Language/Shona/Vocabulary/Numbers

Numbers in Shona

^{This page is still under edit read with care.}

On this page we will go over Shona numbers.

Numbers Vocabulary

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)

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)

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. For example, all "tens" utilise "gumi" which is "ten". Be it "gumi ne-" = ("ten and") or "makumima" = ("x amount of tens") i.e. makumimaviri = twenty ("two 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] The same logic is applied to the rest 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s i.e. "makumimanomwe" which is "seven tens" or "seventy" and "neshanu" = seventy five [7x10=70] / [10 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 70]
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)

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) for example, "one hundred" = zana if we add "nesere" it become "zana nesere" which is "a hundred and eight" 100 + 8 = 108 another example, "one hundred twenty and five" = zana nemakumimaviri-neshanu which is "hundred and two sets of tens and five" which is 100 + (2 x10) + 5 = 100 + 20 + 5 = 125 When creating hundreds, we are essentially repeating the tens and simply adding the prefix "ne-" zana nemakumimapfumbmwe-nerimwe ("hundred + nine sets of tens + one") one hundred and ninety-one = 191 | This very pattern is used even as we get into higher hundreds, such as 200s, 300s, 400s, 500s, 600s, 700s, 800s and 900s. using the same numbers as above, three hundred = mazanamatatu which is "three sets of tens" [3x100 = 300] or [100 + 100 + 100 = 300] if we add, "nesere" (and eight) + 8 it becomes "three sets of tens and three" [(3 x 100) + 8 = 308] or [100 + 100 + 100 + 8 = 108] mazanamatatu nesere another example, 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 = The same is done for numbers that follow.
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

"One" Thousands (1,000 - 9,000)

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

Other Lessons

• Feelings and Emotions
• Count to 10
• How to Say Hello and Greetings
• Days of the week
• Clothes
• Animals
• Colors
• Emergency
• Fruits and Vegetables
• Education