How to count in Amharic, a Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Amharic (አማርኛ, āmariññā) belongs to the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic languages. Official language of Ethiopia, it counts about 25.6 million speakers. It is written in the Amharic Fidel, or writing system, which is an evolution of the Ge’ez abugida. Amharic is also considered a holy language of the Rastafari.
Let’s get familiar with the Amharic Numeral Symbols and other things like basic words and some grammar.
In this post we’re going to talk about ቁጥሮች Numbers, which are one of the first things we learn when studying a new language, at least how to count from 1 to 10. Numbers in Amharic have their own characters. Today the Arabic numbers are widely used in Ethiopia, the traditional notation is also used. To start we’re going to list the numbers from 1 to 10 with their writing and pronunciation.
| Numeral (Western) |
Numeral (Amharic) |
Cardinal | Ordinal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | ዜሮ (zero) | ||
| 1 |  |
አንድ (and) | አንደኛ (andäňa) |
| 2 |  |
ሁለት (hulätt) | ሁለተኛ (hulättäňa) |
| 3 |  |
ሶስት (sost) | ሶስተኛ (sostäňa) |
| 4 |  |
አራት (aratt) | አራተኛ (arattäňa) |
| 5 |  |
አምስት (amməst) | አምስተኛ (amməstäňa) |
| 6 |  |
ስድስት (səddəst) | ስድስተኛ (səddəstäňa) |
| 7 |  |
ሰባት (säbatt) | ሰባተኛ (säbattäňa) |
| 8 |  |
ስምንት (səmmənt) | ስምንተኛ (səmməntäňa ) |
| 9 |  |
ዘጠኝ (zäṭäňň) | ዘጠነኛ (zäṭäňňäňa) |
| 10 |  |
አስር (assər) | አስረኛ (assəräňa) |
| 11 |  |
አስራ አንድ (asra and) | አስራ አንደኛ (asra andäňa) |
| 12 |  |
አስራ ሁለት (asra hulätt) | አስራ ሁለትኛ (asra hulättäňa) |
| 13 |  |
አስራ ሶስት (asra sost) | አስራ ሶስተኛ (asra sostäňa) |
| 14 |  |
አስራ አራት (asra aratt) | |
| 15 |  |
አስራ አምስት (asra amməst) | |
| 16 |  |
አስራ ስድስት (asra səddəst) | |
| 17 |  |
አስራ ሰባት (asra säbatt) | |
| 18 |  |
አስራ ስምንት (asra səmmənt) | |
| 19 |  |
አስራ ዘጠኝ (asra zäṭäňň) | |
| 20 |  |
ሀያ (haya) | |
| 30 |  |
ሰላሳ (sälasa) | |
| 40 |  |
አርባ (arba) | |
| 50 |  |
ሀምሳ (hamsa) | |
| 60 |  |
ስልሳ (səlsa) | |
| 70 |  |
ሰባ (säba) | |
| 80 |  |
ሰማንያ (sämaňa) | |
| 90 |  |
ዘጠና (zäṭena) | |
| 100 |  |
መቶ (mäto) | |
| 1,000 |  |
ሺ (ši) |
Examples: To say 24 for example we must say “20-4” or “haya aratt” 
, 47 would be “40-7” or “arba säbatt” 
and so on. In the numbers from 11 to 19 instead of saying “assïir” for the number ten, you say “asra” and the number from 1 to 9 that corrensponds, for example 10-3, “asra sost” for 13.
For the hundreds the process is similar, for example if we want to say 536, we will say “5-100-30-6”, or “ammïst mäto sälasa sïddïst” 
.
Finally if we want to say 1985, we’ll say “10-9-100-80-5” or “asra zät’äñ mäto sämanya ammïst” 
.
Amharic Numbers List
| 1፩ – አንድ (and) | 8፰ – ስምንት (sïmïnt) | 15 ፲፭ – አስራ አምስት (asra amïst) | 40 ፵ – አርባ (arba) |
| 2፪ – ሁለት (hulät) | 9፱ – ዘጠኝ (zät’äñ) | 16 ፲፮ – አስራ ስድስት (asra sïdïst) | 50 ፶ – ኃምሳ (hamsa) |
| 3፫ – ሶስት (sost) | 10፲ – አስር (asïr) | 17 ፲፯ – አስራ ሰባት (asra säbat) | 60 ፷ – ስልሳ (sïlsa) |
| 4፬ – አራት (arat) | 11፲፩ – አስራ አንድ (asra and) | 18 ፲፰ – አስራ ስምንት (asra sïmïnt) | 70 ፸ – ሰባ (säba) |
| 5፭ – አምስት (amïst) | 12፲፪ – አስራ ሁለት (asra hulät) | 19 ፲፱ – አስራ ዘጠኝ (asra zät’äñ) | 80 ፹ – ሰማንያ (sämanya) |
| 6፮ – ስድስት (sïdïst) | 13፲፫ – አስራ ሶስት (asra sost) | 20 ፳ – ሃያ (haya) | 90 ፺ – ዘጠና (zät’äna) |
| 7፯ – ሰባት (säbat) | 14 ፲፬ – አስራ አራት (asra arat) | 30 ፴ – ሰላሳ (sälasa) | 100 ፻ – መቶ (mäto) |
| 1,000 ፼ – ሺህ (ših) |
Amharic Numbering Rules
- Digits from zero to nine are specific words, namely zero (ዜሮ) [0], and (አንድ) [1], hulät (ሁለት) [2], sost (ሶስት) [3], arat (አራት) [4], amïst (አምስት) [5], sïdïst (ስድስት) [6], säbat (ሰባት) [7], sïmïnt (ስምንት) [8], and zät’äñ (ዘጠኝ) [9].
- From eleven to nineteen, the numbers are formed starting with a form of the word for ten (asra, አስራ), followed by the unit name separated with a space: asra and (አስራ አንድ) [11], asra hulät (አስራ ሁለት) [12], asra sost (አስራ ሶስት) [13], asra arat (አስራ አራት) [14], asra amïst (አስራ አምስት) [15], asra sïdïst (አስራ ስድስት) [16], asra säbat(አስራ ሰባት) [17], asra sïmïnt (አስራ ስምንት) [18], and asra zät’äñ (አስራ ዘጠኝ) [19].
- Even if the tens are not formed in a regular way, we can still get a gist of the multiplier digit behind their name: asïr (አስር) [10], haya (ሃያ) [20], sälasa (ሰላሳ) [30], arba (አርባ) [40], hamsa (ኃምሳ) [50], sïlsa (ስልሳ) [60], säba(ሰባ) [70], sämanya (ሰማንያ) [80], and zät’äna (ዘጠና) [90].
- The compound numbers above twenty-one are formed starting with the ten, followed by the unit name separated with a space (e.g.: hamsa arat (ኃምሳ አራት) [54], säba sïmïnt (ሰባ ስምንት) [78]).
- Hundreds are formed by stating the multiplier digit before the word for hundred (mäto, መቶ) separated with a space, except for one hundred where it is optional: (and) mäto ((አንድ) መቶ) [100], hulät mäto (ሁለት መቶ) [200], sost mäto (ሶስት መቶ) [300], arat mäto (አራት መቶ) [400], amïst mäto (አምስት መቶ) [500], sïdïst mäto (ስድስት መቶ) [600], säbat mäto (ሰባት መቶ) [700], sïmïnt mäto (ስምንት መቶ) [800], and zät’äñ mäto (ዘጠኝ መቶ) [900].
- Thousands are formed by stating the multiplier digit before the word for thousand (ših, ሺህ) separated with a space, except for one thousand where it is optional: (and) ših ((አንድ) ሺህ) [1,000] (the form ši (ሺ) can also be encountered), hulät ših (ሁለት ሺህ) [2,000], sost ših (ሶስት ሺህ) [3,000], arat ših (አራት ሺህ) [4,000], amïst ših(አምስት ሺህ) [5,000], sïdïst ših (ስድስት ሺህ) [6,000], säbat ših (ሰባት ሺህ) [7,000], sïmïnt ših (ስምንት ሺህ) [8,000], and zät’äñ ših (ዘጠኝ ሺህ) [9,000].
- The word for million is miliyon (ሚሊዮን).
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