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 |
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.
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