ABSTRACT
The numbers 30, 40, etc. up to 90 are formed by adding shí (ten) to san (three), sì (four), etc. Thus we have sanshí (thirty), sìshí (forty), etc. to jioshí (ninety). The numbers 31-9, 41-9 etc., use the same principle as 21-9 above. An apostrophe (’) is used to mark the break between two syllables whenever there is ambiguity in pronunciation. Thus we have shí’èr (twelve) instead of shíèr.
