Language/Swahili-individual-language/Vocabulary/Numbers
Hi Swahili Learners! 😃
➡ In today's lesson we will learn Numbers (cardinal, ordinal, fractions...) Swahili.
Happy learning!
Finish this lesson and explore these related pages: Feelings and Emotions, Parts of the Body, Days, Months, and Seasons & Idiomatic Expressions.
namba - cardinal numbers[edit | edit source]
Now that you've had an overview of the most common numbers, let's move on to the rules for writing tens, composite numbers, and hundreds, thousands, and beyond (if possible).
The numbers from one to nine are rendered by specific words: moja [1], mbili [2], tatu [3], nne [4], tano [5], sita [6], saba [7], nane [ 8] and tisa [9]. Only the digits from one (moja) to five (tano), as well as eight (nane) match the class of the noun, the others being invariable. The tens are kumi [10], ishirini [20], thelathini [30], arobaini [40], hamsini [50], sitini [60], sabini [70], themanini [80] and tisini [90]. Composite numbers are formed by starting with the ten, followed by the na (and) coordination and the unity digit (eg: thelathini na tatu [33], themanini na mbili [82]).
Hundreds are formed by putting the multiplier number after the word percent (mia): mia moja [100], mia mbili [200], mia tatu [300], mia nne [400], mia tano [500], mia sita [600], mia saba [700], mia nane [800] and mia tisa [900]. When one hundred is compounded, its multiplier one is not said (eg: mia na moja [101], mia na kumi na moja [111]).
Thousands are formed in the same way as hundreds, that is to say by putting the multiplier number after the word per thousand (elfu): elfu moja [1000], elfu mbili [2000], elfu tatu [ 3000], elfu nne [4000], elfu tano [5000], elfu sita [6000], elfu saba [7000], elfu nane [8000] and elfu tisa [9000]. One hundred thousand is said to be laki [100,000].
Each group of numbers is connected by the conjunction na (and), tens and units, but also hundreds and tens, thousands and hundreds… (eg: mia tatu na moja [301], mia sita na hamsini na sita [656], elfu moja na mia nne na thelathini [1430]).
A million is called milioni moja.
| Number | swahili |
|---|---|
| 0 | sufuri |
| 1 | moja |
| 2 | mbili |
| 3 | tatu |
| 4 | nne |
| 5 | tano |
| 6 | sita |
| 7 | saba |
| 8 | nane |
| 9 | tisa |
| 10 | kumi |
| 11 | kumi na moja |
| 12 | kumi na mbili |
| 13 | kumi na tatu |
| 14 | kumi na nne |
| 15 | kumi na tano |
| 16 | kumi na sita |
| 17 | kumi na saba |
| 18 | kumi na nane |
| 19 | kumi na tisa |
| 20 | ishirini |
| 30 | thelathini |
| 40 | arubaini |
| 50 | hamusini |
| 60 | sitini |
| 70 | sabini |
| 80 | themanini |
| 90 | tisini |
| 100 | mia moja |
| 1,000 | alfu moja |
| 1,000,000 | milioni moja |
Ordinal Numbers[edit | edit source]
| swahili | English | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | wa/ya kwanza | first |
| 2nd | wa/ya pili | second |
| 3rd | wa/ya tatu | third |
| 4th | -a nne | fourth |
| 5th | -a tano | fifth |
| 6th | -a sita | sixth |
| 7th | -a saba | seventh |
| 8th | -a nane | eighth |
| 9th | -a tisa | ninth |
| 10th | -a kumi | tenth |
| -a mwisho | last |
wa [persons, animals] / ya [objects]
fractions[edit | edit source]
| swahili | English | |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 | nusu | half |
| 1/3 | theluthi moja | one third |
| 1/4 | robo moja | one quarter |
| % | asili mia | percent |
Videos[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
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