How to count in Navajo

Enter a number and read it spelled out in Navajo.

Language overview

Navajo (diné bizaad) is an Athabaskan language of the Dené-Yeniseian family spoken by the Navajo people in the south-western United States (Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado) and in Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora), with roughly 150,000 speakers.

Navajo numbering rules

  • Numbers from one to ten are specific words, namely tʼááłáʼí [1], naaki [2], tááʼ [3], dį́į́ʼ [4], ashdlaʼ [5], hastą́ą́ [6], tsostsʼid [7], tseebíí [8], náhástʼéí [9], and neeznáá [10].
  • Numbers from eleven to nineteen are formed by adding the additive suffix -tsʼáadah (plus ten) to the matching digit: łáʼtsʼáadah [11], naakitsʼáadah [12], táátsʼáadah [13], dį́į́ʼtsʼáadah [14], ashdlaʼáadah [15] (the suffix loses its initial tsʼ becoming -áadah when added to five, ashdlaʼ), hastą́ʼáadah [16], tsostsʼidtsʼáadah [17], tseebíítsʼáadah [18], and náhástʼéítsʼáadah [19].
  • Tens are formed by adding the multiplicative suffix -diin (times ten) to the matching digit: naadiin [20], tádiin [30], dízdiin [40], ashdladiin [50], hastą́diin [60], tsostsʼidiin [70], tseebídiin [80], and náhástʼédiin [90]. We can see a loss of the final consonant or a reduction in vowel length in the multiplier digit when adding the -diin suffix: naaki becomes naa-, tááʼ > tá-, dį́į́ʼ > díz-, ashdlaʼ > ashdla-, hastą́ą́ > hastą́-, tsostsʼid > tsostsʼi-, tseebíí > tseebí-, náhástʼéí > náhástʼé-, neeznáá > neezná-.
  • In compound numerals, the combining forms of the digits have irregular vowel and consonants changes. One is either łáaʼii (digit one), -łá’- (as in łáʼ-tsʼáadah [11]), or tʼááłáʼí (used in larger numbers and with a distributive plural prefix, like 100, 1,000, i.e. the powers of ten bigger than ten itself).
  • The compound numbers based on twenty and forty (21-29, 41-49) are formed by suffixing the unit digit to the ten digit (e.g.: naadįįnaaki [22], made of naadiin [20] and naaki [2], dízdįįłaʼ [41], made of dízdiin [40] and -łaʼ [1]). The -diin suffix appears in the combining form -dįį-.
  • The other compound numbers are formed by putting dóó baʼąą (meaning “and in addition to it”) between the ten and the unit (e.g.: tádiin dóó baʼąą ashdlaʼ [35], hastą́diin dóó baʼąą tseebíí [68]).
  • The word hundred (neeznádiin) is formed the same way as the tens, i.e. by adding the multiplicative suffix -diin (times 10) to ten itself. The hundreds are formed by adding the multiplicative enclitic -di to the matching digit multiplier, then a space and the word hundred: tʼááłáhádí neeznádiin [100], naakidi neeznádiin [200], táadi neeznádiin [300], dį́įʼdi neeznádiin [400], ashdladi neeznádiin [500], hastą́ądi neeznádiin [600], tsostsʼidi neeznádiin [700], tseebíidi neeznádiin [800], and náhástʼéidi neeznádiin [900].
  • The word thousand (mííl) comes from the Spanish mil. Thousands are formed the same way as hundreds: tʼááłáhádí mííl [1,000], naakidi mííl [2,000], táadi mííl [3,000], dį́įʼdi mííl [4,000]…
  • The word million (mííltsoh) is made by adding the morphem -tsoh (big) to mííl. Millions are formed the same way as hundreds and thousands: tʼááłáhádí mííltsoh [1 million], naakidi mííltsoh [2 million]…

Books

Numbers list

1 – tʼááłáʼí
2 – naaki
3 – tááʼ
4 – dį́į́ʼ
5 – ashdlaʼ
6 – hastą́ą́
7 – tsostsʼid
8 – tseebíí
9 – náhástʼéí
10 – neeznáá
11 – łáʼtsʼáadah
12 – naakitsʼáadah
13 – táátsʼáadah
14 – dį́į́ʼtsʼáadah
15 – ashdlaʼáadah
16 – hastą́ʼáadah
17 – tsostsʼidtsʼáadah
18 – tseebíítsʼáadah
19 – náhástʼéítsʼáadah
20 – naadiin
30 – tádiin
40 – dízdiin
50 – ashdladiin
60 – hastą́diin
70 – tsostsʼidiin
80 – tseebídiin
90 – náhástʼédiin
100 – tʼááłáhádí neeznádiin
1,000 – tʼááłáhádí mííl
one million – tʼááłáhádí mííltsoh

Other supported languages

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