Information about counting in Vai (ꕙꔤ), a Mande language spoken mainly in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | dóndo lɔ̀ndɔ́ |
sénjénàă |
| 2 | féra fɛ̀(ʔ)á |
fè’ànàă |
| 3 | ságba sàk͡pá |
sàkpànàă |
| 4 | náni náánì |
nàànìnàă |
| 5 | sōru sóó(ʔ)ú |
sóó’ùnàă |
| 6 | sūndóndo sɔ̂ŋ lɔ̀ndɔ́ (5 + 1) |
|
| 7 | sumféra sɔ̂ŋ fɛ̀(ʔ)á (5 + 2) |
|
| 8 | sūnságba sɔ̂ŋ sàk͡pá (5 + 3) |
|
| 9 | sūnnáni sɔ̂ŋ náánì (5 + 4) |
|
| 10 | tan tâŋ |
tâŋ’nàă |
| 11 | tān dóndo tâŋ lɔ̀ndɔ́ |
|
| 12 | tām féra tâŋ fɛ̀(ʔ)á |
|
| 13 | tān ságba tâŋ sàk͡pá |
|
| 14 | tān náni tâŋ náánì |
|
| 15 | tān sōru tâŋ sóó(ʔ)ú |
|
| 16 | tān sūndóndo tâŋ sɔ̂ŋ lɔ̀ndɔ́ |
|
| 17 | tān sumféra tâŋ sɔ̂ŋ fɛ̀(ʔ)á |
|
| 18 | tān sūnságba tâŋ sɔ̂ŋ sàk͡pa |
|
| 19 | tān sūnnáni tâŋ sɔ̂ŋ náánì |
|
| 20 | mō bánde mɔ̀ bándé (lit. 'an entire person') |
|
| 21 | mō bánde áko dóndo mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ lɔ̀ndɔ́ |
|
| 22 | mō bánde áko féra mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ fɛ̀(ʔ)á |
|
| 23 | mō bánde áko ságba mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ sàk͡pá |
|
| 24 | mō bánde áko náni mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ náánì |
|
| 25 | mō bánde áko sōru mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ sóó(ʔ)ú |
|
| 26 | mō bánde áko sūndóndo mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ sɔ̂ŋ lɔ̀ndɔ́ |
|
| 27 | mō bánde áko sumféra mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ sɔ̂ŋ fɛ̀(ʔ)á |
|
| 28 | mō bánde áko sūnságba mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ sɔ̂ŋ sàk͡pa |
|
| 29 | mō bánde áko sūnnáni mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ sɔ̂ŋ náánì |
|
| 30 | mō bánde áko tan mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ tâŋ (20 + 10) |
|
| 31 | mō bánde áko tan dóndo mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ tâŋ lɔ̀ndɔ́ (20+11) |
|
| 32 | mō bánde áko tām féra mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ tâŋ fɛ̀(ʔ)á (20+12) |
|
| 33 | mō bánde áko tān ságba mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ tâŋ sàk͡pá (20+13) |
|
| 34 | mō bánde áko tān náni mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ tâŋ náánì (20+14) |
|
| 35 | mō bánde áko tān sōru mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ tâŋ sóó(ʔ)ú (20+15) |
|
| 36 | mō bánde áko tān sūndóndo mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ tâŋ sɔ̂ŋ lɔ̀ndɔ́ (20+16) |
|
| 37 | mō bánde áko tān sumféra mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ tâŋ sɔ̂ŋ fɛ̀(ʔ)á (20+17) |
|
| 38 | mō bánde áko tān sūnságba mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ tâŋ sɔ̂ŋ sàk͡pa (20+18) |
|
| 39 | mō bánde áko mō bánde áko sūnnáni mɔ̀ bándé àkɔ́ tâŋ sɔ̂ŋ náánì (20+19) |
|
| 40 | mō féra bánde mɔ̌ fɛ̀(ʔ)á bándé (20 x 2) |
|
| 50 | mō féra bánde áko tan mɔ̌ fɛ̀(ʔ)á bándé àkɔ́ tâŋ (20 x 2 + 10) |
|
| 60 | mō ságba bánde mɔ̌ sàk͡pá bándé (20 x 3) |
|
| 70 | mō ságba bánde áko tan mɔ̌ sàk͡pá bándé àkɔ́ tâŋ (20 x 3 + 10) |
|
| 80 | mō náni bánde mɔ̌ náánì bándé (20 x 4) | |
| 90 | mō náni bánde áko tan mɔ̌ náánì bándé àkɔ́ tâŋ (20 x 4 + 10) |
|
| 100 | mō sōru bánde (20 x 5) hɔ́ndɔ̂ (< English 'hundred ') |
|
| 101 | hóndōro dóndo áko dóndo | |
| 102 | hóndōro dóndo áko féra | |
| 103 | hóndōro dóndo áko ságba | |
| 104 | hóndōro dóndo áko náni | |
| 105 | hóndōro dóndo áko sōru | |
| 106 | hóndōro dóndo áko sūndóndo | |
| 107 | hóndōro dóndo áko sumféra | |
| 108 | hóndōro dóndo áko sūnságba | |
| 109 | hóndōro dóndo áko sūnnáni | |
| 110 | hóndōro dóndo áko tan | |
| 200 | mō tām bánde (20 x 10) hɔ́ndɔ̂ fɛ̀(ʔ)á |
|
| 300 | mō tān sōru bánde (20 x 15) hɔ́ndɔ̂ sàk͡pá |
|
| 400 | mō mobánde bánde (20 x 20) hɔ́ndɔ̂ náánì |
|
| 500 | mō mobánde bánde áko mō sōru bánde (20 x 20 + 100) hɔ́ndɔ̂ sóó(ʔ)ú |
|
| 600 | mō mobánde bánde áko mō tām bánde (20 x 20 + 20 x 10) hɔ́ndɔ̂ sɔ̂ŋ lɔ̀ndɔ́ |
|
| 700 | mō mobánde bánde áko mō tān sōru bánde (20 x 20 + 20 x 15) hɔ́ndɔ̂ sɔ̂ŋ fɛ̀(ʔ)á |
|
| 800 | mō mobánde bánde áko mō mobánde bánde (20 x 20 + 20 x 20) mō mobánde bánde féra (20 x 20 x 2) hɔ́ndɔ̂ sɔ̂ŋ sàk͡pá |
|
| 900 | hɔ́ndɔ̂ sɔ̂ŋ náánì | |
| 1,000 | táúsùŋ (< English ' thousand') | |
| 2,000 | táúsùŋ fɛ̀(ʔ)á |
Sources: S.W. Koelle: Outlines of a Grammar of the Vei Language together with a Vei-English Vocabulary. London – 1854.
- WM.E. Welmers: A Grammar of Vai. University of California Press. Berkley – 1976.
Information compiled by Wolfgang Kuhl
Information about Vai | Vai syllabary | Phrases | Numbers
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.
Bambara, Kinyarwanda, Kpelle, Mandinka, Soninke, Susu, Vai
Alphabetical index | Language family index
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