Language/Sinhala/Vocabulary/Count-to-10
Hi Sinhala learners! đ
In this lesson, you will learn how to count to 10 in Sinhala. Knowing the numbers is essential in any language, and Sinhala is no exception! Whether you want to know how much something costs, tell someone your phone number, or practice your math skills, learning to count in Sinhala is the first step.
Finish this lesson and explore these related pages: Days of the week, Fruits, Weather & Animals.
Sinhala Numbers[edit | edit source]
Sinhala numbers are based on the decimal system, just like in English. However, the number names in Sinhala are unique and do not look or sound like their English counterparts. Pronunciation is very important in Sinhala, so take time to practice it correctly.
Here are the numbers 1-10 in Sinhala:
| Sinhala | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| āļāļ | eka | one |
| āļ¯āˇāļ | deka | two |
| āļāˇāļą | thuna | three |
| āˇāļāļģ | hathara | four |
| āļ´āˇ | paaha | five |
| āˇāļē | haya | six |
| āˇāļ | hatha | seven |
| āļ āļ§ | ata | eight |
| āļąāˇ | nava | nine |
| āļ¯āˇāˇāļēāˇ | dahasaya | ten |
It is important to note that "dahasaya" (ten) is a bit different from the other numbers, as it is made up of two parts: "daha" and "saaya." "Daha" means "ten," and "saaya" means "one," so "dahasaya" means "ten and one," which is equal to eleven.
To help you remember the numbers, try coming up with associations or analogies. For instance, you could remember that "hath" (seven) sounds like "hat," and imagine someone wearing seven different hats! Or maybe "paaha" (five) reminds you of "pajama," and you can imagine yourself counting sheep while wearing your pajamas.
Using Numbers in Context[edit | edit source]
Just knowing the numbers is not enough - you also need to know how to use them in context. Here are a few examples to get you started:
- Person 1: āļ¸āļ¸ āˇāļ¯āļą āļāļ¸āļąāˇ āˇāļ¯āļ¸āˇ. (Mama hadana gaman hadamu.) - I made ten curries.
- Person 2: āˇāˇāļ¯āˇāļąāļ¸āˇ āļāˇāļŠāˇ āˇāļ´āļāˇāļāˇ āļ´āļģāˇāļ¯āˇāļēāˇāļāˇ āˇāˇāļŠāļļāļģāˇāļāļģ āˇāļ¯āˇāļąāˇāļąāˇ āļāˇāˇāˇāļ¸āļ¯? (Sudanam gedii sapattu paridiyagÊ wedaberakara hadavannÊ kohomada?) - How many bananas did they harvest from Sudana's garden?
As you can see, the numbers in Sinhala come after the noun they modify. Also, there are no separate words for "a" or "one" in Sinhala. Instead, "eka" (one) is used as a standalone number.
To improve your Sinhala Vocabulary, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
Culture Corner[edit | edit source]
Numbers are an important part of Sinhala culture, as they are used in traditional beliefs and practices. For example, the number nine is considered lucky and is associated with prosperity and good fortune. It is a common practice to light nine oil lamps during festivals or special occasions. Similarly, the number eight is considered auspicious and is associated with wealth and success. Many businesses and organizations incorporate the number eight into their names or logos.
Practice Dialogue[edit | edit source]
- Person 1: āļ¸āˇ āˇāˇāļŊāˇāļŊāļ¸āˇ āˇāļ¸āˇāļļāˇāˇāˇ. (Meh sel lammbuwa.)
- Person 2: āļāļāˇ āļāˇāļąāˇāļāˇāļąāˇāļ§ āˇāļ¯āļą? (Eka thun kenata hadana?)
- Person 1: āļ´āˇ āļ´āˇāļģāļēāˇ. (Paha pahrayi.)
- Person 2: āˇāˇāļ´āˇāļģāˇāļ¸ āļ āļēāˇ. (Supirim ayuwa.)
Translation:
- Person 1: I bought three pineapples.
- Person 2: How many did you buy?
- Person 1: I bought five.
- Person 2: They look delicious.
Sources[edit | edit source]
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Other Lessons[edit | edit source]