Counting in Tswana

Language overview

Forty-two in Tswana The Tswana language (SeTswana) belongs to the Niger–Congo languages family, and more specifically to the Bantu branch. It is official in Botswana, and also spoken in South Africa (where it is co-oficial with ten other languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu), in Zimbabwe (where it is co-official with fifteen other languages: Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Xhosa and Venda) and semi-official in Namibia (alongside Afrikaans, German, Herero, Khoekhoe, Kwangali, Ovambo, and Lozi, besides the official language, English). SeTswana counts about 4 million speakers.

Tswana numbers list

  • 1 – nngwe
  • 2 – pedi
  • 3 – tharo
  • 4 – nne
  • 5 – tlhano
  • 6 – thataro
  • 7 – supa
  • 8 – robedi
  • 9 – robongwe
  • 10 – lesome
  • 11 – lesomenngwe
  • 12 – lesomepedi
  • 13 – lesometharo
  • 14 – lesomenne
  • 15 – lesometlhano
  • 16 – lesomethataro
  • 17 – lesomesupa
  • 18 – lesomerobedi
  • 19 – lesomerobongwe
  • 20 – masome a mabedi
  • 30 – masome a tharo
  • 40 – masome a mane
  • 50 – masome a matlhano
  • 60 – masome a thataro
  • 70 – masome a supa
  • 80 – masome a robedi
  • 90 – masome a robongwe
  • 100 – lekgolo
  • 1,000 – sekete
  • one million – milione
  • one billion – bilione
  • one trillion – terilione

Tswana 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 rendered by specific words, namely lefela [0], nngwe [1], pedi [2], tharo [3], nne [4], tlhano [5], thataro or tshela [6], supa [7], robedi [8], and robongwe [9].
  • Tens are formed by stating the plural form of the ten word (masome, plural of lesome), followed by the word a, then the multiplier digit prefixed by ma-, except for ten itself: lesome [10], masome a mabedi [20], masome a tharo [30], masome a mane [40], masome a mathlano [50], masome a thataro [60], masome a supa [70], masome a robedi [80], and masome a robongwe [90].
  • Compound numbers are formed by stating the ten, then the unit separated with a space (e.g.: masome a mabedi supa [27], masome a supa tlhano [75]).
  • Hundreds are formed by stating the plural form of the hundred word (makgolo, plural of lekgolo), followed by the word a, then the multiplier digit, except for one hundred: lekgolo [100], makgolo a mabedi [200], makgolo a tharo [300], makgolo a nne [400], makgolo a thlano [500], makgolo a thataro [600], makgolo a supa [700], makgolo a robedi [800], and makgolo a robongwe [900].
  • Thousands are formed by stating the plural form of the thousand word (dikete, plural of sekete), followed by the word tse, then the multiplier digit, except for one thousand: lekgolo [1,000], dikete tse pedi [2,000], dikete tse tharo [3,000], dikete tse nne [4,000], dikete tse thlano [5,000], dikete tse thataro [6,000], dikete tse supa [7,000], dikete tse robedi [8,000], and dikete tse robongwe [9,000].
  • Higher scale numbers are: milione (106, million), bilione (109, billion), terilione (1012, trillion), kwatirilione (1015, quadrillion), kwintilione (1018, quintillion)…

Write a number in full in Tswana

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

Learning Setswana Module 1 - 6 Learning Setswana Module 1 - 6
by , editors Mavis Segomoco Boshwaen (2017)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com, Kindle - Amazon.com Kindle - Amazon.com]

Compact Setswana Dictionary: English-Setswana, Setswana-English Compact Setswana Dictionary: English-Setswana, Setswana-English
by , editors Shuter & Shooter (1994)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Source

Bantu languages

Gwere, Kinyarwanda, Lingala, Makhuwa, Mwani, Nyungwe, Punu, Shona, Soga, Swahili, Tsonga, Tswana, Xhosa, Yao, and Zulu.

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.