I'm taking a twenty-minute break from reading and studying by posting How to Count in Tagalog. It's pretty easy, I think. Well, counting is one of the easiest things to master in any language (I think, again). Here you go:
One to Ten (1-10)
- one - isa
- two - dalawa
- three - tatlo
- four - apat
- five - lima
- six - anim
- seven - pito
- eight - walo
- nine - siyam
- ten - sampu
Eleven to Nineteen (11-19)
Rule: Add the prefix labing.
- eleven - labing-isa
- twelve - labing-dalawa and so on.
Twenty is dalawangpu. If the numbers (in 1-9) end in vowels, then suffix -ng would be used. The syllable pu is then added (-ngpu). However, take note that it's often pronounced as -mpu. Hence, dalawangpu is more often pronounced as dalawampu.
Twenty-one to Twenty-nine (21-29)
Rule: Use dalawampu + at + number (1-9). Translating this, it means: twenty and number.
Filipinos usually contract the pu with the word at.
Hence, dalawampu and at becomes dalawampu't.
- twenty-one - dalawampu't isa
- twenty-two - dalawampu't dalawa and so on.
Thirty is tatlungpu (Again, it's pronounced as tatlumpu). The change from o to u at the end is also applicable to the numbers seven [pito] and eight [walo]). Contraction applies.
- thirty-one - tatlumpu't isa
- thirty-two - tatlumpu't dalawa and so on.
Forty is apatnapu. When numbers are ending in consonants, the word na is added before the syllable pu (-napu). Contraction applies.
- forty-one - apatnapu't isa
- forty-two - apatnapu't dalawa and so on.
- fifty-one - limampu't isa
Sixty is animnapu.
- sixty-one - animnapu't isa
Seventy is pitungpu (pitumpu).
- seventy-one - pitumpu't isa
Eighty is walungpu (walumpu).
- eighty-one - walumpu't isa
Ninety is siyamnapu.
- ninety-one - siyamnapu't isa
One hundred is isang daan. Four hundred is apat na daan.
Rules:
- Vowel-ending number + -ng + daan
- Consonant-ending number + na + daan
Note: In the case of six hundred and nine-hundred, the terms anim na raan and siyam na raan, respectively, are more commonly used.
One hundred fifty is isang daan at limampu. (Just add the at in the middle.)
One thousand is isang libo. Same rules regarding the hundreds apply.
One hundred thousand is isang daang libo.
One million is isang milyon.
Fractions:
The fraction that is only used (as to my knowledge) is 1/2. It is translated as kalahati. So when you say, 1 1/2, in Tagalog, it is isa't kalahati (isa at kalahati).
Zero:
In the Tagalog numbering system, zero is not included (as my history knowledge tells me so). So, we usually say zero. But for purposes of translation, the word with the closest meaning would be wala (nothing).
In exams, when one gets a zero, it is commonly pertained to as bokya or itlog (egg, as the number zero looks like an egg). However, it is not applicable in the numbering system since it's, uhm, awkward? Hah.
So there, back to my readings.
