Language/Malayalam/Vocabulary/Numbers-and-Time

Malayalam Vocabulary → Everyday Phrases → Numbers and Time

I am excited to introduce you to the latest lesson in the "Complete 0 to A1 Malayalam Course". In this lesson, we will cover an essential aspect of communication - telling time and counting in Malayalam.

1. 1. Numbers in Malayalam

Before we dive into the topic of time-telling, let's first focus on numbers in Malayalam. In Malayalam, numbers are written from left to right, just like in English. The Malayalam numeral system is based on the Hindu-Arabic numeral system, which means that the numerals 0 to 9 are the same as those used in other Indian languages and English.

Here is a table that shows the Malayalam numbers from 1 to 10:

Malayalam	Pronunciation	English
ഒന്ന്	onn	One
രണ്ട്	raṇḍ	Two
മൂന്ന്	mūnn	Three
നാല്	nāl	Four
അഞ്ച്	añc	Five
ആറ്	āṟu	Six
ഏഴ്	ēḻ	Seven
എട്ട്	eṭṭ	Eight
ഒൻപത്	onpat	Nine
പത്ത്	patt	Ten

Let's now move on to telling time.

1. 1. Telling Time in Malayalam

Like in other languages, there are two ways to tell time in Malayalam: the 12-hour clock and the 24-hour clock. It is important to note that unlike in English, Malayalam does not use the terms AM and PM to distinguish between morning and afternoon/evening time.

1. 1. 1. 12-hour clock

To tell time using the 12-hour clock, you simply use the word രണ്ടുമുപ്പതിനാല് (raṇḍumpupathināl) to represent noon or midnight.

Here is a table that shows how to tell time in Malayalam, using the 12-hour clock:

Malayalam	Pronunciation	English
രണ്ടു	raṇḍu	Two o'clock
മൂന്നു	mūnnu	Three o'clock
മൂന്നു പില്ലെന്ന്	Three o' five
മൂന്നു നിമിഷം കൂടി	mūnnu nimisham kūṭi	Three fifteen
നാലു നിമിഷം	nālu nimisham	Four fifteen
പതിഞ്ചു നിമിഷം	patiñcu nimisham	Five fifteen
അറുപുലി	aṟupuli	Half past six
അറുപുലി നൂറ്റി അമ്പത്	aṟupuli nūṟṟi ampat	Half past nine
പതിഞ്ചറക്കാലം	patiñcaṟkālam	Five o'clock in the evening
രാത്രി ഒരു നിമിഷം	rātri oru nimisham	One minute past midnight

1. 1. 1. 24-hour clock

To tell time using the 24-hour clock, you simply use the number of hours followed by മണി (maṇi) to represent that it's in the morning, and വൈകുന്നേരം (vaikunneṟam) to represent that it's in the evening.

Here is a table that shows how to tell time in Malayalam, using the 24-hour clock:

Malayalam	Pronunciation	English
5 മണി	ainc maṇi	5 o'clock in the morning
6 വൈകുന്നേരം	āṟu vaikunneṟam	6 o'clock in the evening
11 മണി 30 അമ	patin̈cu maṇi muppatham	Half past eleven in the morning
20 വൈകുന്നേരം	iṟuppāṭu vaikunneṟam	8 o'clock in the evening

1. 1. Counting in Malayalam

Now that you know how to tell time in Malayalam, let's shift our focus to counting. Here are the Malayalam numerals for counting from 11 to 20:

Malayalam	Pronunciation	English
പതിനെട്ടു	patinèṭṭu	Eleven
പന്ത്രണ്ടു	pantrāṇṭu	Twelve
പതിമൂന്നു	patimūnnu	Thirteen
പതിനാലു	patinālu	Fourteen
പതിനഞ്ചു	patin̈ca	Fifteen
പതിമൂന്നു പില്ലെന്ന്	Sixteen
പതിനാലു നിമിഷം കൂടി	Seventeen
പതിനഞ്ചു നിമിഷം കൂടി	patin̈ca nuimisham kūṭi	Eighteen
പത്തൊമ്പതു	pattombathu	Nineteen
ഇരുപത്	irupathu	Twenty

1. 1. Conclusion

In this lesson, we covered the basics of telling time and counting in Malayalam. It is critical to learn these fundamental concepts to be able to interact properly with people who speak Malayalam. Practice the examples mentioned in this lesson to master telling time and counting in Malayalam.

Don't forget to check out the next lesson to expand your Malayalam vocabulary and practice constructing simple sentences.

Table of Contents - Malayalam Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Malayalam Script

• Basic Letters
• Conjunct Consonants
• Vowel Markers
• Syllable Structure

  ---

Everyday Phrases

• Greetings and Introductions
• Asking for Directions
• Food and Drink
• Numbers and Time

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Subject Pronouns
• Word Order
• Nouns and Adjectives
• Present Tense Verbs

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing People
• Datings
• Work and Professions

  ---

Kerala Culture and Traditions

• The Land of Kerala
• Festivals of Kerala
• Arts and Performances
• Cuisine and Food Traditions

  ---

Future and Past Tenses

• Future Tense Verbs
• Past Tense Verbs
• Compound Sentences
• Noun Cases

  ---

Travel and Accommodation

• Booking a Hotel
• Means of Transport
• Tourist Attractions
• Emergencies

  ---

Malayalam Cinema and Literature

• Golden Era of Malayalam Cinema
• Famous Malayalam Writers and Works
• Malayalam Music

  ---

Advanced Sentence Structures

• Passive Voice
• Conditional Sentences
• Direct and Indirect Speech
• Participles and Infinitives

  ---

Technology and Social Media

• Using Social Media
• Emoticons and Expressions
• Technology and Gadgets
• E-commerce and Banking

Related Lessons

• Emoticons and Expressions
• Using Social Media
• Describing People
• Countries രാജ്യങ്ങള്‍
• Means of Transport
• Animals in Malayalam
• Animals
• Education
• Work and Professions
• Food

Sources

• Malayalam - Wikipedia
• Time in Malayalam | Malayalam at the University of Texas at Austin