In this post, we look at counting miezi, months and miaka, years, which are from Class 4: mi-. (Class 3, mu-, in the singular: mwezi and mwaka.)
First, here are the numbers on their own again:
| mosi | 1 |
| hiri | 2 |
| hahu | 3 |
| inne | 4 |
| tsano | 5 |
| handahu | 6 |
| fungahe | 7 |
| nane | 8 |
| chenda | 9 |
| kumi | 10 |
1 - 9 months
| mwezi mwenga | 1 month |
| mi-ezi mi-ri | 2 months |
| mi-ezi mi-hahu | 3 months |
| mi-ezi mi-ne | 4 months |
| mi-ezi mi-tsano | 5 months |
| mi-ezi mi-handahu | 6 months |
| mi-ezi mi-fungahe | 7 months |
| mi-ezi mi-nane | 8 months |
| mi-ezi chenda | 9 months |
Note that chenda does not have a mi!
Exercise
Because years and months both belong to the mu/mi class, years are counted the same as months.
Count from 1 to 9 years in Giriama.
11 - 19
Counting from 11 - 19, you say kumi na, meaning 10 and. Kumi does not need to agree with the noun:
| miezi kumi | 10 months |
| ... | 11 months |
| miezi kumi na miri | 12 months |
| miezi kumi na mihahu | 13 months |
| miezi kumi na mine | 14 months |
| miezi kumi na mitsano | 15 months |
| miezi kumi na mihandahu | 16 months |
| miezi kumi na mifungahe | 17 months |
| miezi kumi na minane | 18 months |
| miezi kumi na chenda | 19 months |
Exercise
Translate the following into Giriama:
