Counting in Igbo

Language overview

Forty-two in Igbo 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 Igbo for Beginners
by , editors Morris Publishing (2009)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Igbo-English English-Igbo Dictionary and Phrasebook Igbo-English English-Igbo Dictionary and Phrasebook
by , editors Hippocrene Books (1999)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Dictionnaire Igbo-Français Dictionnaire Igbo-Français
by , editors Karthala (2004)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Le pays igbo du Nigeria Le pays igbo du Nigeria
by , editors L’Harmattan (2010)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

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.