jaa6 jat1廿一

Jyutpingjaa6 jat1

Yaleyah yāt

Uncommon

Definition

Twenty-one

colloquialnumberstime

How it's used

廿 is a specialized character used exclusively for the number twenty. It is standard in spoken Cantonese and often appears in written dates or ages to save space. You will frequently see it on calendars or when discussing birthdays, but it is rarely used for numbers higher than twenty-nine.

Examples

ngo5我gam1今nin4年jaa6廿jat1一seoi3歲laa3喇。

I am twenty-one years old this year.

nei5你hai6係mai6咪jaa6廿jat1一hou6號heoi3去leoi5旅hang4行aa4呀？

Are you going on a trip on the twenty-first?

Common phrases

jaa6廿jat1一hou6號

the 21st day of the month

jaa6廿jat1一seoi3歲

twenty-one years old

Common mistake

Learners often try to use 廿 for other multiples of ten, but it is strictly reserved for twenty. For thirty, you must use 三十, as there is no single character equivalent in common use.