1.2.4.a - Urdu Numbers

Urdu Numbers

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Urdu is a language related to sanskrit. This language is unusual in that it's numbers are constructed in a unique fashion.

The following list shows the "transliterate" forms of the names for the first 100 counting numbers. Although one can observe that many of these names are constructed as derivations of combining components, there is a degree of irregularity in the pattern that forces one to take the names on a case by case basis [1].

Memorizing a hundred names may seem excessive, but it's not as hard as you might think, since the names occur in groups of ten following approximately a pattern of construction. The urdu naming convention may be unique in having the largest number of required naming components.

No. Urdu No. Urdu No. Urdu No. Urdu No. Urdu

1 ek 11 gyareh 21 ikkis 31 iktis 41 iktalis

2 do 12 bareh 22 bais 32 battis 42 bayalis

3 teen 13 tereh 23 teis 33 taintis 43 taintalis

4 char 14 caudeh 24 caubis 34 cauntis 44 cavalis

5 panc 15 pandreh 25 paccis 35 paintis 45 paintalis

6 chay 16 soleh 26 chabbis 36 chattis 46 chiyalis

7 sat 17 satreh 27 satais 37 saintis 47 saintalis

8 ath 18 athareh 28 athais 38 artis 48 artalis

9 nau 19 unnis 29 unatis 39 untalis 49 uncas

10 das 20 bis 30 tis 40 calis 50 pacas

No. Urdu No. Urdu No. Urdu No. Urdu No. Urdu

51 ikyavan 61 iksath 71 ikhattar 81 ikyasi 91 ikyanave

52 bavan 62 basath 72 behattar 82 bayasi 92 banave

53 tirpan 63 tirsath 73 tihattar 83 tirasi 93 tiranave

54 cauvan 64 caunsath 74 cauhattar 84 caurasi 94 cauranave

55 pacpan 65 painsath 75 pachattar 85 pacasi 95 pacanave

56 chappan 66 chiyasath 76 chihattar 86 chiyasi 96 chiyanave

57 satavan 67 sarsath 77 sathattar 87 satasi 97 satanave

58 athavan 68 arsath 78 athhattar 88 atthasi 98 atthanave

59 unsath 69 unhattar 79 unasi 89 navasi 99 ninyanave

60 sath 70 sattar 80 assi 90 nabbe 100 sau

To continue add the proper word after sau, for example sau ek (101) , sau do (102) , sau teen (103) , etc.

To specify the group of hundreds position place the appropriate name before sau ...

200 do sau

300 teen sau

400 char sau

etc.

thus 999 would be "nau sau ninyanave". 1000 is "hazar"

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Source Material :

[1] http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Urdu:Vocabulary/Numbers : This is a wikipedia page on the Urdu names for counting numbers up to 1000. This is the source from which I created my Urdu list. I dropped some accent marks in my version, but the original version shows the accents as well as shows how the words are actually written in urdu itself !