Language/Somali/Vocabulary/Numbers-1-20

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Somali → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Numbers and Time → Numbers 1-20

As a Somali language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I am excited to introduce you to Somali numbers! In this lesson, we will learn the numbers 1-20 in Somali and how to use them in sentences. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to count from 1 to 20 in Somali and use these numbers in various contexts.

Take some time to dive into these other pages after completing this lesson: Education & Count to 10.

Somali Numbers

Somali numbers are easy to learn and remember. They are similar to English numbers in terms of pronunciation and structure.

Here are the numbers 1-20 in Somali:

Somali	Pronunciation	English
hal	haal	One
laba	laaba	Two
saddex	saadex	Three
afar	aafar	Four
shan	shan	Five
lix	lix	Six
toddoba	toddoba	Seven
siddeed	siddeed	Eight
sagaal	sagaal	Nine
toban	toban	Ten
kow iyo tob	kow ee-yo toe-b	Eleven
laba iyo tob	laaba ee-yo toe-b	Twelve
saddex iyo tob	saadex ee-yo toe-b	Thirteen
afar iyo tob	aafar ee-yo toe-b	Fourteen
shan iyo tob	shan ee-yo toe-b	Fifteen
lix iyo tob	lix ee-yo toe-b	Sixteen
toddoba iyo tob	toddoba ee-yo toe-b	Seventeen
siddeed iyo tob	siddeed ee-yo toe-b	Eighteen
sagaal iyo tob	sagaal ee-yo toe-b	Nineteen
labaatan	la-baa-tan	Twenty

Note that the number 10 is toban in Somali, and to form the numbers 11-19, you simply add iyo tob (and ten) to the end of the base number. For example, 11 is kow iyo tob (one and ten), and 15 is shan iyo tob (five and ten). The number 20 is labaatan, which is a combination of the number laba (two) and tan (times) or at (and).

Now, let's learn some examples of how to use Somali numbers in sentences.

Using Somali Numbers in Sentences

To use Somali numbers in sentences, you need to know some basic Somali sentence structure and vocabulary. Here are some examples:

• Waxaan soo dhaweynay saddex saacadood. (I slept for three hours.)
• Liiska miisaanka saddex sano ah waa taxaneysane. (The list of 13-year-olds is eight pages.)
• Shalay dabaal dareen ah aan laba jirin. (Yesterday, I went snorkeling and saw two of them.)
• Magaaladaani wuxuu ku jiraa lixdan xaraf. (My city has six districts.)

Note that the word order in Somali is generally subject-verb-object, and numbers usually come before the noun they modify. The word for "hour" is saacad, "page" is bogga, "snorkeling" is dabaal dareen, and "district" is xaraf.

If you want to tell the time in Somali, you can combine the numbers we have learned so far with the word saacad to indicate o'clock. For example:

• Waxaan arkay goorma saacad ayuu dhacay. (I saw what happened at one o'clock.)
• Subax wanaag, maalin farxadeed, iyo galabtan aroori la'aan ah baan uga qaybgalay. (Morning, noon, and evening I participate in a sport with a field of ten players.)

Another important thing to note is that Somali uses a base-10 numbering system. That means that the number 23, for instance, is laba iyo saddex iyo toban (two and three tens and one).

Additional Resources

If you want to practice your Somali numbers further, I recommend using a Somali number chart or flashcards. You can also find Somali-language videos, songs, and games that incorporate numbers to make learning even more fun.

In addition, it may be helpful to practice counting objects or people in real life scenarios. For example, you can count the number of people in a room, the number of cars on the street, or the number of fruit you have in a basket.

Remember, practice makes perfect! By regularly incorporating Somali numbers into your daily routine and using them in context, you will soon be able to count with ease.

Table of Contents - Somali Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

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Pronouns and Verbs

• Personal Pronouns
• Basic Verb Conjugation

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Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-20
• Telling Time

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Nouns and Adjectives

• Noun Gender and Plurals
• Adjective Agreement

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Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

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Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Common Prepositions
• Conjunctions

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Food and Dining

• Fruits and Vegetables
• Meals and Dining

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Somali Customs and Traditions

• Greetings and Etiquette
• Holidays and Celebrations

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Questions and Negation

• Question Words
• Negation

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Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Directions and Locations

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Somali Geography and History

• Geography of Somalia
• Somali History

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Adverbs and Expressions

• Common Adverbs
• Idiomatic Expressions

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Weather and Seasons

• Weather Vocabulary
• Seasons

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Somali Art, Music, and Literature

• Somali Art
• Somali Music
• Somali Literature

Other Lessons

• Days of the Week
• Telling Time
• Express Surprise
• Count to 10
• Food
• Colors
• Numbers
• Fruits and Vegetables
• Directions and Locations

Sources

• Somali numbers — Of Languages and Numbers
• Mathematics words in English and Somali
• Numbers in Somali

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