Language/Tswana/Vocabulary/Ordinal-Numbers

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Tswana → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Numbers → Ordinal Numbers

Introduction

Welcome to the Tswana Vocabulary course! In this lesson, we will be learning about ordinal numbers in Tswana, such as first, second, and third, and how to use them in sentences. This lesson is designed for complete beginners and will take you one step closer to achieving an A1 level in Tswana. Ordinal numbers are essential when it comes to understanding the order of things. For example, when navigating in a city, making a list, or specifying dates, we use ordinal numbers.

Ready to learn? Let's get started!

Cardinal Numbers in Tswana

Before we dive into ordinal numbers, it's important to have a basic understanding of cardinal numbers in Tswana. Here are the numbers from 1 to 10 in Tswana:

Tswana	Pronunciation	English
Moswa	mo-su-wa	One	Botlhoko	bo-tlho-ko	Two	Boraro	bo-ra-ro	Three	Bonne	bon-ne	Four	Bontle	bon-tle	Five	Boraro-jwa	bo-ra-ro-jwa	Six	Supa	su-pa	Seven	Phoko	p-ho-ko	Eight	Lesome	le-so-me	Nine	Lesome-le-nnane	le-so-me-le-nna-ne	Ten

To say a larger number, such as 11 or 27, add the units' numbers and the tens' numbers together. For example, to say "eleven," say "lesome-le-mo-swa." In this case, "mo-swa" means "one," and "lesome" means "ten."

Ordinal Numbers in Tswana

Ordinal numbers are used to indicate the position or rank of something or someone in a list, sequence, or order. In English, the suffix "-th" is commonly added to the cardinal number to make it into an ordinal number. For example, "one" becomes "first," "two" becomes "second," and so on.

In Tswana, the formation of ordinal numbers is quite regular. To form ordinal numbers from cardinal numbers, you add the suffix "-eng" to the end of the number. For example, "first" in Tswana is "moswa-eng," "second" is "botlhoko-eng," and "third" is "boraro-eng."

Here are the first ten ordinal numbers in Tswana:

Tswana	Pronunciation	English
Moswa-eng	mo-su-wa-eng	First	Botlhoko-eng	bo-tlho-ko-eng	Second	Boraro-eng	bo-ra-ro-eng	Third	Bonne-eng	bon-ne-eng	Fourth	Bontle-eng	bon-tle-eng	Fifth	Boraro-jwa-eng	bo-ra-ro-jwa-eng	Sixth	Supa-eng	su-pa-eng	Seventh	Phoko-eng	p-ho-ko-eng	Eighth	Lesome-eng	le-so-me-eng	Ninth	Lesome-le-nnane-eng	le-so-me-le-nna-ne-eng	Tenth

You may also have noticed that "le-nnane" means "one," just like "mo-swa." However, it's only used as part of the word "lesome-le-nnane" and not by itself.

Using Ordinal Numbers in Sentences

Now that you know how to form ordinal numbers in Tswana, let's see how to use them in sentences. Here are a few examples:

Ke itlhokomeleng naraga. (I am the second-born in my family.)
Boikgantsho jwa tswaone bofeme bonne. (The first impressions are always important.)
Ke nagana gore o tla bona ka nako ya bona. (I think that he will see her at her appointed time.)
Ke a la dimilione tse robedi. (I am in the third grade.)

Notice how the ordinal numbers are used to indicate a position in the family, an order of importance, a specific time, or a school grade.

Practice Exercise

To solidify your knowledge of ordinal numbers in Tswana, try translating the following sentences and questions:

1. What's the first step to learning Tswana? 2. Moswa a ko rapela. (The first one doesn't pray.) 3. Ke bontle-eng mo grade. (I am fifth grade.) 4. Ga ke lekane le boraro-jwa-eng. (I don't get along with the sixth one.) 5. Ke ka baakanya gore ba nne le ba bangwe ba ba ikametseng. (I am reminded that I have eight other siblings.) 6. Boikgantsho jwa ntlha are tlhalosetse ka lentswe la botlhe, yo mongwe kgotsa yo mongwe motho. (The first impressions should be explained in everyone's voice, a person at a time.)

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully learned how to use ordinal numbers in Tswana. In this lesson, we covered everything from basic cardinal numbers to forming and using ordinal numbers in sentences. Keep practicing to feel confident in using these essential numbers in day-to-day life.

In the next lesson, we will be learning about days of the week and months in Tswana. Also, don't forget to continue practicing your Tswana pronunciation by listening to native speakers and repeating what you hear.

Happy learning!

Table of Contents - Tswana Course - 0 to A1

Course Presentation

Basic Greetings

Sentence Structure

Numbers

Days of the Week and Months

Nouns and Articles

Common Objects and Places

Adjectives and Adverbs

Food and Drink

Prepositions and Conjunctions

Family and Relationships

Possessives and Demonstratives

Tswana Traditions and Customs

Tswana Holidays and Celebrations

Other Lessons

Sources

Contributors

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