Cardinal Numbers
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Lao numbers follow a simple base-10 system; memorize 0-10, and you can build any number by stacking them.
- Numbers 1-10 are unique: 1 (neung), 2 (song), 3 (sam), 4 (si), 5 (ha), 6 (hok), 7 (chet), 8 (paet), 9 (kao), 10 (sip).
- For 11-19, use 'sip' + the digit: 11 is 'sip-et' (10+1).
- For 20-99, use the digit + 'sip': 20 is 'song-sip' (2+10).
Meanings
Cardinal numbers represent quantity and are used for counting objects, telling time, or stating prices.
Counting Objects
Used to quantify items.
“ໜຶ່ງ (neung - 1)”
“ສອງ (song - 2)”
Telling Time
Used in daily schedules.
“ໂມງໜຶ່ງ (mong neung - 1 o'clock)”
“ສອງໂມງ (song mong - 2 o'clock)”
Prices
Used for currency.
“ສິບພັນກີບ (sip phan kip - 10,000 kip)”
Lao Number Formation
| Number | Lao Script | Pronunciation | Logic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ໜຶ່ງ | neung | Base |
| 10 | ສິບ | sip | Base |
| 11 | ສິບເອັດ | sip-et | 10+1 |
| 20 | ຊາວ | sao | Special (20) |
| 21 | ຊາວເອັດ | sao-et | 20+1 |
| 30 | ສາມສິບ | sam-sip | 3+10 |
Common Number Shortcuts
| Long Form | Short/Colloquial |
|---|---|
| ສິບເອັດ | sip-et |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1-9 | Digit | ສາມ (3) |
| 10 | Base | ສິບ (10) |
| 11-19 | Sip + Digit | ສິບສາມ (13) |
| 20 | Special | ຊາວ (20) |
| 21-99 | Digit + Sip + Digit | ສາມສິບຫ້າ (35) |
| 100 | Hoi | ໜຶ່ງຮ້ອຍ (100) |
Formalitätsspektrum
ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າມີສິບ. (Stating quantity.)
ຂ້ອຍມີສິບ. (Stating quantity.)
ມີສິບ. (Stating quantity.)
ສິບເດີ້. (Stating quantity.)
Lao Number Logic
Units
- ໜຶ່ງ 1
Tens
- ສິບ 10
Examples by Level
ຂ້ອຍມີສາມປຶ້ມ
I have three books
ລາຄາສິບພັນກີບ
The price is 10,000 kip
ສອງໂມງ
Two o'clock
ຫ້າຄົນ
Five people
ຂ້ອຍຊື້ໝາກແອັບເປີ້ນສອງໜ່ວຍ
I bought two apples
ເຮືອນຫຼັງນີ້ມີສີ່ຫ້ອງນອນ
This house has four bedrooms
ລາວມີອ້າຍສາມຄົນ
He has three older brothers
ລົດເມມາຮອດຕອນສິບໂມງ
The bus arrives at ten o'clock
ລາຄາແມ່ນສອງແສນກີບ
The price is 200,000 kip
ນີ້ແມ່ນຄັ້ງທີສອງທີ່ຂ້ອຍມາ
This is the second time I have come
ມີນັກຮຽນປະມານຫ້າສິບຄົນ
There are about fifty students
ຂ້ອຍຕ້ອງການເງິນໜຶ່ງລ້ານກີບ
I need one million kip
ບໍລິສັດມີພະນັກງານຫຼາຍກວ່າໜຶ່ງພັນຄົນ
The company has over 1,000 employees
ອັດຕາດອກເບ້ຍແມ່ນສາມເປີເຊັນ
The interest rate is three percent
ພວກເຮົາຕ້ອງຮອດກ່ອນແປດໂມງເຄິ່ງ
We must arrive before 8:30
ລາວເປັນລູກທີສີ່ຂອງຄອບຄົວ
He is the fourth child of the family
ຍອດຂາຍເພີ່ມຂຶ້ນສິບເປີເຊັນໃນໄຕມາດທີສອງ
Sales increased by 10% in the second quarter
ປະຊາກອນມີປະມານເຈັດລ້ານຄົນ
The population is about seven million
ລາວໄດ້ຮັບອັນດັບທີໜຶ່ງໃນການແຂ່ງຂັນ
He received first place in the competition
ພວກເຮົາຕ້ອງຫຼຸດຜ່ອນລາຍຈ່າຍລົງຫ້າສິບເປີເຊັນ
We must reduce expenses by 50%
ການຄິດໄລ່ຕົວເລກນີ້ຕ້ອງມີຄວາມລະອຽດສູງ
Calculating these figures requires high precision
ໃນສະໄໝກ່ອນ ເຂົາເຈົ້າໃຊ້ລະບົບນັບທີ່ແຕກຕ່າງ
In the past, they used a different counting system
ມູນຄ່າລວມແມ່ນສິບສອງລ້ານກີບ
The total value is 12 million kip
ນີ້ແມ່ນສະຖິຕິທີ່ສູງທີ່ສຸດໃນຮອບສິບປີ
This is the highest record in ten years
Easily Confused
Similar sounds.
Using 'neung' for 11.
Different roots.
Häufige Fehler
sip-neung
sip-et
song-neung
sip-song
si-sip
si-sip
neung-sip
sip
mi sam
mi sam hua
song-sip-neung
sao-et
sam-hoi
sam-hoi
sip-phan-kip
sip-phan kip
thi-neung-song
thi-song
hoi-neung
neung-hoi
sao-sip
sao
neung-lan-kip
neung-lan kip
Sentence Patterns
ຂ້ອຍມີ ___ ຄົນ.
ລາຄາ ___ ກີບ.
ຂ້ອຍມາຮອດຕອນ ___ ໂມງ.
ນີ້ແມ່ນຄັ້ງທີ ___ ທີ່ຂ້ອຍມາ.
Real World Usage
ລາຄາເທົ່າໃດ?
ມາຮອດ 5 ໂມງ
ຂ້ອຍມີປະສົບການ 3 ປີ
ປີ້ລາຄາ 50,000 ກີບ
ເອົາ 2 ຊຸດ
ຝາກເງິນ 1,000,000 ກີບ
Practice Out Loud
Watch the Classifiers
Use Apps
Politeness
Smart Tips
Always add the classifier.
Use 'et' instead of 'neung'.
Use 'sao'.
Use polite particles.
Aussprache
Aspiration
Lao has aspirated and unaspirated consonants.
Question
ລາຄາເທົ່າໃດ? ↑
Rising intonation for questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Sip is the ship that carries all the tens.
Visual Association
Imagine a stack of 10 coins. Every time you add a number, you are just stacking more coins on top of the 'sip' pile.
Rhyme
Neung, song, sam, si, ha, hok, chet, paet, kao, sip, now you've got the number grip!
Story
You walk into a market. You see 10 (sip) apples. You buy 1 (neung). You have 11 (sip-et). You buy 20 (sao) more. Now you have 31 (sam-sip-et).
Word Web
Herausforderung
Count all the chairs in your room out loud in Lao right now.
Kulturelle Hinweise
Numbers are often used in bargaining. Always be polite.
Lao numbers originate from the Tai-Kadai language family.
Conversation Starters
ເຈົ້າມີອ້າຍເອື້ອຍຈັກຄົນ?
ມື້ນີ້ວັນທີເທົ່າໃດ?
ລາຄາສິນຄ້ານີ້ເທົ່າໃດ?
ເຈົ້າຢູ່ລາວມາຈັກປີແລ້ວ?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
11 is ___.
20 is ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
Khoi mi sam (I have three).
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Five books.
Answer starts with: peu...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
35 is ___.
100 is ___.
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercises11 is ___.
20 is ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
Khoi mi sam (I have three).
apple / two / I / have
Five books.
3
35 is ___.
100 is ___.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
Yes, it helps with reading signs and menus.
It's an irregular form common in Tai languages.
A word that categorizes nouns, like 'piece' or 'unit'.
The numbers themselves are the same, but the context changes.
Use the number followed by 'kip'.
Yes, it's a special word for 20.
Only in very touristy areas; learn Lao for better service.
One million is 'neung-lan'.
In Other Languages
Same system
Minor phonetic differences.
Base-10
Lao is perfectly regular.
Base-10
Chinese uses different characters and roots.
Base-10
Lao is strictly base-10.
Base-10
Japanese has different counters.
Base-10
Lao numbers do not change by gender.
