Video
NumbersNumbers
- mosi
- hiri
- hahu
- inne
- tsano
- handahu
- fungahe
- nane
- chenda
- kumi
Read aloud:
mosi, hiri, hahu
inne, tsano, handahu
fungahe, nane
chenda, kumi
inne, tsano, handahu
fungahe, nane
chenda, kumi
How to remember them
My advice on learning the numbers is this: write them on a scrap of paper, and take it with you. Glance at it occasionally, then immediately start counting what you are doing.Walking up the stairs? Count stairs.
Swimming lengths? Count strokes - and how many lengths you've done.
Chopping carrots? Count how many carrots you've chopped.
and so on.
The most effective method for me was counting steps as I was walking - time the words to your steps, and every time you are not fast enough to say the next number before the next step, start again. Finally getting to 10 feels amazing!
Compare to Swahili
If you are interested, here is a brief comparison with the Swahili numbers:| Giriama numbers | Swahili numbers | ||
| 1 | mosi | moja | |
| 2 | hiri | mbili | |
| 3 | hahu | tatu | |
| 4 | inne | nne | |
| 5 | tsano | tano | |
| 6 | handahu | sita | |
| 7 | fungahe | saba | |
| 8 | nane | nane | |
| 9 | chenda | tisa | |
| 10 | kumi | kumi |
In Swahili, the days from Saturday-Wednesday use the numbers from 1-5. Saturday is Jumamosi, because it uses the old number for 1 - the Giriama number.
3, 4, 5 and perhaps 2 just have small differences in pronunciation.
6, 7 and 9 are completely different. If you know much Swahili, then you will know that 6, 7 and 9 behave differently from the rest of the Swahili numbers. This is because they have been borrowed into Swahili from Arabic, and like most loanwords, consider Bantu grammar to be optional! They replaced the original Bantu numbers, which I expect were something like the Giriama: handahu, fungahe and chenda.
And finally 8 and 10 are identical.
