A1 Numbers 3 min read Easy

Thai Numbers 0-100 (Master the Basics)

Thai numbers are logical building blocks that use a simple [Digit] + [Unit] + [Digit] pattern.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Thai numbers follow a base-10 system; remember that '1' becomes 'et' in the tens place (e.g., 21 is 'yi-sip-et').

  • Numbers 0-10 are unique: 0 (sun), 1 (nung), 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 (e.g., 11 is 'sip-et', 12 is 'sip-song').
  • For 20-99, use the tens digit + 'sip' + the units digit (e.g., 35 is 'sam-sip-ha').
Tens Digit + สิบ (sip) + Units Digit

Overview

Ever tried to order three Pad Thai dishes at a street stall only to get five? Numbers in Thai are surprisingly logical, but they have a few quirks that trip up even seasoned travelers. If you can count to ten, you have already mastered 80% of the system. Thai numbers are remarkably consistent once you grasp the base units. You won't find the irregular chaos of French or the complexity of counting objects like in Japanese. It is basically just stacking blocks.

How This Grammar Works

Thai uses a base-10 system that functions like a simple math equation. You learn the digits one through ten, then the words for ten, hundred, and thousand. From there, you just concatenate them. If you want to say 25, you literally say 'two-ten-five'. It is like a fun coding language for your mouth. You do not need to worry about complex declensions or gender agreements here. Just keep it simple and focus on the tone of your voice.

Formation Pattern

1
Start with the digit (e.g., song for 2).
2
Add the multiplier (e.g., sip for 10).
3
Add the final digit (e.g., ha for 5).
4
Combine: song-sip-ha (25).
5
Note: For numbers ending in 1, use et instead of nung (e.g., 21 is song-sip-et).

When To Use It

Use these numbers for everything from checking the price on Shopee to grabbing a Grab bike. Need to tell your hostel roommate you will be back in 30 minutes? Use sam-sip minutes. Want to show off at a local market? Use these numbers to haggle like a pro. Just remember that Thai people often use nung for 'one' but et specifically for the ones-place in multi-digit numbers.

Common Mistakes

Most beginners mix up sip (10) and si (4). They sound similar if you are rushing, so slow down. Another classic error is saying song-sip-nung for 21. Remember, the rule is et for the ones column. Also, don't confuse et with the word for 'eat'—though they sound similar, the context will usually save you from a weird look. Don't sweat the small stuff; people will understand you even if your tone is slightly off.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

Unlike English, where we have 'eleven' and 'twelve' as unique words, Thai keeps it strictly logical. There is no 'thirteen' versus 'thirty' confusion because the structure is always [Digit] + [Unit]. It is much more predictable than European languages. You don't have to memorize a hundred different words; you just memorize ten and learn how to stack them like digital Lego bricks.

Quick FAQ

Q

Is it okay to use English numbers? A: Sure, but locals might look confused at the market. Q: Do I need to use measure words? A: Yes, but keep it simple for now. Just learn the numbers first and you are halfway to fluent!

Thai Number Construction

Number Thai Script Pronunciation Logic
0
ศูนย์
sun
Base
1
หนึ่ง
nung
Base
10
สิบ
sip
Base
11
สิบเอ็ด
sip-et
10 + 1
20
ยี่สิบ
yi-sip
2 + 10
21
ยี่สิบเอ็ด
yi-sip-et
2 + 10 + 1

Meanings

Cardinal numbers are used to express quantity, age, time, and prices in Thai.

1

Counting objects

Used to quantify items.

“หนึ่งเล่ม (one book)”

“สองตัว (two animals)”

2

Telling time/price

Used for currency and clock time.

“สิบบาท (10 baht)”

“ห้าโมง (5 o'clock)”

Reference Table

Reference table for Thai Numbers 0-100 (Master the Basics)
Digit Thai Romanization Note
0
ศูนย์
sun
Zero
1
หนึ่ง
nung
Use 'et' in tens
2
สอง
song
Two
10
สิบ
sip
Ten
20
ยี่สิบ
yi-sip
Special 20
21
ยี่สิบเอ็ด
yi-sip-et
21 pattern

Formality Spectrum

Formal
ยี่สิบห้าบาทถ้วน

ยี่สิบห้าบาทถ้วน (Market)

Neutral
ยี่สิบห้าบาท

ยี่สิบห้าบาท (Market)

Informal
ยี่สิบห้า

ยี่สิบห้า (Market)

Slang
ยี่สิบห้า

ยี่สิบห้า (Market)

Thai Number Structure

Number Construction

Tens

  • สิบ 10

1 vs 11 vs 21

Ones
หนึ่ง 1
Teens
สิบเอ็ด 11

How to say a number

1

Is it 21, 31, etc?

YES
Use 'et' at the end
NO
Use standard digit

Base Numbers

🔢

Digits

  • • หนึ่ง
  • • สอง
  • • สาม
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Examples by Level

1

ผมมีเงินสิบห้าบาท

I have 15 baht.

2

เขามีแมวสองตัว

He has two cats.

3

นี่คือเลขห้า

This is number five.

4

ยี่สิบเอ็ด

Twenty-one.

1

วันนี้วันที่สามสิบ

Today is the 30th.

2

ฉันอายุยี่สิบห้าปี

I am 25 years old.

3

ขอซื้อสี่สิบห้าบาท

I want to buy for 45 baht.

4

มีคนห้าสิบคน

There are 50 people.

1

ราคานี้ลดเหลือเก้าสิบเก้าบาท

This price is reduced to 99 baht.

2

เขามาถึงตอนแปดโมง

He arrived at 8 o'clock.

3

ฉันรอมาสิบห้านาทีแล้ว

I have been waiting for 15 minutes.

4

มีผู้เข้าร่วมหกสิบสองคน

There are 62 participants.

1

ยอดรวมคือเจ็ดสิบห้าบาทถ้วน

The total is exactly 75 baht.

2

เราต้องเตรียมเอกสารสามสิบชุด

We need to prepare 30 sets of documents.

3

เขาเดินมาสิบกิโลเมตร

He walked 10 kilometers.

4

เหลือเวลาอีกยี่สิบนาที

There are 20 minutes left.

1

สถิตินี้แสดงว่าเก้าสิบเปอร์เซ็นต์เห็นด้วย

This statistic shows 90% agree.

2

เขาได้รับคะแนนแปดสิบแปด

He received a score of 88.

3

มีผู้ป่วยสี่สิบสามราย

There are 43 cases.

4

เราต้องเพิ่มงบอีกสิบสองล้าน

We need to increase the budget by 12 million.

1

การคำนวณนี้ต้องใช้ตัวเลขห้าสิบหกตัว

This calculation requires 56 digits.

2

เขาอายุครบเก้าสิบเอ็ดปี

He turned 91 years old.

3

มีเพียงสิบสี่เปอร์เซ็นต์ที่ทำสำเร็จ

Only 14% succeeded.

4

ต้องใช้เวลาเจ็ดสิบสองชั่วโมง

It takes 72 hours.

Easily Confused

Thai Numbers 0-100 (Master the Basics) vs 1 vs 11

Learners confuse 'nung' (1) and 'sip-et' (11).

Thai Numbers 0-100 (Master the Basics) vs 2 vs 20

Learners use 'song' for 20.

Thai Numbers 0-100 (Master the Basics) vs 1 in units

Using 'nung' in 21, 31, etc.

Common Mistakes

✗

ยี่สิบหนึ่ง

✓

ยี่สิบเอ็ด

Must use 'et' for 1 in units.
✗

สองสิบ

✓

ยี่สิบ

20 is a special word 'yi-sip'.
✗

สิบหนึ่ง

✓

สิบเอ็ด

11 is 'sip-et'.
✗

หนึ่งสิบ

✓

สิบ

10 is just 'sip'.
✗

สามสิบหนึ่ง

✓

สามสิบเอ็ด

Always 'et' for 1.
✗

สิบห้าคน

✓

คนสิบห้าคน

Classifier needed.
✗

ห้าสิบหนึ่ง

✓

ห้าสิบเอ็ด

Always 'et'.
✗

สิบเอ็ดบาท

✓

สิบเอ็ดบาท

Correct, but ensure tone is right.
✗

ยี่สิบเอ็ดปี

✓

ยี่สิบเอ็ดปี

Correct.
✗

เก้าสิบหนึ่ง

✓

เก้าสิบเอ็ด

Always 'et'.
✗

ร้อยเอ็ด

✓

ร้อยเอ็ด

Correct.

Sentence Patterns

ฉันมี ___ คน

ราคา ___ บาท

ฉันอายุ ___ ปี

มี ___ ตัว

Real World Usage

Market constant

สี่สิบห้าบาท

Texting very common

555 (ha-ha-ha)

Job Interview common

ประสบการณ์สิบปี

Travel common

สองตั๋ว

Food Delivery very common

สามกล่อง

Social Media common

10/10

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💡

The 'Et' Rule

Always use et for the number 1 when it's in the ones place of a multi-digit number.
⚠️

Don't confuse 4 and 10

si (4) and sip (10) are easily mixed up—listen closely to the vowel length.
💬

Haggling

Knowing your numbers makes you look like a local and helps you get better deals at markets.

Smart Tips

Always add a classifier after the number.

แมวสอง → แมวสองตัว

Use 'et' instead of 'nung'.

ยี่สิบหนึ่ง → ยี่สิบเอ็ด

Use 'yi-sip'.

สองสิบ → ยี่สิบ

Use 'sip-et'.

สิบหนึ่ง → สิบเอ็ด

Pronunciation

sǐp (10), sìi (4)

Tones

Numbers have specific tones that must be hit.

Rising

สิบ?

Questioning the price.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Sip' as 'Sipping' a drink; you sip 10 times.

Visual Association

Imagine a giant number 20 (yi-sip) wearing a 'yi' (two) hat and holding a 'sip' (straw).

Rhyme

One is nung, two is song, sip is ten, you can't go wrong.

Story

I went to the market. I bought 20 (yi-sip) apples. I gave the vendor 1 (et) extra coin. She smiled and gave me 5 (ha) oranges.

Word Web

ศูนย์หนึ่งสองสิบยี่สิบเอ็ด

Challenge

Count your steps from 1 to 50 in Thai while walking.

Cultural Notes

Numbers like 9 are considered lucky.

Thai numbers are derived from ancient Tai roots with heavy influence from Chinese for the base-10 system.

Conversation Starters

“

คุณอายุเท่าไหร่?

“

นี่ราคาเท่าไหร่?

“

ตอนนี้กี่โมง?

“

คุณมีเงินกี่บาท?

Journal Prompts

Write about your age.
List 5 things you bought today.
Describe your family members.
Write a shopping list with prices.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank for the number 21.

The number 21 is written as ยี่สิบ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: เอ็ด
In Thai, when the number ends in 1, you must use 'et' instead of 'nung'.
Which is the correct way to say 11? Multiple Choice

Choose the correct number:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: สิบเอ็ด
11 is always 'sip-et', never 'sip-nung'.
Fix the mistake. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

The number 40 is written as 'สิบสี่'.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: สี่สิบ
You put the digit 4 ('si') before the tens unit ('sip').

Score: /3

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
What is 21 in Thai?

ยี่สิบ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: เอ็ด
21 is yi-sip-et.
Select the correct word for 10. Multiple Choice

10 = ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: สิบ
10 is sip.
Fix the mistake. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

สองสิบ (20)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ยี่สิบ
20 is yi-sip.
Order the words. Sentence Building

สิบ / ห้า / บาท

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: สิบห้าบาท
15 baht.
Match numbers. Match Pairs

30 = ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: สามสิบ
30 is sam-sip.
What is 41?

สี่สิบ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: เอ็ด
41 is si-sip-et.
What is 5? Multiple Choice

5 = ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ห้า
5 is ha.
Fix the mistake. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

สิบหนึ่ง (11)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: สิบเอ็ด
11 is sip-et.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

10 exercises
Write 50 in Thai. Fill in the Blank

50 is ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ห้าสิบ
Select the correct number for 15. Multiple Choice

What is 15?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: สิบห้า
Fix the mistake. Error Correction

The number 21 is 'ยี่สิบหนึ่ง'.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ยี่สิบเอ็ด
Match the Thai number to the digit. Match Pairs

Match the following:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 10 - สิบ, 20 - ยี่สิบ, 4 - สี่
Translate to Thai. Translation

Translate '45'.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: สี่สิบห้า
Complete the sequence. Fill in the Blank

10, 20, ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: สามสิบ
What is 12? Multiple Choice

Is 12...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: สิบสอง
Is 11 'สิบหนึ่ง'? Error Correction

Correct the statement.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: No, it is สิบเอ็ด
Number 99. Fill in the Blank

99 is ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: เก้าสิบเก้า
Translate 60. Translation

Translate '60'.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: หกสิบ

Score: /10

FAQ (8)

In Thai, the number 1 changes to 'et' when it is in the units position of a compound number.

No, 20 is a special case called 'yi-sip'.

Yes, Thai grammar usually requires a classifier after the number when counting objects.

0 is 'sun'.

The numbers themselves are the same, but the context (like time) might change.

Remembering the 'et' rule for the number 1.

Only in very informal or international contexts; it is better to learn Thai numbers.

Yes, 1 is 'nung' and 11 is 'sip-et'.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

Spanish low

Veintiuno

Thai is additive.

French partial

Vingt-et-un

Thai uses 'et' for all 1s.

German low

Einundzwanzig

Thai keeps order.

Japanese moderate

Nijuuichi

Thai uses 'sip' as a multiplier.

Arabic low

Wahid wa 'ishrun

Thai is direct.

Chinese high

Er shi yi

Thai has specific 'et' rule.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Next
Thai Numbers: 1,000 and Beyond

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