Counting in Igbo
Language overview
The Igbo language belongs to the Niger-Congo family. It is mainly spoken in southeastern Nigeria and parts of the Niger Delta, and counts about 18 million speakers.
Igbo numbers list
- 1 – otu
- 2 – abụọ
- 3 – atọ
- 4 – anọ
- 5 – ise
- 6 – isii
- 7 – asaa
- 8 – asato
- 9 – eteghiete
- 10 – iri
- 11 – iri na otu
- 12 – iri na abụọ
- 13 – iri na atọ
- 14 – iri na anọ
- 15 – iri na ise
- 16 – iri na isii
- 17 – iri na asaa
- 18 – iri na asato
- 19 – iri na eteghiete
- 20 – iri abụọ
- 30 – iri atọ
- 40 – iri anọ
- 50 – iri ise
- 60 – iri isii
- 70 – iri asaa
- 80 – iri asato
- 90 – iri eteghiete
- 100 – nnari
- 1,000 – puku
- one million – nde
- one billion – ijeri
Igbo numbering rules
Now that you’ve had a gist of the most useful numbers, let’s move to the writing rules for the tens, the compound numbers, and why not the hundreds, the thousands and beyond (if possible).
- Digits from zero to nine are specific words, namely adigi [0], otu [1], abụọ [2], atọ [3], anọ [4], ise [5], isii [6], asaa [7], asato [8], and eteghiete [9].
- Tens are formed by setting the multiplier digit before the word for ten (iri) separated with a space, except for ten itself: iri [10], iri abụọ [20], iri atọ [30], iri anọ [40], iri ise [50], iri isii [60], iri asaa [70], iri asato [80], and iri eteghiete [90].
- Compound numbers are formed by saying the ten, then the coordinator na, and the unit (e.g.: iri na asato [18], iri ise na anọ [54]).
- Hundreds are formed by setting the multiplier digit after the word for hundred (nnari), except for one hundred: nnari [100], nnari abụọ [200], nnari atọ [300], nnari anọ [400], nnari ise [500]…
- Thousands are formed by setting the multiplier digit after the word for thousand (puku), except for one thousand: puku [1,000], puku abụọ [2,000], puku atọ [3,000], puku anọ [4,000], puku ise [5,000]…
- Millions and billions are formed the same way as lower scale numbers, i.e. by setting the multiplier digit after the scale word (e.g.: nde [1 million], nde abụọ [2 million], ijeri [1 billion], ijeri ise [5 billion]).
- Each group of numbers is linked to the others with na (and), tens and units, but also hundreds and tens, thousands and hundreds… (e.g.: iri abụọ na atọ [23], nnari na iri ise [150], puku na nnari abụọ na iri atọ na anọ [1,234]).
Write a number in full in Igbo
Let’s move now to the practice of the numbering rules in Igbo. Will you guess how to write a number in full? Enter a number and try to write it down in your head, or maybe on a piece of paper, before displaying the result.
Books
Igbo for Beginners
by Joyce Okwumo, editors Morris Publishing (2009)
[ Amazon.com]
Igbo-English English-Igbo Dictionary and Phrasebook
by Nicholas Awde, editors Hippocrene Books (1999)
[ Amazon.com]
Dictionnaire Igbo-Français
by Françoise Ugochukwu, Peter Okafor, editors Karthala (2004)
[ Amazon.com]
Le pays igbo du Nigeria
by Françoise Ugochukwu, editors L’Harmattan (2010)
[ Amazon.com]
Links
Volta-Congo languages
Baka, and Igbo.
Other supported languages
As the other currently supported languages are too numerous to list extensively here, please select a language from the full list of supported languages.