4. Numbers I
Cardinal Numbers (0-10)
We use cardinal numbers to count something.
Ordinal Numbers
We use ordinal numbers to indicate order. English words like first, second and third are ordinal numbers in English.
In this book, you will sometimes be asked to observe patterns in grammar or vocabulary by yourself. It can help you develop observation skills for learning a language.
Observe the ordinal numbers below and complete the description.
We add ________ before a cardinal number to form an ordinal number.
We add 第 dai6 before a cardinal number to form an ordinal number.
Culture: Special Meaning of Numbers
Some numbers have special meaning because their pronunciation is similar to the pronunciation of another word.
四 sei3 is associated with 死 sei2. Some people believe that 四 sei3 will bring bad luck. Therefore, some shopping malls or buildings don’t have a fourth floor.
On the other hand, 三 saam1 and 八 baat3 are associated with something good. Some people believe that 三 saam1 and 八 baat3 can bring good luck. Therefore, they prefer 三 saam1 and 八 baat3 in numbers like their flat number, license plate number or telephone number.
Activity
Get a deck of poker cards. Split the cards into equal piles for each person in your group. Draw a card in turn. The person who says the number of the card the fastest will get the card. Say 1 for the aces and 0 for cards without a number (J, Q, K and jokers). The game ends when everyone has used up their cards. The person who got the most cards will win the game.