Language/Shona/Vocabulary/Numbers
Numbers in Shona[edit | edit source]
This page is still under edit read with care.
On this page we will go over Shona numbers.
Numbers Vocabulary[edit | edit source]
Below is a list of some vocabulary that may be used in reference to numbers.
Vocabulary in Shona
(Mazwi eChivanhu) |
Translation in English
(Uturikiso muChingezi) |
|
---|---|---|
Chiperengo; zviperengo | Number; Numbers | nhamba is also used, deriving from English. |
Mperengo; miperengo; dziperengo | Digit; Digits | |
Numeri; Manumeri | Numeral; Numerals | The biblical Book of Numbers is also called 'Numeri'. |
Kurava | To count; counting | |
Kuperenga | To number; numbering | |
Kuverenga / Kuwerenga | To read; reading | |
Mamotsi | Ones | |
Machumi | Tens | |
Mazana | Hundrends | |
Machuru | Thousands | |
Mamiriyoni | Millions | |
Mabhiriyoni | Billions |
Ones (0-9)[edit | edit source]
The following set of numbers is the basic foundation of Shona numerals, just as you find that in other languages in the world 0 to 9, or 1 to 9 are continuously repeated in one form or another, the same is true in the Shona language. The Shona language has no known native script, although there are projects to create one, it currently utilises Western scripts for writing, in particular the Latin Script, and the Roman numerals for number system. However, be mindful to remember that the use of roman numerals does not necessarily mean they are pronounced the same, they are very different.
Numbers in English
(Zviperengo muChivanhu) |
Translation in English
(Uturikiso muChingezi) |
||
---|---|---|---|
Zanda | Rushaiwe; Rupasina | Zero | Rushaiwe and Rupasina mean "without; not found"
Zanda means "Egg"; zai could also be used. |
Poshi | Imwe | One | Other variations include: motsi; moshi; mosi; modza; modzi; potsi; posi; bodzi; bodza |
Piri | Mbiri | Two | |
Tatu | Nhatu | Three | |
Ina | Na; Nna | Four | |
Shanu | Five | ||
Tanhatu | Nhanhatu | Six | |
Nomwe | Seven | ||
Sere | Eight | ||
Pfumbamwe | Pfemba | Nine |
Tens (10-90)[edit | edit source]
Numbers in Shona
(Zviperengo muChivanhu) |
Translation in English
(Uturikiso muChingezi) |
Explanation
(Tsananguro) |
---|---|---|
10s | Ten and - (i.e. ten and two = twelve) | |
Gumi | Ten | |
Guminerimwe | Eleven | "Gumi ne-" is essentially "ten and-"; it is equivalent to "-teen".
Ten and One = eleven Ten and Two = twelve, and etcetera. |
Guminembiri | Twelve | |
Guminenhatu | Thirteen | |
Guminena / Guminenna | Fourteen | |
Gumineshanu | Fifteen | |
Guminenhanhatu | Sixteen | |
Guminenomwe | Seventeen | |
Guminesere | Eighteen | |
Guminepfumbamwe | Nineteen | |
20s | (amount of) tens i.e. two tens = twenty | two tens and one = twenty-one | |
Makumimaviri / Makumimairi | Twenty | Variations: Makumimawiri; Makumimayiri |
Makumimaviri-nerimwe | Twenty-one | |
Makumimaviri-nembiri | Twenty-two | |
Makumimaviri-netatu | Twenty-three | |
Makumimaviri-nena | Twenty-four | |
Makumimaviri-neshanu | Twenty-five | |
Makumimaviri-nenhanhatu | Twenty-six | |
Makumimaviri-nenomwe | Twenty-seven | |
Makumimaviri-nesere | Twenty-eight | |
Makumimaviri-nepfumbamwe | Twenty-nine | |
30s | All other numbers follow a similar pattern to the above "20s" section.
The first sets have been exemplified in each section, to form other sets of tens, simply follow the system/pattern.
all "tens" utilise "gumi" which is "ten". Be it "gumi ne-" = ("ten and") or "makumima" = ("x amount of tens")
{two times ten / [2x10 = 20] or two sets of ten [10 + 10 = 20]} if we add "neshanu" = and/plus five [+5) it becomes "makumimaviri neshanu" which is "two tens and five" equating to "twenty and five" [(2x10) + 5 = 25] or [10 + 10 + 5 = 25]
i.e. "makumimanomwe" which is "seven tens" or "seventy" and "neshanu" = seventy five
| |
Makumimatatu | Thirty | |
Makumimatatu-nerimwe | Thirty-one | |
40s | ||
Makumimana | Forty | |
Makumimana-nerimwe | Forty-one | |
50s | ||
Makumimashanu | Fifty | |
Makumimashanu-nerimwe | Fifty-one | |
60s | ||
Makumimatanhatu | Sixty | |
Makumimatanhatu-nerimwe | Sixty-one | |
70s | ||
Makumimanomwe | Seventy | |
Makumimanomwe-nerimwe | Seventy-one | |
80s | ||
Makumimasere | Eighty | |
Makumimasere-nerimwe | Eighty-one | |
90s | ||
Makumimapfumbamwe | Ninety | |
Makumimapfumbamwe-nerimwe | Ninety-one |
Hundreds (100-900)[edit | edit source]
Number in Shona | English Translation | Explanation |
---|---|---|
Example: One hundred and "Ones" | ||
Zana | Hundred; One hundred | |
Zananerimwe | One hundred | |
Zananembiri | One hundred and two | |
Zananenhatu | One hundred and three | |
Zananena | One hundred and four | |
Zananeshanu | One hundred and five | |
Zananenhanhatu | One hundred and six | |
Zananenomwe | One hundred and seven | |
Zananesere | One hundred and eight | |
Zananepfumbamwe | One hundred and nine | |
110s | Remembering the "Tens" in this lesson, we utilise:
"hundred", "and ten" as well as "and x amount of tens"
Similar to tens all hundreds utilise "zana", be it "zana ne-"(hundred and-) or "mazanama-" (x amount of hundred)
if we add "nesere" it become "zana nesere" which is "a hundred and eight" 100 + 8 = 108
= zana nemakumimaviri-neshanu which is "hundred and two sets of tens and five" which is 100 + (2 x10) + 5 = 100 + 20 + 5 = 125
("hundred + nine sets of tens + one") one hundred and ninety-one = 191
such as 200s, 300s, 400s, 500s, 600s, 700s, 800s and 900s.
which is "three sets of hundreds" [3x100 = 300] or [100 + 100 + 100 = 300]
+ 8 it becomes "three sets of hundreds and three" [(3 x 100) + 8 = 308] or [100 + 100 + 100 + 8 = 108] mazanamatatu nesere
if we have "mazanamatatu nemakumimaviri neshanu" "three sets of hundreds and two sets of ten and five" (3 x100) + (2x10) + 5 = 300 + 20 + 5 = 325 or (100 + 100 + 100) + (10 + 10) + 5 =
| |
Zananegumi | One hundred and ten | |
Zana-neguminerimwe | One hundred and eleven | |
Zana-neguminembiri | One hundred and twelve | |
Zana-neguminenhatu | One hundred and thirteen | |
120s | ||
Zana nemakumimaviri | One hundred and twenty | |
Zana nemakumimaviri-nerimwe | One hundred and twenty-one | |
130s | Similar to 120s. | |
Zana nemakumimatatu | One hundred and thirty | |
Zana nemakumimatatu-nerimwe | One hundred and thirty-one | |
140s | ||
Zana nemakumimana | One hundred and forty | |
Zana nemakumimana-nerimwe | One hundred and forty-one | |
150s | ||
Zana nemakumimashanu | One hundred and fifty | |
Zana nemakumimashanu-nerimwe | One hundred and fifty-one | |
160s | ||
Zana nemakumimatanhatu | One hundred and sixty | |
Zana nemakumimatanhatu-nerimwe | One hundred and sixty-one | |
170s | ||
Zana nemakumimanomwe | One hundred seventy | |
Zana nemakumimanomwe-nerimwe | One hundred and seventy-one | |
180s | ||
Zana nemakumimasere | One hundred and eighty | |
Zana nemakumimasere-nerimwe | One hundred and eight-one | |
190s | ||
Zana nemakumimapfumbamwe | One hundred and ninety | |
Zana nemakumimapfumbamwe-nerimwe | One hundred and ninety-one | |
Mazanamaviri / Mazanamairi | Two hundred | |
Mazanamaviri-nerimwe | Two hundred and one | |
Mazanamaviri-negumi | Two hundred and ten | |
Mazanamaviri-neguminerimwe | Two hundred and eleven | |
Mazanamaviri nemakumimaviri | Two hundred and twenty | |
Mazanamaviri nemakumimaviri-nerimwe | Two hundred and twenty-one | |
300s | ||
Mazanamatatu | Three hundred | |
Mazanamatatu-nerimwe | Three hundred and one | |
Mazanamatatu-negumi | Three hundred and ten | |
Mazanamatatu-neguminerimwe | Three hundred and eleven | |
Mazanamatatu-nemakumimaviri | Three hundred and Twenty | |
Mazanamatatu nemakumimaviri-nerimwe | Three hundred and Twenty-one | |
400s | ||
Mazanamana | Four hundred | |
Mazanamana-nerimwe | Four hundred and one | |
Mazanamana-negumi | Four hundred and ten | |
Mazanamana-neguminerimwe | Four hundred and eleven | |
Mazanamana nemakumimaviri | Four hundred and twenty | |
Mazanamana nemakumimaviri-nerimwe | Four hundred and twenty-one | |
500s | ||
Mazanamashanu | Five hundred | |
Mazanamashanu negumi | Five hundred and ten | |
Mazanamashanu neguminerimwe | Five hundred and eleven | |
Mazanamashanu nemakumimaviri | Five hundred and twenty | |
Mazanamashanu nemakumimaviri-nerimwe | Five hundred and twenty-one | |
600s | ||
Mazanamanhanhatu | Six hundred | |
Mazanamatanhatu nerimwe | Six hundred and one | |
Mazanamatanhatu negumi | Six hundred and ten | |
Mazanamatanhatu neguminerimwe | Six hundred and eleven | |
Mazanamatanhatu makumimaviri | Six hundred and twenty | |
Mazanamatanhatu nemakumimaviri-nerimwe | Six hundred and twenty-one | |
700s | ||
Mazanamanomwe | Seven hundred | |
Mazanamanomwe nerimwe | Seven hundred and one | |
Mazanamanomwe negumi | Seven hundred and ten | |
Mazanamanomwe neguminerimwe | Seven hundred and eleven | |
Mazanamanomwe nemakumimaviri | Seven hundred and twenty | |
Mazanamanomwe nemakumimaviri-nerimwe | Seven hundred and twenty-one | |
800s | ||
Mazanamasere | Eight hundred | |
Mazanamasere nerimwe | Eight hundred and one | |
Mazanamasere negumi | Eight hundred and ten | |
Mazanamasere neguminerimwe | Eight hundred and eleven | |
Mazanamasere nemakumimamviri | Eight hundred and twenty | |
Mazanamasere nemakumimaviri nerimwe | Eight hundred and twenty-one | |
900s | ||
Mazanamapfumbamwe | Nine hundred | |
Mazanamapfumbamwe nerimwe | Nine hundred and one | |
Mazanamapfumbamwe negumi | Nine hundred and ten | |
Mazanamapfumbamwe neguminerimwe | Nine hundred and eleven | |
Mazanamapfumbamwe nemakumimaviri | Nine hundred and twenty | |
Mazanamapfumbamwe nemakumimaviri-nerimwe | Nine hundred and twenty-one |
Thousands[edit | edit source]
"One" Thousands (1,000 - 9,000)[edit | edit source]
Numbers in Shona | Translation in English | ||
---|---|---|---|
Chiuru / Churu | Thousand; One thousand | ||
Chiurunerimwe | One thousand and one | ||
Chiurunembiri | One thousand and two | ||
Chiurunenhatu | One thousand and three | ||
Chiurunena | One thousand and four | ||
Chiuruneshanu | One thousand and five | ||
Chiurunenhanhatu | One thousand and six | ||
Chiurunenomwe | One thousand and seven | ||
Chiurunesere | One thousand and eight | ||
Chiurunepfumbamwe | One thousand and nine | ||
Chiuru-neguminerimwe | One thousand and eleven | ||
Chiuru-neguminembiri | One thousand and twelve | ||
Chiuru-neguminenhatu | One thousand and thirteen | ||
Zvuruzviviri | Two thousand | "two sets of thousands" | |
Zvuruzviviri nerimwe | Two thousand and one | ||
Zvuruzviviri negumi | Two thousand and ten | ||
Zvuruzviviri neguminerimwe | Two thousand and eleven | ||
Zvuruzviviri nemakumimaviri | Two thousand and twenty | ||
Zvuruzviviri nemakumimaviri-nerimwe | Two thousand and twenty-one | ||
Zvuruzviviri nezana | Two thousand and one hundred | ||
Zvuruzviviri nezana nerimwe | Two thousand one hundred and one | ||
Zvuruzviviri nezana negumi | Two thousand one hundred and ten | ||
Zvuruzviviri nezana neguminerimwe | Two thousand one hundred and eleven | ||
Zvuruzviviri nemazanamaviri | Two thousand two hundred | ||
Zvuruzviviri nemazanamaviri-nerimwe | Two thousand two hundred and one | ||
Zvuruzviviri nemazanamaviri negumi | Two thousand two hundred and ten | ||
Zvuruzviviri nemazanamaviri neguminerimwe | Two thousand two hundred and eleven | ||
Zvuru zviviri nemazanamaviri nemakumimaviri | Two thousand two hundred and twenty | ||
Zvuruzviviri nemazanamaviri nemakumimaviri-nerimwe | Two thousand two hundred and twenty-one | ||
Videos[edit | edit source]
Shona Months, Days of the week & Numbers || Reading and ...[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Feelings and Emotions
- Count to 10
- How to Say Hello and Greetings
- Days of the week
- Clothes
- Animals
- Colors
- Emergency
- Fruits and Vegetables
- Education