Large Numbers
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Thai numbers follow a base-10 system with specific markers for 10, 100, and 1000; just stack them in order!
- 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' + number: 11 is 'sip-et' (10+1).
- For multiples of 10, use number + 'sip': 20 is 'yi-sip' (2+10).
Meanings
Thai cardinal numbers are used to quantify objects, prices, and time. They follow a strict hierarchical structure from largest unit to smallest.
Cardinal Counting
Used for general counting of items or amounts.
“หนึ่ง (1)”
“สิบ (10)”
Thai Number Structure
| Number | Thai | Structure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | neung | 1 | Base |
| 10 | sip | 10 | Base |
| 11 | sip-et | 10+1 | 1 becomes et |
| 20 | yi-sip | 2+10 | 2 becomes yi |
| 21 | yi-sip-et | 2+10+1 | Combined |
| 100 | roi | 100 | Base |
| 1000 | phan | 1000 | Base |
| 10000 | muen | 10000 | Base |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Units | Digit | ha (5) |
| Tens | Digit + sip | sam-sip (30) |
| Hundreds | Digit + roi | song-roi (200) |
| Thousands | Digit + phan | si-phan (4000) |
| Exceptions | 1 in ones place | sip-et (11) |
| Exceptions | 2 in tens place | yi-sip (20) |
フォーマル度スペクトル
ห้าร้อยบาทถ้วน (Shopping)
ห้าร้อยบาท (Shopping)
ห้าร้อย (Shopping)
ห้าใบแดง (Shopping)
Thai Number Hierarchy
Units
- neung 1
Tens
- sip 10
Hundreds
- roi 100
Examples by Level
หนึ่ง
1
สิบ
10
ร้อย
100
ห้า
5
ยี่สิบเอ็ด
21
สามสิบ
30
สิบเอ็ด
11
สี่สิบสอง
42
หนึ่งหมื่น
10,000
หนึ่งแสน
100,000
ห้าพัน
5,000
สองหมื่นห้าพัน
25,000
หนังสือสองเล่ม
Two books
ปากกาสามด้าม
Three pens
รถสี่คัน
Four cars
คนห้าคน
Five people
ราคาหนึ่งแสนบาทถ้วน
The price is exactly 100,000 baht.
ยอดรวมคือสองหมื่นห้าพันห้าร้อย
The total is 25,500.
มีคนมาประมาณหนึ่งพันคน
About 1,000 people came.
งบประมาณสามล้าน
A budget of 3 million.
เอกาทศ
11 (Pali-derived)
ทวิภาค
Dual/Two-part
ไตรภาคี
Tripartite
จตุรทิศ
Four directions
Easily Confused
They sound similar to beginners.
Both end in 'et'.
Commonly swapped.
よくある間違い
song-sip
yi-sip
sip-neung
sip-et
neung-sip
sip
ha-sip-neung
ha-sip-et
song-roi-song-sip-song
song-roi-yi-sip-song
neung-roi-neung
neung-roi-et
sam-sip-neung
sam-sip-et
sip-phan
neung-muen
sip-muen
neung-saen
phan-roi
neung-phan-neung-roi
neung-lan-neung
neung-lan-et
ha-lan-ha-muen
ha-lan-ha-muen
neung-saen-neung
neung-saen-et
Sentence Patterns
ราคา ___ บาท
ฉันมี ___ เล่ม
มีคนประมาณ ___ คน
งบประมาณคือ ___ ล้านบาท
Real World Usage
เอาสามไม้ครับ
ลดเหลือสองร้อยได้ไหม?
ไปสนามบินเท่าไหร่?
ขาย 500 บาท
เงินเดือนที่ต้องการคือสามหมื่นบาท
สั่ง 2 ชุด
The 'Et' Rule
Don't say 'Neung-sip'
Practice with Prices
Lucky Numbers
Smart Tips
Always add a classifier after the number.
Add 'baht' at the end for clarity.
Use 'yi-sip' instead of 'song-sip'.
Use 'et' for the last digit.
発音
Tones
Numbers have specific tones that must be maintained.
Elision
In fast speech, 'neung' might sound like 'nung'.
Question
ราคาเท่าไหร่? (How much?)
Rising intonation at the end.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember 'Sip' is 10, 'Roi' is 100, 'Phan' is 1000. Say them like a shopping list!
Visual Association
Imagine a stack of coins. The biggest coins (1000s) are at the bottom, and the smallest (1s) are at the top.
Rhyme
One is neung, ten is sip, count them all with a happy lip!
Story
You walk into a shop. You hold 2 fingers for 20 (yi-sip). You add 1 finger for 1 (et). You have 21 (yi-sip-et) baht to buy a snack.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Count your fingers and toes in Thai right now.
文化メモ
The number 9 is considered lucky because it sounds like 'progress'.
The number 4 is avoided because it sounds like 'death'.
Numbers like 8 and 108 have religious significance.
Thai numbers are derived from the Tai language family, with significant influence from Pali and Sanskrit for higher numerals.
Conversation Starters
วันนี้คุณมีเงินกี่บาท?
เบอร์โทรศัพท์ของคุณคืออะไร?
ราคาของชิ้นนี้เท่าไหร่?
คุณคิดว่าคนในกรุงเทพฯ มีกี่ล้านคน?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
21 = yi-sip-___
20 = ?
Find and fix the mistake:
11 = neung-sip-neung
300 = ?
5000 = ?
Answer starts with: ha-...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
100,000 = ?
1,000,000 = ?
Score: /8
練習問題
8 exercises21 = yi-sip-___
20 = ?
Find and fix the mistake:
11 = neung-sip-neung
300 = ?
5000 = ?
10000 = ?
100,000 = ?
1,000,000 = ?
Score: /8
よくある質問 (8)
It is a historical irregularity in the Thai language to distinguish 20 from other multiples of 10.
Yes, in formal and standard Thai, you should use classifiers (e.g., 'song-lem' for two books).
The numbers themselves are the same, but the pronunciation and context change.
It is 'neung-lan-et'.
It is a common pronunciation variation in rapid speech.
Yes, the same system is used for all mathematical operations.
Most people will understand, but using Thai numbers is much more polite and helpful.
The standard system goes up to 'lan' (million), but there are higher units in religious texts.
In Other Languages
Base-10 system
Thai has unique rules for 1 (et) and 2 (yi) in specific positions.
Base-10,000 system
Japanese has more irregular readings for numbers depending on the counter.
Base-10,000 system
English has irregular 'teen' words; Thai is strictly additive.
Base-10 system
Spanish has gendered numbers (uno/una) and irregular forms.
Base-10/20 system
Thai is strictly base-10; French is a mix of base-10 and base-20.
Base-10 system
Thai numbers do not change based on the gender of the noun.
