Vietnamese numerals

In the Vietnamese language there are two sets of numeric systems, based on the Native Vietnamese and Sino-Vietnamese names of numbers.

Concept

Among the languages of the Chinese cultural sphere, Japanese and Korean both use two numeric systems—one native and one Chinese-based—and use the Chinese-based one more commonly. In Vietnamese, however, the Chinese-based system is not in everyday use. Numbers from 1 to 1000 are still usually expressed in the Vietnamese system, and only a few numbers (such as 1,000,000, triệu) are expressed in the Chinese system.

In the Vietnamese writing system, numbers from each system may be written in two ways. In modern writing, numbers from both systems are written in the romanized script quốc ngữ. In older writings, which use Hán-Nôm (characters), numbers from the Chinese-based system were written in Hán tự (Vietnamese Chinese characters) and numbers from the native system were written in Chữ Nôm.

Basic figures

Basic features of the Vietnamese numbering system include the following aspects:

• Unlike other sinoxenic numbering systems, Vietnamese separates place values in thousands rather than myriads. For example, "123123123" is recorded in Vietnamese as "một trăm hai mươi ba triệu một trăm hai mươi ba nghìn (ngàn) một trăm hai mươi ba (𠬠𤾓𠄩𨒒𠀧兆𠬠𤾓𠄩𨒒𠀧𠦳𠬠𤾓𠄩𨒒𠀧)", or "123兆123𠦳123" (123 million, 123 thousand and 123),^[1] whilst in Chinese, Japanese and Korean, the same number is rendered "1亿2312万3123" (1 hundred millions, 2312 ten thousands and 3123).
• Although there are two sets of numbering in Vietnamese, the Sino-Vietnamese set of numbers is not as frequently used. Only when numbers exceed the thousands digit mark do Sino-Vietnamese numbers such as "vạn／萬", "ức／億" and "triệu／兆" become more specifically used. These Sino-Vietnamese words represent the number values used in Ancient China, with each numeral increasing tenfold in digit value, 億 being the number for 10⁵, 兆 for 10⁶, et cetera. (See Chinese numerals#Large numbers)
• Nowadays, the Sino-Vietnamese words "vạn／萬" and "ức／億" are becoming used less frequently.
• Some numbers involve a mixture of native Vietnamese and Sino-Vietnamese, for instance, "mười triệu／𨒒兆", where "triệu／兆" belongs to the Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary, and "mười／𨒒" is a native word.

The following table is an overview of the basic Vietnamese numeric figures, provided in both Native and Sino-Viet forms. For each number, the form that is more commonly used is highlighted. Where there are differences between the Hanoi and Saigon dialects of Vietnamese, readings between each are differentiated below within the notes.

Other figures

• When the number 1 appears after 20 in the unit digit, the pronunciation changes to "mốt".
• When the number 4 appears after 20 in the unit digit, it is more common to use Sino-Viet "tư／四".
• When the number 5 appears after 10 in the unit digit, the pronunciation changes to "lăm".
• When "𨒒" appears after 20, the pronunciation changes to "mươi".

Ordinal numbers

Vietnamese ordinal numbers are generally preceded by the prefix "thứ", which is a Sino-Viet word which corresponds to "次". For the ordinal numbers of one and four, the Sino-Viet readings "nhất／一" and "tư／四" are more commonly used; two is occasionally rendered using the Sino-Viet "nhì／二". In all other cases, the native Vietnamese number is used.

Footnotes

See also

• Chinese numerals
• Japanese numerals
• Korean numerals