<p>A possible answer which accounts for the fact that the video was made in Hong Kong:</p>

<p>The cangjie (倉頡) code (the input method prevalent in Hong Kong) for 八佰 is <code>HO OMA</code>, and the code for 八百 is <code>HO MA</code>. A simple duplicated character would account for the error.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-29T05:41:41.223Z
2012-02-29T05:41:41.223Z
jogloran
<p>This is not actually an answer, more a guess.</p>

<p>It is possible that they simply used 百 in line with the Japanese, and used 佰 according to their own custom (Hong Kong), and forgot to harmonise the two. Nothing mysterious, just a case of less than careful editing. A lot of Chinese might not even notice that there is any inconsistency.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-27T08:26:24.853Z
2012-02-29T23:59:25.387Z
2012-02-29T23:59:25.387Z
Bathrobe
<p>It's for security.
Upper-case of Chinese numbers prevent the number on financial forms from being modified.</p>

<p>ｏ一二三四五六七八九十百千 vs 零壹貳參肆伍陸柒捌玖拾佰仟<br/></p>

<p>For example, you can easily make 一 become 二 or 十, but you cant make 壹 become 貳. </p>

<p><b>Independent meanings of each character:</b><br/>
 1. 壹: Consistent <br/>
 2. 貳: Another<br/>
 3. 參: Join (參加)<br/>
 4. 肆: Presumptuous (放肆)<br/>
 5. 伍: Associate with (與...為伍)<br/>
 6. 陸: Land (陸地)<br/>
 7. 柒: simplified 漆 which means Paint<br/>
 8. 捌: a kind of farm tools; another written of 扒<br/>
 9. 玖: a kind of black stone<br/>
 10. 拾: pick (拾取)<br/></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-26T14:29:07.307Z
The OP already knows about 大写 characters, as indicated in the question itself. The question is about the inconsistent use of 百 and 佰 in a translation, not about the use of characters like 佰 in general.
Alf
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-26T14:40:53.497Z
Each 大寫 number has its own meaning, but the modern usages of them are only for numbers.
Peter Chung
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-26T14:53:53.677Z
I just added their meanings. There are some different meanings of them according to the pronunciation.
Peter Chung
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-26T14:14:27.150Z
2012-02-26T15:13:54.477Z
2012-02-26T15:13:54.477Z
Peter Chung
<p>&quot;八佰伴&quot; is the official Chinese translation of a Japanese retail group, Yaohan, of which the Japanese name is written as &quot;ヤオハン&quot; or &quot;八百半&quot;.[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaohan" rel="nofollow noreferrer">1</a>]  This retail groups is well-known among certain Japanese/Chinese population and maybe the source of the erroneous translation of &quot;八佰&quot;.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-03-06T11:52:08.473Z
2012-03-06T11:52:08.473Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Frank
<p>I saw a portion of a video course of Japanese tutorials aimed at Hong Kong Cantonese speakers, and notice that while introducing Japanese numbers, they translated the Japanese word for 600 as 六百, then straight afterwards, the word for 800 as 八佰 (with the hundreds place in 大寫).</p>

<p>I can't think of a reason for the inconsistency — can you?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-26T01:44:59.987Z
Is this question about Cantonese?
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-26T01:50:46.863Z
No, the translations are in the written register (and not read out), and so Cantonese isn't actually anything to do with it. The only connection might be if this is specific to written Chinese as used in Hong Kong, vs. elsewhere.
jogloran
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-26T04:01:54.983Z
maybe it's a typo?
jsj
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-26T12:17:48.420Z
@jogloran Don't worry, your question would be on topic even if it was about Cantonese. :) I was asking because in that case I would have added the appropriate tag.
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-26T23:37:33.697Z
@Alenanno: Thanks. Well, I'm starting to think this was just some program producer's flight of fancy rather than anything meaningful...
jogloran
<traditional-characters><number>
佰 vs 百: inconsistency in use
# 佰 vs 百: inconsistency in use

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-02-26)

I saw a portion of a video course of Japanese tutorials aimed at Hong Kong Cantonese speakers, and notice that while introducing Japanese numbers, they translated the Japanese word for 600 as 六百, then straight afterwards, the word for 800 as 八佰 (with the hundreds place in 大寫).

I can't think of a reason for the inconsistency — can you?

**Tags:** traditional-characters, number

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Is this question about Cantonese?  
> **username_0**: No, the translations are in the written register (and not read out), and so Cantonese isn't actually anything to do with it. The only connection might be if this is specific to written Chinese as used in Hong Kong, vs. elsewhere.  
> **username_2**: maybe it's a typo?  
> **username_1**: @username_0 Don't worry, your question would be on topic even if it was about Cantonese. :) I was asking because in that case I would have added the appropriate tag.  
> **username_0**: @username_1: Thanks. Well, I'm starting to think this was just some program producer's flight of fancy rather than anything meaningful...  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2012-02-29. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

A possible answer which accounts for the fact that the video was made in Hong Kong:

The cangjie (倉頡) code (the input method prevalent in Hong Kong) for 八佰 is `HO OMA`, and the code for 八百 is `HO MA`. A simple duplicated character would account for the error.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2012-02-27. Score: 2

This is not actually an answer, more a guess.

It is possible that they simply used 百 in line with the Japanese, and used 佰 according to their own custom (Hong Kong), and forgot to harmonise the two. Nothing mysterious, just a case of less than careful editing. A lot of Chinese might not even notice that there is any inconsistency.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2012-02-26. Score: 1

It's for security.
Upper-case of Chinese numbers prevent the number on financial forms from being modified.

ｏ一二三四五六七八九十百千 vs 零壹貳參肆伍陸柒捌玖拾佰仟

For example, you can easily make 一 become 二 or 十, but you cant make 壹 become 貳.

**Independent meanings of each character:**  
1. 壹: Consistent   
2. 貳: Another  
3. 參: Join (參加)  
4. 肆: Presumptuous (放肆)  
5. 伍: Associate with (與...為伍)  
6. 陸: Land (陸地)  
7. 柒: simplified 漆 which means Paint  
8. 捌: a kind of farm tools; another written of 扒  
9. 玖: a kind of black stone  
10. 拾: pick (拾取)

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: The OP already knows about 大写 characters, as indicated in the question itself. The question is about the inconsistent use of 百 and 佰 in a translation, not about the use of characters like 佰 in general.  
> **username_4**: Each 大寫 number has its own meaning, but the modern usages of them are only for numbers.  
> **username_4**: I just added their meanings. There are some different meanings of them according to the pronunciation.  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2012-03-06. Score: 0

"八佰伴" is the official Chinese translation of a Japanese retail group, Yaohan, of which the Japanese name is written as "ヤオハン" or "八百半".[[1](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaohan)] This retail groups is well-known among certain Japanese/Chinese population and maybe the source of the erroneous translation of "八佰".


---

