In this episode, we’ve learned how to count from 11-99 in Taiwanese and talked about some cultural differences on thinking about numbers, counting age and using the calendar. (These show notes use tables and rich formatting. Please visit the episode webpage for an optimal viewing experience.) tsa̍p-it tsa̍p-jī tsa̍p-sann tsa̍p-sì tsa̍p-gōo 11 12 13 14 15 tsa̍p-la̍k tsa̍p-tshit tsa̍p-peh tsa̍p-káu jī-tsa̍p 16 17 18 19 20 *Syllables that require tone changes are greyed out. Note that the “one” and “two” are different from the form we’ve learned in the previous episode. For 11, 21, 31, 41, and so on, we use “it”, and for 12, 20, 22, 32, and so on, we use “jī”. jī-tsa̍p-it jī-tsa̍p-jī jī-tsa̍p-sann jī-tsa̍p-sì jī-tsa̍p-gōo 21 22 23 24 25 jī-tsa̍p-la̍k jī-tsa̍p-tshit jī-tsa̍p-peh jī-tsa̍p-káu sann-tsa̍p 26 27 28 29 30 From 30 onwards, the numbers are quite regular: sì-tsa̍p gōo-tsa̍p la̍k-tsa̍p tshit-tsa̍p peh-tsa̍p káu-tsa̍p 40 50 60 70 80 90 Numbers are a great place where you can practice hearing the tone changes. You can also check out our Pronounce it Like a Pro series where we have an episode focused just on tone changes. SENTENCES AND VOCABULARY TAIWANESE ENGLISH --gue̍h -month (as a suffix) Pronunciation note: when you are talking about a specific month, “--gue̍h” is in the neutral tone unless followed by a date. This means the last syllable of the numbered month keeps its original tone, and then “--gue̍h” loses its original tone and is “neutralized” to a shorter and lighter syllable that often sounds similar to a third or fourth tone. It--gue̍h / Tsiann--gue̍h January; the 1st month of the (lunar) calendar Jī--gue̍h February; the 2nd month of the (lunar) calendar Tsa̍p-it--gue̍h November; the 11th month of the (lunar) calendar Lí kuí huè? How old are you? huè year(s) old tsi̍t huè 1 year old nn̄g huè 2 years old jī-tsa̍p-gōo huè 25 years old tsa̍p-jī senn-siùnn the 12 animal zodiac Culture note: in Taiwan, every year is assigned an animal sign as part of the zodiac. There are a total of 12 symbolic animals associated with a 12-year cycle. It is also used in India and Vietnam but some animals are different from the ones used in Taiwan. CULTURAL POINTS ON AGE IN TAIWAN 1. “Tâi-uân huè” The Taiwanese way of counting age Traditionally, when a baby is born, Taiwanese people start counting the age from one, not zero. Everyone ages one more year together during the Lunar New Year, which is usually late-January or in February. Nowadays, the western way of calculating age is used for official purposes. 2. “Tsa̍p-jī senn-siùnn” The 12-animal zodiac Another interesting thing about the calendar year and talking about age in Taiwan is that every year is assigned an animal sign as part of the zodiac. There are a total of 12 symbolic animals associated with a 12-year cycle. When talking about age, instead of asking or saying how many years old someone is, some Taiwanese people would just use their zodiac sign. 3. Avoiding the number 9 In Taiwan, some people believe that any age ending in 9 will be a year where there’s a high risk of a major accident or disaster. So, they avoid celebrating a birthday when they’re 19, 29, 39 years old and so on. For example at the age of 39, some people will say something like “38 + 1” years old. It’s just like at the restaurant, when the host wants to avoid saying 4 guests/people (“sì ê lâng” which sounds like “dead people” in Taiwanese), they will say “3 + 1” guests. Some others would just skip that year, and say they are already 40 years old. TONE 8 - WU̍T?! (Shock!) Tone 8 is a High Stop tone. It starts in the high part of your voice, and then abruptly stops. You can think of it like in English, if