Language/Southern-sotho/Vocabulary/Counting-Numbers
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Counting Numbers in Southern Sotho
Welcome to the Numbers and Time lesson of this Complete 0 to A1 Southern Sotho Course.
In this lesson, we will focus on counting numbers in Southern Sotho. We will go through cardinal and ordinal numbers and their use in everyday situations.
Cardinal Numbers
Cardinal numbers are used to count and denote quantity. Here are the first ten cardinal numbers in Southern Sotho:
Southern Sotho | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
'a | ʔa | one |
bo | bɔ | two |
tharo | tʰarɔ | three |
nne | nːɛ | four |
hlano | ɬanɔ | five |
tshela | tʃʰɛla | six |
shupa | ʃupa | seven |
phatšo | pʰatʃɔ | eight |
robe | rɔbɛ | nine |
lesome | lɛsɔmɛ | ten |
Note that the first number ‘a
has a glottal stop at the beginning.
The numbers from 11 to 19 are formed by adding le- (meaning ‘on ten’ or ‘by ten’) before the units. They are treated as single words and are written together in Southern Sotho.
- 11: lesome le nngwe (literally, ‘ten and one’)
- 12: lesome le ngwedi (literally, ‘ten and two’)
- 13: lesome le nngwasha (literally, ‘ten and three’)
- 14: lesome le nngwane (literally, ‘ten and four’)
- 15: lesome le ntlhano (literally, ‘ten and five’)
- 16: lesome le tshela (literally, ‘ten and six’)
- 17: lesome le shupa (literally, ‘ten and seven’)
- 18: lesome le phatšo (literally, ‘ten and eight’)
- 19: lesome le robe (literally, ‘ten and nine’)
The tens after that are base words, and the number ten has a specific base word: bathofo. This is different from other sets of ten in Southern Sotho.
Here are the base numbers from twenty to one hundred:
Southern Sotho | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
bathofo | b͡a.tʰɔ.fɔ | ten |
mabedi | ma.bɛ.di | twenty |
matlhafo | ma.ɬa.fɔ | thirty |
marena | ma.rɛ.na | forty |
matsela | ma.tsɛ.la | fifty |
moraro | mɔ.ra.ro | sixty |
sesotho | sɛ.sɔ.tʰɔ | seventy |
supa | su.pa | eighty |
robong | rɔ.bɔŋ | ninety |
ruri | rʊ.ri | one hundred |
Note that the unit and the tens are written together to form one word in Southern Sotho.
Ordinal Numbers
Ordinal numbers are used to denote the position of something in a sequence. They are formed by adding the suffix -eng to the cardinal number.
Here are the first ten ordinal numbers in Southern Sotho:
Southern Sotho | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
phela ya 'a | pʰɛla ja ʔa | the first |
phela ya bo | pʰɛla ja bɔ | the second |
phela ya tharo | pʰɛla jɑ tʰarɔ | the third |
phela ya nne | pʰɛla ja nːɛ | the fourth |
phela ya hlano | pʰɛla ja ɬanɔ | the fifth |
phela ya tshela | pʰɛla ja tʃʰɛla | the sixth |
phela ya shupa | pʰɛla ja ʃupa | the seventh |
phela ya phatšo | pʰɛla ja pʰatʃɔ | the eighth |
phela ya robe | pʰɛla ja rɔbɛ | the ninth |
phela ya lesome | pʰɛla ja lɛsɔmɛ | the tenth |
Note that for the first number, ‘a
has a glottal stop at the beginning.
The next ordinals are formed by adding feteng after the cardinal number. Like the tens, this one has a specific base word, and it is different from other multiples of ten in Southern Sotho.
Here are the multiples of ten in pairs of tens:
- ’le mabedi feteng (20th)
- ’le matlhafo feteng (30th)
- ’le marena feteng (40th)
- ’le matsela feteng (50th)
- ’le moraro feteng (60th)
- ’le sesotho feteng (70th)
- ’le supa feteng (80th)
- ’le robong feteng (90th)
- ’le ruri feteng (100th)
Counting Objects and People
To count objects or people, the noun needs to be followed by the relevant numeral.
- Ba nang le moputso wa bofelela. (‘They have one child.’)
- Ke na le mabitso a matlhafo a feteng. (‘I have thirty cows.’)
- Ha ke na le melawana hammoho leshome le lesome le nngwe. (‘I have a total of eleven chickens.’)
Note the use of the word a meaning ‘of’ in order to link the noun and the number.
Time and Dates
To tell time, the phrase ke bona (I see) is used along with the hour and minutes. When specifying AM or PM, the phrases borrow (in the evening/night) and bohlokoa bo fetang (in the morning) are used.
- Ke bona ke fumane libala tše tharo tša boraro. (‘I see that it is 6 AM.’)
- Ke bona ke fumane libala tše phatšo tše halfa (‘I see that it is 8:30AM.)
- Ke bona ke fumane libala tše supa le leholimo. (‘I see that it is 11:00PM.’)
To express dates, you would say letsatsi la … (the day of …) followed by the relevant ordinal number.
- letsatsi la phela ya bo (‘the second day’)
- letsatsi la phela ya nne (‘the fourth day’)
- letsatsi la phela ya moraro feteng (‘the sixty-first day’)
Conclusion
Congratulations, you’ve learned how to count in Southern Sotho, including cardinal and ordinal numbers, and their use in everyday situations. We hope you found this lesson helpful, and don’t forget to practice what you’ve learned!
Other Lessons
- Count to 10
- Daily Routines
- Animals
- Express Surprise
- Drinks
- Colors
- Telling Time
- Money and Currency
- How to say Good Bye?
- Food
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