Zulu numbers
Zulu numbers is a Bantu language spoken in South Africa. The Zulu language (isiZulu) belongs to the Niger–Congo languages family, and more specifically to the Bantu branch. Where it is co-oficial with ten other languages. Such as Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, and Xhosa. But also in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.
| English Numerals | Zulu Numbers |
|---|---|
| 1 | kunye |
| 2 | kubili |
| 3 | kuthathu |
| 4 | kune |
| 5 | kuhlanu |
| 6 | isithupa |
| 7 | isikhombisa |
| 8 | isishiyagalombili |
| 9 | isishiyagalolunye |
| 10 | ishumi |
| 11 | ishumi nambili |
| 12 | ishumi nantathu |
| 13 | ishumi nane |
| 14 | ishumi naneli |
| 15 | ishumi namlanu |
| 16 | ishumi nesithupa |
| 17 | ishumi nesikhombisa |
| 18 | ishumi nesishiyagalombili |
| 19 | ishumi nesishiyagalolunye |
| 20 | amashumi amabili |
| 21 | amashumi amabili nanye |
| 22 | amashumi amabili nantathu |
| 30 | amashumi amathathu |
| 40 | amashumi amane |
| 50 | amashumi amakhulu |
| 60 | amashumi amashumi esithupa |
| 70 | amashumi amashumi esikhombisa |
| 80 | amashumi amashumi esishiyagalombili |
| 90 | amashumi amashumi esishiyagalolunye |
| 100 | ikhulu |
| 200 | izimbili |
| 300 | izintathu |
| 400 | izine |
| 500 | izilishumi |
| 600 | izithupa |
| 700 | isikhombisa |
| 800 | isishiyagalombili |
| 900 | isishiyagalolunye |
| 1000 | amakhulu |
Ordinal Numbers (Ordering Numbers):
Ordinal numbers in Zulu are typically formed by adding the suffix “-na” to the cardinal numbers. For example:
- First: kunye
- Second: kubili
- Third: kuthathu
- Fourth: kune
- …
- Twentieth: amashumi amabili nanye
- Twenty-first: amashumi amabili nanye-na-kunye (literally “two tens and one and one”)
- Twenty-second: amashumi amabili nanye-na-kubili (literally “two tens and one and two”)
- …
- One hundredth: ikhulu-na-kunye (literally “one hundred and one”)
- Two hundredth: izimbili-na-kunye (literally “two hundreds and one”)
- …
- One thousandth: amakhulu-na-kunye (literally “one thousands and one”)
.Additionally, numbers beyond the examples provided can be formed using similar patterns.

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