Counting in Hindi

Language overview

Hindi (हिन्दी, Hindī), or Modern Standard Hindi, belongs to the Indo-European languages family, and more precisely to the Indo-Aryan languages. Co-official language of India with English, alongside 22 scheduled languages, Hindi counts about 322 million speakers. It is written in the Devanagari script, an abugida with 11 vowels and 33 consonants.

Hindi numerals

Hindi 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 have specific words: शून्य (०, śhunya or siphar) [0], एक (१, ēk) [1], दो (२, do) [2], तीन (३, teen) [3], चार (४, chaār) [4], पाँच (५, pānch) [5], छह (६, chah) [6], सात (७, saāt) [7], आठ (८, āṭh) [8], and नौ (९, nau) [9].
• Tens have specific names too, but starting with the root of the multiplier digit, except for ten and twenty: दस (१०, das) [10], बीस (२०, bees) [20], तीस (३०, tīs) [30], चालीस (४०, chālīs) [40], पचास (५०, pacās) [50], साठ (६०, sāṭh) [60], सत्तर (७०, sattar) [70], अस्सी (८०, assī) [80], and नब्बे (९०, nabbē) [90].
• Teens are rendered by specific words too, starting with the unit root and ending with ह (ah), except for nineteen: ग्यारह (११, gyārah) [11], बारह (१२, bārah) [12], तेरह (१३, tērah) [13], चौदह (१४, chaudah) [14], पंद्रह (१५, pandrah) [15], सोलह (१६, solah) [16], सत्रह (१७, satrah) [17], अट्ठारह (१८, aṭṭhārah) [18], and उन्नीस (१९, unnis) [19].
• Compound numbers above twenty-one are quite regular, starting with the unit root and ending with the ten, with a lot of vowel change. The numbers ending with nine are suffixed by the following ten. Hence here is the full list of them:
  • From 21 to 29: इक्कीस (२१, ikkīs) [21], बाईस (२२, bāīs) [22], तेईस (२३, tēīs) [23], चौबिस (२४, chaubīs) [24], पच्चीस (२५, pachchīs) [25], छब्बीस (२६, chhabbīs) [26], सत्ताईस (२७, sattāīs) [27], अट्ठाईस (२८, aṭṭhāīs) [28], and उनतीस (२९, unatīs) [29].
  • From 31 to 39: इकतीस (३१, ikatīs) [31], बत्तीस (३२, battīs) [32], तैंतीस (३३, taiṃtīs) [33], चौंतीस (३४, chauṃtīs) [34], पैंतीस (३५, paiṃtīs) [35], छत्तीस (३६, chattīs) [36], सैंतीस (३७, saiṃtīs) [37], अड़तीस (३८, aṛatīs) [38], and उनतालीस (३९, unatālīs) [39].
  • From 41 to 49: इकतालीस (४१, ikatālis) [41], बयालीस (४२, biyālis) [42], तैंतालीस (४३, taiṃtālīs) [43], चौंतालीस (४४, chauṃtālīs) [44], पैंतालीस (४५, paiṃtālīs) [45], छयालीस (४६, chiyālīs) [46], सैंतालीस (४७, saiṃtālīs) [47], अड़तालीस (४८, aṛatālīs) [48], and उनचास (४९, uncās) [49].
  • From 51 to 59: इक्यावन (५१, ikyāvan) [51], बावन (५२, bāvan) [52], तिरेपन (५३, tirēpan) [53], चौवन (५४, chauvan) [54], पचपन (५५, pachapan) [55], छप्पन (५६, chappan) [56], सत्तावन (५७, sattāvan) [57], अट्ठावन (५८, aṭṭhāvan) [58], and उनसठ (५९, unasaṭh) [59].
  • From 61 to 69: इकसठ (६१, ikasaṭh) [61], बासठ (६२, bāsaṭh) [62], तिरेसठ (६३, tirasaṭh) [63], चौंसठ (६४, chauṃsaṭh) [64], पैंसठ (६५, paiṃsaṭh) [65], छयासठ (६६, chiyāsaṭh) [66], सरसठ (६७, sarasaṭh) [67], अड़सठ (६८, aṛasaṭh) [68], and उनहत्तर (६९, unahattar) [69].
  • From 71 to 79: इकहत्तर (७१, ikahattar) [71], बहत्तर (७२, bahattar) [72], तिहत्तर (७३, tihattar) [73], चौहत्तर (७४, chauhattar) [74], पचहत्तर (७५, pachahattar) [75], छिहत्तर (७६, chihattar) [76], सतहत्तर (७७, satahattar) [77], अठहत्तर (७८, aṭhahattar) [78], and उन्यासी (७९, unāsī) [79].
  • From 81 to 89: इक्यासी (८१, ikyāsī) [81], बयासी (८२, bayāsī) [82], तिरासी (८३, tirāsī) [83], चौरासी (८४, chaurāsī) [84], पचासी (८५, pachāsī) [85], छियासी (८६, chiyāsī) [86], सत्तासी (८७, sattāsī) [87], अठासी (८८, aṭhāsī) [88], and नवासी (८९, navāsī) [89].
  • From 91 to 99: इक्यानवे (९१, ikyānavē) [91], बानवे (९२, bānavē) [92], तिरानवे (९३, tirānavē) [93], चौरानवे (९४, chaurānavē) [94], पचानवे (९५, pachānavē) [95], छियानवे (९६, chiyānavē) [96], सत्तानवे (९७, sattānavē) [97], अट्ठानवे (९८, aṭṭhānavē) [98], and निन्यानवे (९९, ninyānavē) [99].
• Hundreds are formed by stating the multiplier before the word for hundred (सौ, sau), separated with a space: (एक) सौ (१००, (ēka) sau) [100], दो सौ (२००, do saw) [200], तीन सौ (३००, teen saw) [300], चार सौ (४००, chaār saw) [400], पाँच सौ (५००, pānch saw) [500], छह सौ (६००, chah saw) [600], सात सौ (७००, saāt saw) [700], आठ सौ (८००, āṭh saw) [800], and नौ सौ (९००, nau saw) [900].
• Thousands are formed by stating the multiplier before the word for thousand (हज़ार, hazār), separated with a space: एक हज़ार or एक सहस्र (१,०००, ēk hazār) [1,000], दो हज़ार (२,०००, do hazār) [2,000], तीन हज़ार (३,०००, teen hazār) [3,000], चार हज़ार (४,०००, chaār hazār) [4,000], पाँच हज़ार (५,०००, pānch hazār) [5,000], छह हज़ार (६,०००, chah hazār) [6,000], सात हज़ार (७,०००, saāt hazār) [7,000], आठ हज़ार (८,०००, āṭh hazār) [8,000], and नौ हज़ार (९,०००, nau hazār) [9,000].
• The Indian counting system (or more exactly the counting system the Indian subcontinent) groups the decimals by three only up to one thousand, then groups them by two beyond. This notation, coming from the Vedic Numeration System, applies to Hindi. The large numbers are named as follow:
  • एक लाख (ēk lākh): 1,00,000 (one hundred thousand, or 10⁵);
  • दस लाख (das lākh): 10,00,000 (one million, or 10⁶);
  • एक करोड़ (ēk karod): 1,00,00,000 (ten million, or 10⁷);
  • दस करोड़ (das karod): 10,00,00,000 (one hundred million, or 10⁸);
  • एक अरब (ēk arab): 1,00,00,00,000 (one billion, or 10⁹);

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