​COUNTING NUMBERS: 1-20

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1 -moja                     

2 -wili/mbili              

3 -tatu                       

4 -nne              

5 -tano

6 sita

7 saba

8 -nane

9 tisa

10 kumi

 

 

As stated, Swahili numbers are treated in the same manner as are Swahili adjectives. Thus, all numbers in Swahili have prefixes (except for 6, 7, 9, and multiples of 10) that are determined by the class of the noun to which they relate.

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It is important to note that the number 1 will only agree with singular nouns whereas 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8 agree with only plural nouns.

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While it is technically the case that composite numbers (such as 13 or 23) also take noun prefixes, this is not necessary.

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M/WA

singular: m- (mtu mmoja)

plural: wa- (watu wawili)

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M/MI

singular: m- (mti mmoja)

plural: mi- (miti miwili)

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JI/MA

singular: / (jina moja)

plural: ma- (majina mawili)

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KI/VI

singular: ki- (kitu kimoja)

plural: vi- (viti viwili)

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N/N

singular: m- (nguo mmoja)

plural: m or / (nguo mbili, tatu, nne, tano, nane)

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​COUNTING NUMBERS: MULTIPLES OF 10

 

10 kumi

20 ishirini

30 thelathini

40 arobaini

50 hamsini

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When a multiple of ten is followed by a unit, the two are connected by "na" (and).

      32 people watu thelathini na wawili

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​COUNTING NUMBERS: HUNDREDS

 

100 mia

200 mia mbili

300 mia tatu

400 mia nne

500 mia tano

 

Again, "na" is used to connect tens and units to hundreds but only once, between the last two numbers.

     107 mia na saba

     157 mia hamsini na saba

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COUNTING NUMBERS: THOUSANDS

 

1,000 elfu (moja)

2,000 elfu mbili

3,000 elfu tatu

4,000 elfu nne

5,000 elfu tano

 

Continuing using "na" as before, but NEVER between thousands and hundreds.

     1360 elfu moja mia tatu na sitini

     1369 elfu moja mia tatu sitini na tisa

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COUNTING NUMBERS: TENS OF THOUSANDS

 

Tens of thousands in Swhaili are confusing. To avoid confusion, "elfu" comes after the number that quantifies it. This is the case for all tens of thousands that are not followed by any other numbers.

     48,000 arobaini na nane elfu (if we said "elfu arobaini na nane," this could be interpreted as 40,008)

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Often, however, tens of thousands are followed by other numbers. In such cases, no confusion will ensue by following normal word order as outlined above.

     48,073 elfu arobaini na nane ishirini na tano

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​COUNTING NUMBERS: MISC.​

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0 sifuri

100,000 laki (i.e. 700,000 laki saba)

1,000,000 milioni

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​DECIMALS​

point nukta

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Each number of a decimal is read (such as is the case in English).

     37.35 thelathini na saba nukta tatu, tano

 

 

FRACTIONS​

1/2 nusu

1/4 robo

1/8 thumni

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ORDINALS

first -a kwanza

second -a pili

third -a tatu

fourth -a nne

fifth -a tano

sixth -a sita

seventh -a saba

eighth -a nane

ninth -a tisa

tenth -a kumi

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The prefix of the -a corresponds with the respective noun class. Once you have identified the noun class of the noun, select that class's "of" or "-a" term.

     swali la pili