Numbers in Garifuna



Learn numbers in Garifuna

Knowing numbers in Garifuna is probably one of the most useful things you can learn to say, write and understand in Garifuna. Learning to count in Garifuna may appeal to you just as a simple curiosity or be something you really need. Perhaps you have planned a trip to a country where Garifuna is the most widely spoken language, and you want to be able to shop and even bargain with a good knowledge of numbers in Garifuna.

It's also useful for guiding you through street numbers. You'll be able to better understand the directions to places and everything expressed in numbers, such as the times when public transportation leaves. Can you think of more reasons to learn numbers in Garifuna?

The Garifuna language (Karif) belongs to the Arawakan language family. Spoken by the Garifuna people in Central America, especially in Honduras, Guatemala (where it is recognised as a minority language), Belize, and Nicaragua, the Garifuna language counts about 190,000 speakers.

List of numbers in Garifuna

Here is a list of numbers in Garifuna. We have made for you a list with all the numbers in Garifuna from 1 to 20. We have also included the tens up to the number 100, so that you know how to count up to 100 in Garifuna. We also close the list by showing you what the number 1000 looks like in Garifuna.

  • 1) aban
  • 2) biñá
  • 3) ürüwa
  • 4) gádürü
  • 5) seingü
  • 6) sisi
  • 7) sedü
  • 8) widü
  • 9) nefu
  • 10) dîsi
  • 11) ûnsu
  • 12) dûsu
  • 13) tareisi
  • 14) katorsu
  • 15) keinsi
  • 16) dîsisi
  • 17) dîsedü
  • 18) dísiwidü
  • 19) dísinefu
  • 20) wein
  • 30) darandi
  • 40) biama wein
  • 50) dimí san
  • 60) ürüwa wein
  • 70) ürüwa wein dîsi
  • 80) gádürü wein
  • 90) gádürü wein dîsi
  • 100) san
  • 1,000) milu
  • one million) míñonu
  • one billion) milu míñonu

Numbers in Garifuna: Garifuna numbering rules

Each culture has specific peculiarities that are expressed in its language and its way of counting. The Garifuna is no exception. If you want to learn numbers in Garifuna you will have to learn a series of rules that we will explain below. If you apply these rules you will soon find that you will be able to count in Garifuna with ease.

The way numbers are formed in Garifuna is easy to understand if you follow the rules explained here. Surprise everyone by counting in Garifuna. Also, learning how to number in Garifuna yourself from these simple rules is very beneficial for your brain, as it forces it to work and stay in shape. Working with numbers and a foreign language like Garifuna at the same time is one of the best ways to train our little gray cells, so let's see what rules you need to apply to number in Garifuna

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  • Digits from zero to nine are rendered by specific words with at least three distinct origins: Arawak for one and two, Carib or Kali’na for three, and French for four and above. These digits are: gararaguati [0], aban [1] (from the Arawak aba), biñá (or biama when compound) [2] (from the Arawak bian), ürüwa [3] (from the Kali’na oruwa), gádürü [4], seingü [5], sisi [6], sedü [7], widü [8], and nefu [9].
  • Tens follow a full vigesimal system, still related to French: dîsi [10], wein [20], darandi [30], biama wein [40] (two twenty), dimí sa [50] (half-hundred), ürüwa wein [60] (three twenty), ürüwa wein dîsi [70] (three twenty ten), gádürü wein [80] (four twenty), and gádürü wein dîsi [90] (four twenty ten).
  • Teens are closely-related to French teens too: ûnsu [11], dûsu [12], tareisi [13], katorsu [14], keinsi [15], dîsisi or disisisi [16], dîsedü or disisedü [17], dísiwidü [18], and dísinefu [19].
  • Compound numbers are formed starting with the ten, followed by the unit separated with a space (e.g.: wein sedü [27]), or mixed with the teen (e.g.: ürüwa wein keinsi [75]).
  • Hundreds are formed starting with the multiplier digit before the word for hundred (san), except for one hundred: san [100], biama san [200], ürüwa san [300], gádürü san [400], seingü san [500], sisi san [600], sedü san [700], widü san [800], and nefu san [900].
  • Thousands are formed starting with the multiplier digit before the word for thousand (milu), except for one thousand: milu [1,000], biama milu [2,000], ürüwa milu [3,000], gádürü milu [4,000], seingü milu [5,000], sisi milu [6,000], sedü milu [7,000], widü milu [8,000], and nefu milu [9,000].
  • The word for million is míñonu [1 million], and one billion is milu míñonu, or a thousand million.
  • Conversemos en garífuna, by Salvador Suazo, Editorial Guaymuras, 2002 (in Spanish)
  • Numbers in different languages