Jingjok
Why twenty isn't 'two-ten'
yîi-sìp
Thai numbers are wonderfully regular, with two little surprises. First, twenty is ยี่สิบ, not สองสิบ. ยี่ is an old word for 'two', likely borrowed from Chinese long ago, and it survives only here: 25 is ยี่สิบห้า, 29 is ยี่สิบเก้า, but 30 is regular again, สามสิบ. Second, when a number above ten ends in one, that one becomes เอ็ด: 11 is สิบเอ็ด, 21 ยี่สิบเอ็ด, 101 ร้อยเอ็ด. The north-eastern province of Roi Et, ร้อยเอ็ด, is literally 'one hundred and one'. Learn these two quirks and you can say any price up to 999 baht.
Try this today
Read the next price tag ending in 21 or 25 out loud, with ยี่ and เอ็ด.
The words that carry it
Learn this in “Numbers and money” →
Your first 90 days of Thai
Culture cards in Jingjok are tied to the words that carry them, each ending in one thing to try today.
- WEEKS 1–2 · SURVIVEGreet anyone, pay, and order food and 7-Eleven exactly how you like it.
- WEEKS 3–6 · SETTLE INGet around by taxi, Grab and skytrain, find anything, and handle your landlord.
- WEEKS 7–12 · RUN YOUR LIFEPharmacy, bank, SIM and apps, how you feel, and a weekend away, all in Thai.
The first week is free.