Numbers & Noun Agreement

Learn how to use numbers when describing nouns

📚 Numbers and Noun Agremeents

Like other adjectives, numbers in Kiswahili come after the noun they describe, and they take the agreement of the noun's class. The only exception are the numbers 6,7, 9, 10 and multiples of 10 which don't take the noun agreement.

Number	Kiswahili (Singular - Ngeli ya A-WA)	English Meaning (Singular - Ngeli ya A-WA)	Kiswahili (Plural - Ngeli ya A-WA)	English Meaning (Plural - Ngeli ya A-Wa)	Kiswahili (Singular - Ngeli ya KI-VI)	English Meaning (Singular - Ngeli ya KI-VI)	Kiswahili (Plural - Ngeli ya KI-VI)	English Meaning (Plural - Ngeli ya KI-VI)
moja (1)	Mtoto mmoja	One child	-	-	Kisu kimoja	One knife	-	-
mbili (2)	-	-	Watoto wawili	Two children	-	-	Visu viwili	Two knives
tatu (3)	-	-	Watoto watatu	Three children	-	-	Visu vitatu	Three knives
nne (4)	-	-	Watoto wanne	Four children	-	-	Visu vinne	Four knives
tano (5)	-	-	Watoto watano	Five children	-	-	Visu vitano	Five knives
sita (6)	-	-	Watoto sita	Six children	-	-	Visu sita	Six knives
saba (7)	-	-	Watoto saba	Seven children	-	-	Visu saba	Seven knives
nane (8)	-	-	Watoto wanane	Eight children	-	-	Visu vinane	Eight knives
tisa (9)	-	-	Watoto tisa	Nine children	-	-	Visu tisa	Nine knives
kumi (10)	-	-	Watoto kumi	Ten children	-	-	Visu kumi	Ten knives
kumi na moja (11)	-	-	Watoto kumi na mmoja	11 children	-	-	Visu kumi na kimoja	Eleven knives
kumi na mbili (12)	-	-	Watoto kumi na wawili	Twelve children	-	-	Visu kumi na viwili	Twelve knives

Grammar note: Do you notice the numbers that stay the same regardless of the noun class?

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