Numbers in Somali (af Soomaali)

Information about counting in Somali, a member of the East Cushtic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken mainly in Somali, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya.

Key abbreviation: m = masculine, f = feminine.

If any of the numbers are links, you can hear a recording by clicking on them. If you can provide recordings, please contact me.

Numeral Cardinal numbers Ordinal numbers
0 baabah, eber  
1 ków, mid, hal kowaad
2 lába labaad
3 sáddex saddexaad
4 áfar afaraad
5 shán shanaad
6 líx lixaad
7 toddobá toddobaad
8 siddéed siddeedaad
9 sagáal sagaalaad
10 toban tobnaad
11 ków iyo toban ków iyo tobnaad
12 labá iyo toban labá iyo tobnaad
13 sáddex iyo toban saddex iyo tobnaad
14 áfar iyo toban áfar iyo tobnaad
15 shán iyo toban shán iyo tobnaad
16 líx iyo toban líx iyo tobnaad
17 toddobá iyo toban toddobá iyo tobnaad
18 siddeéd iyo toban siddeéd iyo tobnaad
19 sagáal iyo toban sagáal iyo tobnaad
20 labaátan labaatanaad
21 koób iyo labataan koób iyo labataanaad
22 lába iyo labataan lába iyo labataanaad
23 sáddex iyo labataan sáddex iyo labataanaad
24 áfar iyo labataan áfar iyo labataanaad
25 shán iyo labataan shán iyo labataanaad
26 líx iyo labataan líx iyo labataanaadaad
27 toddobá iyo labataan toddobá labataanaad
28 siddéed iyo labataan siddeéd iyo labataanaad
29 sagáal iyo labataan sagáal iyo labataanaad
30 sóddon sóddonaad
40 afártan afartanaad
50 kónton kontonaad
60 líxdan lixdanaad
70 toddobaátan toddobaátanaad
80 siddeétan siddeetanaad
90 sagaáshan sagaashanaad
100 boqól boqolaad, boqlaad
101 boqól iyo ków boqól iyo kowaad
105 boqól iyo shán boqól iyo shanaad
110 boqól iyo toban boqól iyo tobanaad
120 boqól iyo labaátan boqól iyo labaatanaad
130 boqól iyo sóddon boqól iyo soddonaad
140 boqól iyo afártan boqól iyo afartanaad
150 boqól iyo kónton boqól iyo kontonaad
160 boqól iyo líxdan boqól iyo lixdanaad
170 boqól iyo toddobaátan boqól iyo todobataanaad
180 boqól iyo siddeétan boqól iyo siddeetanaad
190 boqól iyo sagaáshan boqól iyo sagaashanaad
200 lába boqól lába boqolaad
300 sáddex boqól sáddex boqolaad
362 sáddex boqól iyo lába iyo líxdan sáddex boqól iyo lába iyo lixdanaad
400 áfar boqól áfar boqolaad
500 shán boqól shán boqolaad
600 líx boqól líx boqolaad
700 toddobá boqól toddobá boqolaad
800 siddeéd boqól siddeéd boqolaad
900 sagaál boqól sagaál boqolaad
1,000 kún kumaad
2,000 lába kún lába kumaad
2,582 lába kún iyo shán boqól iyo lába iyo siddeétan lába kún iyo shán boqól iyo lába iyo siddeétanaad
3,000 sáddex kún sáddex kumaad
1,000,000 malyúun, milyúun malyuunaad, milyuunaad
1,000,000,000 bilyan bilyanaad
once hal goor  
twice lába goor  
thrice sáddex goor  

Notes

The numeral 'one' has several suppletive forms. When counting, the numeral is ków, which becomes kóob when followed by iyo 'and' . When used with nouns this word is replaced by hål 'one', e.g. hål baabúur 'one truck'. When the numeral occurs alone as the argument of a verb, it is replaced by mid 'one', e.g. mid kèen 'Bring one!' This word mid is also used in isolation when a verb is understood:

Question: Immisàad dóonaysaa? How many do you want?'

Answer: Mid 'One'

Sources:
- John Saeed: Somali language, grammar. Philadelphia - 1999.
- Д.И. Степанченко и Мохамед Хаджи Осман: Краткий Сомали-Русский и Русско-Сомали Словарь. Abwan Ururusan Af Soomaali Iyo Rusha Rush Iyo Af Soomaaliya. Москва - 1969.
- С.В. Алейников: Сомалийско-Русский Словарь. Eraykoobka Soomaali-Ruush Ah. Москва - 2012.
- Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi: Parlons Somali. Paris - 1996.

Information compiled by Wolfgang Kuhl

Information about Somali | Osmanya alphabet | Borama / Gadabuursi alphabet | Kaddare alphabet | Phrases | Numbers | Tower of Babel | Books about Somali on: Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk [affilate links]

If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.

Numbers in other languages

Alphabetical index | Language family index

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