Grammar fact sheet: cardinal numbers

 
Topics
  1. Counting
  2. Use of numerical adjective
  3. Counting money
Counting
 
All the numbers in Zarma are based on these first ten, except for the specific words of the tens, "hundred" and "thousand".
 
Cardinal numbers 1 - 10
Zarma
number
 pronunciation Zarma number pronunciation
afo
1
 à / fô iddu
6
 îd / du
ihinka
2
 î hin / ka iyye
7
 îy / ye
ihinza
3
 î hin / za ahaku
8
 â ha / ku
itaci
4
 î ta / ci iyegga
9
 î yeg / ga
igu
5
 î gu / iway
10
 î way /
 

The cardinal numbers above 10 are formed by adding to the word for the tens (10, 20, 30, etc.) "cindi" (remains, left over) then the unit. For example, 14 is "iway cindi taci", literally ten and four left over. These numbers contract according to the rule established below.

The numbers just below the tens ending on a "8" or "9" can be expressed in two ways. In addition to the regular way using "cindi" one can use "si" (without, missing).
For example "waranka ihinka si" and "waranka afo si" represent "twenty less two" and "twenty less one", respectively, and are alternate way of saying "18" and "19".
 
Cardinal numbers 11-20
number
 Zarma Pronunciation
11
 iway cindi fo i / way cindi fo
12
 iway cindi hinka i / way cindi hin / ka
13
 iway cindi hinza i / way cindi hin / za
14
 iway cindi taci i / way cindi ta / ci
15
 iway cindi gu i / way cindi gu
16
 iway cindi iddu i / way cindi id du
17
 iway cindi iyye i / way cindi iy / ye
18
 iway cindi ahaku
waranka ihinha si		 i / way cindi a ha ku
war an ka i hin / ka si
19
 iway cindi yegga
waranka afo si		 i / way cindi yeg ga
war an ka a fo si
20
 waranka war an ka

 
The tens are more or less based on a junction of "ten" (iway) and the numbers one to nine. Hundred and thousand have their own name, but two hundred and three thousand are formed similar to English. As you may notice in the tens is the only instance where "iddu" and "iyye" are shortened.
 
Cardinal numbers 10-1000

Zarma

 English Pronunciation
iway ten î way /
waranka (not wayhinka) twenty war / an ka
waranza (not wayhinza) thirty war / an za
waytaci forty way ta / ci
waygu fifty way / gu
waydu sixty way / du
wayye seventy way / ye
wahaku (not wayahaku) eighty wa ha / ku
wayga ninety way / ga
zangu hundred zan gu
zangu hinka two hundred zan gu  hin / ka
zambar thousand zam bar
waydu cindi iyye sixty seven  
 
When the unit lack one or two "subunits" an idiom can be formed, not only for the number below hundred as we have discussed.
 
Examples
Zarma English number
waranka ihinka si twenty without two 18
waranka afo si twenty without one 19
zangu iway si one hundred without ten 90
zangu afo si one hundred without one 99
 
In counting over 100 "nda" unites the tens to the hundreds, and the hundreds to the thousands. In counting under two thousand, one may count by hundreds all the way.
 
Examples
Zarma English number
zangu da waygu cindi iddu hundred and fifty remains six 156
zambar hinka da zangu hinza da wayye cindi hinka thousand two and hundred three and seventy remains two 2372
zangu way cindi taci hundred ten remains four 1400
zambar fo da zangu taci thousand one and hundred four 1400
 
A half in Zarma is expressed with jare. Jare literally means a part.
Ay ga ba buru hinka nda jare. I want two and a half loaf of bread.

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Use of numerical adjective (3.D.1)
 

All of the cardinal numbers, except 6, 7, and 8, drop the prefix vowel ("i" or "a") when they are qualifying adjectives, directly following a noun or a noun with an adjective modifier. The noun does not take either a definite (see 1.D.2) or a plural ending (see 1.D.3), these being carried by the number if needed.

Examples
Zarma English
bari fo one horse, a horse
curo hinka two birds
farkay gu five donkeys
wayboro iyye seven women
yo ahaku eight camels

 
 
Numerical adjective in combination with qualifying adjective (5.D.2)

If there is also a numeral adjective (one, five), this is placed after the qualifying adjective in Zarma.

Example
Zarma English
Yeji futu hinza go no. There are three mean bulls.


When the noun has a qualifying adjective, the definite article ending (if needed), either singular or plural, is placed on the adjective but not on the noun, which retains the indefinite form. When there is a numerical adjective, then neither the noun nor the qualifying adjective change from their indefinite form.

Examples
Zarma English
bariyo the horse
bari kayna the small horse
hanso the dog
hansi bero the big dog
hansey the dogs
hansi berey the big dogs
hansi beri hinka two big dogs

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Counting money (8.D.8; 12.D.1)
 

Money in Zarma is based on the 5-Franc unit. To a Zarma this is not five of everything: it is one,
1 dela.  Instead of dela you may also hear dala.

Some of them may have heard of the Franc, but it is no more a money unit to them than a farthing is to you. They look at a 25-Franc piece and they think "five". They see a 100-Franc bill and they think "twenty". There used to be 5-Franc bills, so few people will see "billet" for this unit, and may use "katibi" for it, but this is still the smallest money unit now in use. Smaller units were formerly common, but only older people remember them; even they were not called Francs, but other names.
 
Money to 100 Francs
Zarma English Zarma English
dela fo 5 Francs dela way 50 Francs
dela hinka 10 Francs dela way cindi taci 70 Francs
dela hinza 15 Francs dela way cindi iddu 80 francs
dela taci 20 Francs (dela) waranka hinka si 90 Francs
dela gu 25 Francs (dela) waranka af si 95 Francs
dela iddu 30 Francs (dela) waranka 100 Francs
 
When counting money in the hundreds and thousands, one often does not specify if it is "dela" when the context is clear. On the other hand, in the higher numbers, if it is people or other things, this must be specified, as the hearer may think you mean so much money's worth. In areas with Hausa influence, you will hear "zika fo" for a thousand franc bill.
 

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Last updated: 07 februari 2012