Zulu numbers

Zulu numbers

Zulu numbers is a Bantu language spoken  in South Africa. The Zulu language (isiZulu) belongs to the Niger–Congo languages family, and more specifically to the Bantu branch. Where it is co-oficial with ten other languages. Such as Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, and Xhosa. But also in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.

English Numerals Zulu Numbers
1 kunye
2 kubili
3 kuthathu
4 kune
5 kuhlanu
6 isithupa
7 isikhombisa
8 isishiyagalombili
9 isishiyagalolunye
10 ishumi
11 ishumi nambili
12 ishumi nantathu
13 ishumi nane
14 ishumi naneli
15 ishumi namlanu
16 ishumi nesithupa
17 ishumi nesikhombisa
18 ishumi nesishiyagalombili
19 ishumi nesishiyagalolunye
20 amashumi amabili
21 amashumi amabili nanye
22 amashumi amabili nantathu
30 amashumi amathathu
40 amashumi amane
50 amashumi amakhulu
60 amashumi amashumi esithupa
70 amashumi amashumi esikhombisa
80 amashumi amashumi esishiyagalombili
90 amashumi amashumi esishiyagalolunye
100 ikhulu
200 izimbili
300 izintathu
400 izine
500 izilishumi
600 izithupa
700 isikhombisa
800 isishiyagalombili
900 isishiyagalolunye
1000 amakhulu
 

Ordinal Numbers (Ordering Numbers):

Ordinal numbers in Zulu are typically formed by adding the suffix “-na” to the cardinal numbers. For example:

  • First: kunye
  • Second: kubili
  • Third: kuthathu
  • Fourth: kune
  • Twentieth: amashumi amabili nanye
  • Twenty-first: amashumi amabili nanye-na-kunye (literally “two tens and one and one”)
  • Twenty-second: amashumi amabili nanye-na-kubili (literally “two tens and one and two”)
  • One hundredth: ikhulu-na-kunye (literally “one hundred and one”)
  • Two hundredth: izimbili-na-kunye (literally “two hundreds and one”)
  • One thousandth: amakhulu-na-kunye (literally “one thousands and one”)

.Additionally, numbers beyond the examples provided can be formed using similar patterns.

←BACK