Language/Somali/Vocabulary/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.
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.
Videos
Somali Numbers 1-100 (counting Somali numbers with ...
How to say numbers in Somali language ( 1-10) - YouTube
3 WAYS TO SAY THE NUMBER 1 IN SOMALI?! - YouTube