Counting Like A Taiwanese

We all know how to count in our own way, but do you know that different parts of the world count differently with their fingers?

I had seen people baffled by the amount of pies they had ordered. They had only want two, but the shop owner sent them seven pies. Luckily, the pies were not big. Their encounter taught me something - how different we count with our fingers.

The following pictures demonstrate how most of the Taiwanese count. Please note that not all Taiwanese count like this, but we all understand what the numbers are.

We use both of our index fingers to mimic the Chinese character for ten. The character for ten in Mandarin looks something like a cross. It is also fine to hold up all ten fingers.

Next time, I will be sharing a list of different Mandarin phrases we use in Taiwan. If you like learning more about Taiwan be sure to follow me on Facebook (@When Ying Taiwan).