Difference between revisions of "Language/Shona/Vocabulary/Numbers-1-10"

Revision as of 14:39, 20 April 2023

◀️ Personal Pronouns — Previous Lesson	Next Lesson — Telling Time ▶️

Shona → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Numbers and Time → Numbers 1-10

Shona is a Bantu language spoken by the Shona people in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Botswana. It is the most widely spoken language in Zimbabwe, with over 11 million speakers. Learning Shona is a great way to appreciate the diverse culture of Zimbabwe and its people.

In this lesson, you will learn the Shona numbers from 1 to 10 and how to use them in sentences. This is a fundamental aspect of the Shona language that will allow you to talk about time, dates, and various numerical values.

After mastering this lesson, these related pages might interest you: Languages & Drinks.

Numbers 1-10

In Shona, numbers from 1 to 10 are:

Shona	Pronunciation	English
motsi	mo-tsi, poh-she	one
piri	pee-ri, mbi-ri	two
tatu	muh-tuh-tu	three
ina	ee-nah	four
shanu	shah-noo	five
tanhatu	muh-koo-mee muh-tah-nyah-too	six
nomwe	nom-we	seven
sere	se-reh	eight
pfumbamwe	pfu-mba-mm-we	nine
gumi	goo-mee	ten

Note: that these have variations depending on the Shona language being used between the five main languages, and may have variations depending on dialects of the five main Shona clans. Example, "Bodzi, bodza, botsi, motsi, mosi, moshi, modza, moza, poshi, potsi, imwe" - all refer to the number one.

It is important to note that the Shona language has different noun classes that affect the agreement of numbers. For instance, when expressing the number "two," the singular noun class prefers "-piri" instead of "-viri." If you are in doubt, ask a native speaker or consult a reference book.

Here are some examples of how to use these numbers in simple sentences:

Pamela ane vana vaviri kana vatatu. (Pamela has two or three children.)
Tatenda ane makore mana. (Tatenda is four years old.)
Nhasi ringori zuva rechishanu remwedzi basi. (Today is only the fifth day of the month.)
Vanuhu vese vanodinga zvinhu nomwe. (Everyone needs seven things.)
Yosefa anofamba kuenda kuchikoro mazuva ese. (Joseph walks to school every day.)

It's that simple! Now, you can practice counting numbers in Shona with ease.

Conclusion

In this lesson, you have learned the basic numbers from 1 to 10 in Shona and how to use them in sentences. This is an essential part of the language that will come in handy when talking about time, dates, or numbers in everyday conversations. Keep practicing and stay tuned for more Shona lessons!

Well done on mastering this lesson! Don't miss these related pages to expand your knowledge: Days of the week & Education.

Table of Contents - Shona Course - 0 to A1

Course Presentation

Introduction to Shona

Greetings and Introductions

Nouns and Pronouns

Numbers and Time

Verbs and Tenses

Family and Relationships

Adjectives and Adverbs

Food and Dining

Prepositions and Conjunctions

Travel and Transportation

Shona Culture and Traditions

Asking Questions

Shopping and Money

Music and Dance

Other Lessons

Sources

◀️ Personal Pronouns — Previous Lesson	Next Lesson — Telling Time ▶️

@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 ! Shona !! Pronunciation !! English
 |-
-| mamwe || muhm-weh || one
+| motsi || mo-tsi, poh-she || one
 |-
-| maviri || muh-vi-ri || two
+| piri || pee-ri, mbi-ri || two
 |-
-| matatu || muh-tuh-tu || three
+| tatu || muh-tuh-tu || three
 |-
-| manharu || muh-nyah-ru || four
+| ina || ee-nah || four
 |-
-| mashanu || muh-shah-noo || five
+| shanu || shah-noo || five
 |-
-| makumi matanhatu || muh-koo-mee muh-tah-nyah-too || six
+| tanhatu || muh-koo-mee muh-tah-nyah-too || six
 |-
-| makumi mangani || muh-koo-mee mahn-gah-nee || seven
+| nomwe || nom-we || seven
 |-
-| marwadzi || muh-rwa-ji || eight
+| sere || se-reh || eight
 |-
-| mazana || muh-zah-nah || nine
+| pfumbamwe || pfu-mba-mm-we || nine
 |-
 | gumi || goo-mee || ten
 |}
-It is important to note that the Shona language has different noun classes that affect the agreement of numbers. For instance, when expressing the number "two," the singular noun class prefers "rerwi" instead of "maviri." If you are in doubt, ask a native speaker or consult a reference book.
+<small>Note: that these have variations depending on the Shona language being used between the five main languages, and may have variations depending on dialects of the five main Shona clans. Example, "Bodzi, bodza, botsi, motsi, mosi, moshi, modza, moza, poshi, potsi, imwe" - all refer to the number '''one'''.</small>
+It is important to note that the Shona language has different noun classes that affect the agreement of numbers. For instance, when expressing the number "two," the singular noun class prefers "-piri" instead of "-viri." If you are in doubt, ask a native speaker or consult a reference book.
 Here are some examples of how to use these numbers in simple sentences:
-* Pamela rinonokura maviri kana matatu. (Pamela has two or three children.)
+* Pamela ane vana vaviri kana vatatu. (Pamela has two or three children.)
-* Tatenda ndiye ane manharu erasha. (Tatenda is four years old.)
+* Tatenda ane makore mana. (Tatenda is four years old.)
-* Zuva rino ndiyo chete yakazara mashanu. (Today is only the fifth day of the month.)
+* Nhasi ringori zuva rechishanu remwedzi basi. (Today is only the fifth day of the month.)
-* Munhu wese anoda makumi mangani. (Everyone needs seven things.)
+* Vanuhu vese vanodinga zvinhu nomwe. (Everyone needs seven things.)
-* Yosefu anofamba kuenda kuchikoro magumigumi. (Joseph walks to school every day.)
+* Yosefa anofamba kuenda kuchikoro mazuva ese. (Joseph walks to school every day.)
 It's that simple! Now, you can practice counting numbers in Shona with ease.