801: kau1-cheng1-pek1-pak1-khong1-it3

5.2.2: It3 is used to express the ordinal number "first".

First: te33-it3

5.2.3: It3 is used to express the one in "one o'clock".

one o'clock: et1-tiam4
11.00: cap3-et1-tiam4

5.2.4: It3 is used in "cap3-it3" (eleven) in the colloquial expression of "five minutes to". (The colloquial way of expressing minutes in Penang Hokkien is to divide every 5 minutes into one segment, hence 9:55 is expressed as "nine o'clock and eleven-segments".)

five minutes to ten (9:55): kau1-tiam4-cap3-et1-leh3-ji

5.3: Cit1
5.3.1: Cit1 is used to express "one" in hundred, thousand and other large numbers. It is always in the modified form (cit3) when placed in this position.

125: cit3-pak1-jee33-cap3-gor33
1001: cit3-cheng1-khong1-khong1-it3

5.3.2: Cit1 is used to express the cardinal number one (cit3-leh2) which is contracted to simply cit1.

5.3.3: Cit1 is used with a classifier to express the indefinite article "a/an" and as "one" unit of article.

a house: cit3-keng3 chu3
one flower: cit3-lui1 hua1

5.3.4: Cit is used, as "cit3-leh3 ji3", for the colloquial expression of time for "5 minutes past".

4.05: see1-tiam4 cit-leh3 ji3
11.05: cap3-it1-tiam4 cit3-leh3 ji3
five past one (1.05): it1-tiam4-cit3-leh3 ji3

5.4.0 Jee33 and nor33
Jee33 and nor33 both mean "two", but like "it3/cit1" each also has its own function.

5.5: Jee33
5.5.1: Jee3 is used for the number "two" as well as to express "two" in the final digit of integers with more than one digit.

2: jee3
12: cap3-jee3
452: see1-pak1-gor33-cap3-jee3

5.5.2: Jee3 is used with -cap1 for "twenty" in integers of two and more digits.

20: jee33-cap1
524: gor33-pak1-snar3-cap3-see3
1022: cit3-cheng1-jee33-cap3-jee33

5.5.3: Jee3 is used to express the ordinal number "second".

Second: te33-jee33

5.5.4: Jee3 is used to express the two in "two o'clock"

two o'clock: jee3 tiam4

5.6.0: Nor33
5.6.1: Nor3 is used to express "two" in hundred, thousand, and other large numbers.

200: nor3-pak3
2000: nor3-cheng1
20,000: nor3-ban33
however
22,000: jee33-cap3-jee33-cheng1

5.6.2: Nor is used with a classifier to express "two" units of article.

two houses: nor3-keng3 chu3
two flowers: nor3-lui1 hua1

5.6.3: Nor is used, as "nor33-leh3 ji3" for the colloquial expression of time for "ten minutes past".

4.10: see1-tiam4 nor33-leh3 ji3
three-ten (3.10): snar3-tiam4 nor33-leh3 ji3
ten past two (2.10): jee33-tiam4 nor33-leh3 ji3

Penang Hokkien Grammar

Learn Penang Hokkien with Memrise

Now you can use the most user-friendly tool on the web to learn Penang Hokkien. It helps you to listen, understand and memorise. Go to Memrise, and learn Penang Hokkien at your own pace.

Return to Penang Hokkien Resources

About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.