Thai numerals

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Thai numerals (ตัวเลขไทย) are traditionally used in Thailand, although the Hindu-Arabic numerals (also known as Western numerals) are more common. Apart from the different symbols used for the numerals, the Thai numeration system is exactly the same as the Hindu-Arabic numeral system used in the rest of the world.

Contents

[edit] Cardinal numbers

[edit] Zero to nine

Thai RTGS value
ศูนย์ sun zero
หนึ่ง nueng one
สอง song two
สาม sam three
สี่ si four
ห้า ha five
หก hok six
เจ็ด chet seven
แปด paet eight
เก้า kao nine

[edit] Ten to a million

These are assembled from the words for the powers of ten. The number one following a power of ten becomes et. The numbers from twenty to twenty nine begin with yi sip.

Thai RTGS value
๑๐ สิบ sip ten
๑๑ สิบเอ็ด sip et eleven
๑๒ สิบสอง sip song twelve
๒๐ ยี่สิบ yi sip twenty
๒๑ ยี่สิบเอ็ด yi sip et twenty-one
๒๒ ยี่สิบสอง yi sip song twenty-two
๑๐๐ ร้อย roi hundred
๑๐๐๐ พัน phan thousand
๑๐๐๐๐ หมื่น muen ten thousand
๑๐๐๐๐๐ แสน saen hundred thousand
๑๐๐๐๐๐๐ ล้าน lan million

For example, two hundred and thirty-two is song roi sam sip song. The words roi, phan etc. should never be used without a preceding numeral (unless it is beginning nueng), so two hundred and ten, for example, is song roi sip and not song roi nueng sip, and one hundred is either roi or nueng roi (both are acceptable). The same thing goes for phan, muen, saen, and so forth. Native speakers will sometimes use roi nueng (or phan nueng, etc.) with different tones on nueng to distinguish one hundred from one hundred and one. However, such distinction is often not made, and ambiguity may follow. To resolve this problem, if the number 101 (or 1001, 10001, etc.) is intended, one should say roi et (or phan et, muen et, etc.).

[edit] Numbers above a million

Numbers above a million are constructed by prefixing lan with a multiplier. For example, ten million is sip lan, and a trillion (1012) is lan lan.

[edit] Decimal and fractional numbers

Colloquially, decimal numbers are formed by saying จุด (chut, dot) where the decimal separator is located. For example, 1.01 is หนึ่งจุดศูนย์หนึ่ง.

Fractional numbers are formed by placing ใน (nai, in, of) between the numerator and denomintor. For example, ⅓ is หนึ่งในสาม.

[edit] Negative numbers

Negative numbers are formed by placing ลบ (lop, minus) in front of the number. For example, -11 is ลบสิบเอ็ด.

[edit] Ordinal numbers

Ordinal numbers are formed by placing ที่ (thi, place) in front of the number.

Thai RTGS meaning
ที่หนึ่ง thi nueng first
ที่สอง thi song second
ที่สาม thi sam third
ที่สี่ thi si fourth
ที่# thi # #st, #nd, #rd, #th

[edit] Alternate numbers

An alternate set of numerals is used to name tonal marks (ไม้, mai) and educational degrees (ปริญญา, prinya).

Number Tonal Mark Educational Degree
Thai RTGS Value Mark Thai RTGS Meaning Thai RTGS Meaning
เอก ek one –่ ไม้เอก mai ek first tone mark ปริญญาเอก prinya ek doctor's degree
โท tho two –้ ไม้โท mai tho second tone mark ปริญญาโท prinya tho master's degree
ตรี tri three –๊ ไม้ตรี mai tri third tone mark ปริญญาตรี prinya tri bachelor's degree
จัตวา chattawa four –๋ ไม้จัตวา mai chattawa fourth tone mark

[edit] See also

In other languages