Counting in Bambara

Language overview

Forty-two in Bambara The Bambara language (bamanankan) belongs to the mande family. It is mainly spoken in Mali, and counts about ten million speakers.

Bambara numbers list

  • 1 – kélen
  • 2 – fila
  • 3 – sàba
  • 4 – náani
  • 5 – dúuru
  • 6 – wɔɔrɔ
  • 7 – wólonwula
  • 8 – séegin
  • 9 – k̀ɔnɔntɔn
  • 10 – tán
  • 11 – tán ní kélen
  • 12 – tán ní fila
  • 13 – tán ní sàba
  • 14 – tán ní náani
  • 15 – tán ní dúuru
  • 16 – tán ní wɔɔrɔ
  • 17 – tán ní wólonwula
  • 18 – tán ní séegin
  • 19 – tán ní k̀ɔnɔntɔn
  • 20 – mùgan
  • 30 – bísàba
  • 40 – bínaani
  • 50 – bídúuru
  • 60 – bíwɔɔrɔ
  • 70 – bíwolonfila
  • 80 – bíséegin
  • 90 – bík̀ɔnɔntɔn
  • 100 – k̀ɛmɛ
  • 1,000 – waga kélen
  • one million – mílyɔn kélen

Bambara 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 one to nine are specific words, namely kélen [1], fila [2], sàba [3], náani [4], dúuru [5], wɔɔrɔ [6], wólonwula [7], séegin [8], and k̀ɔnɔntɔn [9].
  • Tens from thirty to ninety are built by setting the prefix bí before the multiplier digit: bísàba [30], bínaani [40], bídúuru [50], bíwɔɔrɔ [60], bíwolonfila [70], bíséegin [80], and bík̀ɔnɔntɔn [90]. Ten and twenty have specific names: tán [10] and mùgan [20].
  • Hundreds are formed setting the multiplier digit after the word for hundred (k̀ɛmɛ), except for one hundred: k̀ɛmɛ [100], k̀ɛmɛ fila [200], k̀ɛmɛ sàba [300], k̀ɛmɛ náani [400], k̀ɛmɛ dúuru [500], k̀ɛmɛ wɔɔrɔ [600], k̀ɛmɛ wolonfila [700], k̀ɛmɛ séegi [800], and k̀ɛmɛ k̀ɔnɔntɔn [900].
  • Thousands are formed setting the multiplier digit after the word for thousand (waga): waga kélen [1,000], waga fila [2,000], waga sàba [3,000], waga náani [4,000], waga dúuru [5,000], waga wɔɔrɔ [6,000], waga wolonfila [7,000], waga séegi [8,000], and waga k̀ɔnɔntɔn [9,000].
  • Each group of numbers is linked to the others with ní (and), tens and units, but also hundreds and tens, thousands and hundreds… (e.g.: mùgan ní sàba [23], k̀ɛmɛ ní bídúuru [150], waga kélen ní k̀ɛmɛ fila ní bísàba ní náani [1,234]).
  • To make large numbers easier to understand, hundreds of thousands and thousands are linked by the conjunction ani instead of ní (e.g.: waga k̀ɛmɛ k̀ɔnɔntɔn ní bík̀ɔnɔntɔn ní k̀ɔnɔntɔn ani k̀ɛmɛ k̀ɔnɔntɔn ní bík̀ɔnɔntɔn ní k̀ɔnɔntɔn [999,999]).
  • Millions are formed setting the multiplier digit after the word for million (mílyɔn): mílyɔn kélen [1 million], mílyɔn fila [2 million], mílyɔn sàba [3 million]…

Write a number in full in Bambara

Let’s move now to the practice of the numbering rules in Bambara. 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

The History of the N’ko Alphabet and Its Role in Mande Transnational Identity: Words as Weapons The History of the N’ko Alphabet and Its Role in Mande Transnational Identity: Words as Weapons
by , editors Africana Homestead Legacy Publishers (2007)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Grammaire fondamentale du bambara Grammaire fondamentale du bambara
by , editors Karthala (2003)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

J’apprends le bambara J’apprends le bambara
by , editors Karthala (2000)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Mande languages

Bambara, Kpelle, Mandinka, Soninke, and Susu.

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.