Numbers in Gwere



Learn numbers in Gwere

Knowing numbers in Gwere is probably one of the most useful things you can learn to say, write and understand in Gwere. Learning to count in Gwere 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 Gwere is the most widely spoken language, and you want to be able to shop and even bargain with a good knowledge of numbers in Gwere.

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 Gwere?

The Gwere language, also known as Lugwere, is a Bantu language from the Niger-Congo family. It is spoken by the Gwere people (or Bagwere) in the eastern part of Uganda. The Gwere language counts about 410,000 speakers.

List of numbers in Gwere

Here is a list of numbers in Gwere. We have made for you a list with all the numbers in Gwere 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 Gwere. We also close the list by showing you what the number 1000 looks like in Gwere.

  • 1) moiza
  • 2) ibiri
  • 3) isatu
  • 4) iina
  • 5) itaanu
  • 6) mukaaga
  • 7) musanvu
  • 8) munaana
  • 9) mvenda
  • 10) ikumi
  • 11) ikumi na moiza
  • 12) ikumi na ibiri
  • 13) ikumi na isatu
  • 14) ikumi na iina
  • 15) ikumi na itaanu
  • 16) ikumi na mukaaga
  • 17) ikumi na musanvu
  • 18) ikumi na munaana
  • 19) ikumi na mvenda
  • 20) makumi aabiri
  • 30) makumi aasatu
  • 40) makumi aana
  • 50) makumi ataanu
  • 60) nkaaga
  • 70) nsanvu
  • 80) kinaana
  • 90) kyenda
  • 100) kikumi
  • 1,000) lukumi

Numbers in Gwere: Gwere numbering rules

Each culture has specific peculiarities that are expressed in its language and its way of counting. The Gwere is no exception. If you want to learn numbers in Gwere 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 Gwere with ease.

The way numbers are formed in Gwere is easy to understand if you follow the rules explained here. Surprise everyone by counting in Gwere. Also, learning how to number in Gwere 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 Gwere 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 Gwere

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  • Digits from zero to nine are rendered by specific words, namely ziiro [0], moiza [1], ibiri [2], isatu [3], iina [4], itaanu [5], mukaaga [6], musanvu [7], munaana [8], and mvenda [9].
  • Tens are formed starting with the word for ten (singular: ikumi, plural: makumi) followed by the multiplier digit with its starting i replaced by a(a) from thirty to fifty, except for ten: ikumi [10], makumi aabiri [20], makumi aasatu [30], makumi aana [40], and makumi ataanu [50]. Sixty and seventy see their starting mu replaced by n, and eighty and ninety see their starting m(u) replaced by ki: nkaaga [60], nsanvu [70], kinaana [80], and kyenda [90].
  • Compound numbers are formed staring by the ten, then the word na separated with spaces, then the unit (e.g.: ikumi na musanvu [17], makumi aasatu na munaana [38], nkaaga na iina [64]).
  • Hundreds are formed prefixing the multiplier digit with b when it starts with i, and replacing the starting mu by lu: kikumi [100], bibiri [200], bisatu [300], bina [400], bitaanu [500], lukaaga [600], lusanvu [700], lunaana [800], and lwenda [900].
  • Thousands are formed starting with the word for thousand (singular: lukumi, plural: nkumi) followed by the multiplier digit separated with a space up to five thousand, with the exception of one thousand: lukumi [1,000], nkumi ibiri [2,000], nkumi isatu [3,000], nkumi iina [4,000], and nkumi itaanu [5,000]. From six thousand to nine thousand, they are formed replacing the starting mu of their multiplier digit by ka: kakaaga [6,000], kasanvu [7,000], kanaana [8,000], and kenda [9,000].
  • Ten thousand is mitwalo [10,000].
  • The word for million is kakaire, and the word for billion (109) is katabalika.
  • Lugwere Dictionary (pdf)
  • Numbers in different languages