December 31, 2025Numbers in Hakka
Dialect Note: This is West Kalimantan/Pontianak Indonesian Hakka [WK]. Regional variations are noted below.
Basic Numbers (0-10)§
| English | Hakka/Khek | Dialect Notes |
|---|
| 0 | khung [WK] / lang | Both used in WK |
| 1 | jit [WK] / yit | jit in counting; yit in compounds (yit-pak) |
| 2 | nyi [WK] / liong | nyi for counting; liong in some contexts |
| 3 | sam [WK] | [Universal] |
| 4 | si [WK] / shi | Both spellings used |
| 5 | ng [WK] / eng | ng more common in WK; eng alternative |
| 6 | liuk [WK] | [Universal] |
| 7 | chit [WK] / tjit | Spelling variations |
| 8 | pat [WK] | [Universal] |
| 9 | kiu [WK] | [Universal] |
| 10 | sip [WK] | [Universal]; ship alternative spelling |
Teens (11-19)§
| Number | Hakka |
|---|
| 11 | sip jit |
| 12 | sip nyi |
| 13 | sip sam |
| 14 | sip si |
| 15 | sip ng |
| 16 | sip liuk |
| 17 | sip chit |
| 18 | sip pat |
| 19 | sip kiu |
Tens (20-90)§
| Number | Hakka |
|---|
| 20 | nyi sip |
| 21 | nyi sip jit |
| 22 | nyi sip nyi |
| 23 | nyi sip sam |
| 30 | sam sip |
| 40 | si sip |
| 50 | ng sip |
| 60 | liuk sip |
| 70 | chit sip |
| 80 | pat sip |
| 90 | kiu sip |
Pattern: [tens digit] + sip + [ones digit]
Hundreds and Thousands§
| Number | Hakka | Dialect Notes |
|---|
| 100 | jit pak [WK] / yit-pak | yit-pak in formal/compound forms |
| 101 | pak khung jit [WK] | - |
| 110 | pak jit [WK] | - |
| 111 | pak jit jit [WK] | - |
| 120 | jit pak nyi sip [WK] | - |
| 121 | jit pak nyi sip jit [WK] | - |
| 1,000 | jit chien [WK] / yit-chien | Both forms used |
| 1,500 | yit-chien-eng-pak [WK] | eng = 5 in compounds |
| 10,000 | jit ban [WK] / yit-wan | ban [ID]; wan closer to Mandarin |
| 100,000 | jit pak chien [WK] | - |
| 1,000,000 | jit thiau [WK] / yit-thiau | - |
Key Terms§
- Pak = hundred [Universal]
- Chien = thousand [Universal]
- Ban [ID/WK] / Wan [TW/CN] = ten thousand (regional difference!)
- Thiau = million [Universal]
Notes on Regional Variations§
Jit vs Yit (One)§
- Jit [WK] - Used in counting: jit, nyi, sam…
- Yit [Formal] - Used in compound numbers: yit-pak (100), yit-chien (1000)
- Both are correct in West Kalimantan dialect
Ban vs Wan (Ten Thousand)§
- Ban [ID/WK] - Indonesian Hakka preference
- Wan [TW/CN] - Taiwanese/Mainland China (from Mandarin 萬)
- You may hear both in Indonesian Hakka communities
Pattern Notes§
- Larger numbers follow additive pattern: e.g., 1,500 = one thousand + five hundred
- Compound numbers tend to use “yit” instead of “jit”
—The Gardener