Language/Tamil/Vocabulary/Numbers-and-Time

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Tamil Vocabulary → Daily Life Vocabulary → Numbers and Time

As a Tamil language teacher, I have been teaching students for over two decades, and one of the most important aspects of any language is basic vocabulary, including numbers and time. In this lesson, I will teach you how to count in Tamil and tell time. With this knowledge, you will be fluent in discussing time-based requirements and concerns, and completing everyday transactions.

With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: Fruits & Flowers.

Numbers

In Tamil, numbers are quite simple to learn. Here are the numbers 1 through 10:

Tamil	Pronunciation	English
ஒன்று	onru	one
இரண்டு	irandu	two
மூன்று	moonru	three
நான்கு	naangu	four
ஐந்து	ainthu	five
ஆறு	aaru	six
ஏழு	ealu	seven
எட்டு	ettu	eight
ஒன்பது	onbadhu	nine
பத்து	pathu	ten

Numbers 11-20 are formed by adding the number to the unit name. For example, 11 in Tamil is "பதினொன்று" (pathinonru), which is "ten" plus "one." Similarly, 18 in Tamil is "பதினெட்டு" (pathinettu).

In addition to these numbers, Tamil also uses some unique numerals, such as கோடி (koḍi) for crore, லட்சம் (laṭcam) for lakh, and ஆயிரம் (āyiram) for thousand.

Time

Telling time in Tamil is fairly simple. The words for 'hour,' 'minute,' and 'second' are:

• மணி (maṇi) - minute
• மணி நேரம் (maṇi nēram) - hour
• விநாடி (viṇāṭi) - second

Here are some useful phrases for telling time:

• பிற்பகல் போகும் காலை என்னவா இருக்கிறது? (Piṟpakaḷ pōkum kālai eṉṉavā irukkiṟatu?) - What is the time in the morning before noon?
• பிற்பகல் காலை அல்லது மதியம் என்ன இருக்கிறது? (Piṟpakaḷ kālai allatu madiyam eṉṉa irukkiṟatu?) - Is it morning or noon?
• மதியம் போகும் நேரம் என்னவா இருக்கிறது? (Madiyam pōkum nēram eṉṉavā irukkiṟatu?) - What is the time in the afternoon?
• மாலை எப்போது முழுமதியத்திற்கு முன் இருக்கிறது? (Mālai eppōtu muḻumadiyattirku muṉ irukkiṟatu?) - What is the time in the evening before sunset?
• இரவு எப்போது தொழிலிடுகிறது? (Iravu eppōtu tolilidugiratu?) - What time is it at night?

Conclusion

With this lesson on Tamil numbers and time, you can now confidently count and tell time in Tamil. Practicing these phrases and numbers is the key to becoming fluent in Tamil. Join me in my next lesson on Tamil cuisine and eating habits.

Sources

• Tamil language - Wikipedia
• English Tamil Dictionary - Apps on Google Play

Upon wrapping up this lesson, take a look at these related pages: How to Say Hello and Greetings & Greetings.

Table of Contents - Tamil Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Introduction to Tamil Grammar

• Tamil Script and Pronunciation
• Nouns and Pronouns

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Daily Life Vocabulary

• Greetings and Introductions
• Numbers and Time
• Food and Drink
• Family and Relationships
• Travel and Transportation

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Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

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Profession and Work Vocabulary

• Jobs and Professions
• Office and Workplace
• Business Communication

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Tamil Culture and Customs

• Festivals and Celebrations
• Art and Music
• Cuisine and Eating Habits
• Tamil Cinema

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjectives
• Adverbs

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Health and Fitness Vocabulary

• Body Parts and Symptoms
• Physical Fitness and Exercise

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Cases and Postpositions

• Nominative and Accusative Cases
• Postpositions

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Nature, Environment and Wildlife Vocabulary

• Flora and Fauna
• Environment and Pollution

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Tamil Literature and History

• Sangam Literature
• Chola Empire

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Negation and Interrogation

• Negation
• Interrogation

Other Lessons

• Months of the Year
• Environment and Pollution
• Geography
• City
• How to say Good Bye?
• Nature
• How to Say Hello and Greetings
• How to Say Hello
• Seasons
• Family and Relationships

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