Tagalog speakers have three ways of counting numbers — the first one is in native Tagalog, the second one is in the Spanish-influenced Tagalog, and the third one is in English. As far as I know, there are no exact rules on which one of these should be used for which specific situation, although there are certain situations where one is usually preferred over the other. Before we go into that, though, let’s try to learn the Tagalog numbers first.
Ones
- Isa
- Dalawa
- Tatlo
- Apat
- Lima
- Anim
- Pito
- Walo
- Siyam
- Sampu
Tens
Tens can be formed by combining the words for 1-9 and the letters “mpu” from sampu (ten). If the word ends with a consonant, the word “na” is added before “mpu.”
E.g. dalawa + mpu = dalawampu (two tens)
anim + na + mpu = animnapu (six tens)
Counting in Tagalog Using Native Tagalog Words |
|---|
| Ones | Tens |
| 1 | isa | 11 | labing-isa | 10 | sampu | 21 | dalawampu’t isa |
| 2 | dalawa | 12 | labindalawa | 20 | dalawampu | 32 | tatlumpu’t dalawa |
| 3 | tatlo | 13 | labintatlo | 30 | tatlumpu | 43 | apatnapu’t tatlo |
| 4 | apat | 14 | labing-apat | 40 | apatnapu | 54 | limampu’t apat |
| 5 | lima | 15 | labinlima | 50 | limmapu | 65 | animanapu’t lima |
| 6 | anim | 16 | labing-anim | 60 | animnapu | 76 | pitumpu’t anim |
| 7 | pito | 17 | labimpito | 70 | pitumpu | 87 | walumpu’t pito |
| 8 | walo | 18 | labing-walo | 80 | walumpu | 98 | siyamnapu’t walo |
| 9 | siyam | 19 | labing-siyam | 90 | siyamnapu | 99 | siyamnapu’t siyam |
Hundreds/Thousands
Hundreds can be formed by combining the words for 1-9 followed by the word “daan” which means hundred. If the word for 1-9 ends with a vowel, we add the letters “ng” before daan, if it ends with a consonant, we add the word “na.”
E.g. isang daan = one hundred
apat na daan = four hundred
| Hundreds | Thousands | Ten Thousands |
| 100 | isang daan | 1,000 | isang libo | 10,000 | sampung libo | 20,000 | dalawampung libo |
| 200 | dalawang daan | 2,000 | dalawang libo | 11,000 | labing-isang libo | 30,000 | tatlumpung libo |
| 300 | tatlong daan | 3,000 | tatlong libo | 12,000 | labindalawang libo | 40,000 | apatnapung libo |
| 400 | apat na daan | 4,000 | apat na libo | 13,000 | labintatlong libo | 50,000 | limampung libo |
| 500 | limang daan | 5,000 | limang libo | 14,000 | labing-apat na libo | 60,000 | animnapung libo |
| 600 | anim na daan | 6,000 | anim na libo | 15,000 | labinlimang libo | 70,000 | pitumpung libo |
| 700 | pitong daan | 7,000 | pitong libo | 16,000 | labing-anim na libo | 80,000 | walumpung libo |
| 800 | walong daan | 8,000 | walong libo | 17,000 | labimpitong libo | 90,000 | siyamnapung libo |
| 900 | siyam na daan | 9,000 | siyam na libo | 18,000 | labing-walong libo | | |
| | | | 19,000 | labing-siyam na libo | | |
Millions
The same rule goes for forming numbers in the thousands and millions, the only difference is daan is replaced by “libo” which means thousand and “milyon” which means million.
E.g. Walong libo = eight thousand
Siyam na milyon = nine million
| Hundred Thousands | One Millions | Ten Millions | Hundred
Millions |
| 100,000 | isang daang libo | 1,000,000 | isang milyon | 10,000,000 | sampung milyones | 100,000,000 | isang daang milyon |
| 200,000 | dalawang daang libo | 2,000,000 | dalawang milyones | 20,000,000 | dalawampung milyones | 200,000,000 | dalawang daang milyon |
| 300,000 | tatlong daang libo | 3,000,000 | tatlong milyones | 30,000,000 | tatlumpung milyones | 300,000,000 | tatlong daang milyon |
| 400,000 | apat na raang libo | 4,000,000 | apat na milyones | 40,000,000 | apatnapung milyones | 400,000,000 | apat na raang milyon |
| 500,000 | limang daang libo | 5,000,000 | limang milyones | 50,000,000 | limampung milyones | 500,000,000 | limang daang milyon |
| 600,000 | anim na raang libo | 6,000,000 | anim na milyones | 60,000,000 | animnapung milyones | 600,000,000 | anim na raang milyon |
| 700,000 | pitong daang libo | 7,000,000 | pitong milyones | 70,000,000 | pitumpung milyones | 700,000,000 | pitong daang milyon |
| 800,000 | walong daang libo | 8,000,000 | walong milyones | 80,000,000 | walumpung milyones | 800,000,000 | walong daang milyon |
| 900,000 | siyam na raang libo | 9,000,000 | siyam na milyones | 90,000,000 | siyamnapung milyones | 900,000 | siyam na raang milyon |
| Billions |
| 1,000,000,000 | isang bilyon |
| 10,000,000,000 | sampung bilyon |
| 100,000,000,000 | isang daang bilyon |
| 1,000,000,000,000 | isang trilyon |
Number Combinations
Number Combinations can be made by using the word “at” which means “and.”
E.g. dalawampu’t isa = twenty and one
animnapu’t pito = seventy and seven
Counting in Tagalog Using Native Tagalog Words
Sample Numerical Combinations |
|---|
| Numbers | English Translation |
| 164 | isang daan at animnapu’t apat |
| 1,834 | isang libo, walong daan at tatlumpu’t apat |
| 23,480 | dalawampu’t tatlong libo, apat na raan at walumpu |
| 497,201 | apat na raan at siyamnapu’t pitong libo, dalawang daan at isa |
| 8, 991,283 | walong milyon, siyam na raan at siyamnapu’t isang libo, dalawang daan at walumpu’t tatlo |
| 30,495,814 | tatlumpung milyon, apat na raan at siyamnapu’t limang libo, walong daan at labing-apat |
| 720,482,730 | pitong daan at dalampung milyon, apat na raan at walumpu’t dalawang libo, pitong daan at tatlumpu |
| 6,938,428,343 | anim na bilyon, siyam na raan at tatlumpu’t walong milyon, apat na raan at dalawampu’t walong libo, tatlong daan at apatnapu’t tatlo |
That’s about it with counting using native Tagalog words. Next time, I’ll write about how you can count in Tagalog using Spanish loan words.
Until then!
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