Oromo Numbers
Welcome to the sixth Oromo lesson about numbers. This time we will learn about cardinal and ordinal numbers, followed by grammar rules, then animal names, finally a conversation in Oromo to help you practice your daily phrases.
| Cardinal | Oromo | Ordinal | Oromo |
|---|---|---|---|
| one | tokko | first | tokkoffaa |
| two | lama | second | lammaffaa |
| three | sadii | third | sadaffaa |
| four | afur | fourth | arfaffaa |
| five | shan | fifth | shanaffaa |
| six | jaa'a | sixth | jaa'affaa |
| seven | torba | seventh | torbaffaa |
| eight | saddeet | eighth | saddeetaffaa |
| nine | sagal | ninth | saglaffaa |
| ten | kudhan | tenth | kurnaffaa |
| eleven | kudhatokko | eleventh | kudhatokkoffaa |
| twelve | kudhalama | twelfth | kudhalammaffaa |
| thirteen | kudhasadii | thirteenth | kudhasadaffaa |
| fourteen | kudhafur | once | al-tokko |
| fifteen | kudhashan | twice | al-lama |
| sixteen | kudhajaa'a | Monday | dafinoo / ojja duree |
| seventeen | kudhatorba | Tuesday | facaasaa |
| eighteen | kudhasaddeet | Wednesday | roobii |
| nineteen | kudhasagal | Thursday | kamisa |
| twenty | digdama | Friday | jimaata |
| seventy one | torbaatami tokko | Saturday | sambata xinnaa / sambata duraa |
| one hundred | dhibba tokko | Sunday | dilbata / sambata guddaa |
Numbers Grammar Rules
Oromo cardinal numbers refer to the counting numbers, because they show quantity. For example: I speak two languages. Ordinal numbers on the other hand tell the order of things and their rank: my first language is Oromo. The examples below use numbers in different ways and places to demonstrate how they behave in a sentence.
| Grammar + Rules | Oromo |
|---|---|
| I have three dogs [number + noun] | saree sadii nqaba |
| my daughter has two cats [number + noun] | intalli ko adurree lama qabdi |
| she speaks seven languages [verb + number] | afaan torba dubbatti |
| my brother has one son [number + singular noun] | obboleessi ko ilma tokko qaba |
| this is my second lesson [ordinal number + noun] | kun barnota ko lammaffaadha |
| did you read the third book? [ordinal number + noun] | kitaabicha saddaffaa dubbiftee? |
We're not done yet! The following is a list of animals.
cow sa'a | goat reettii | donkey harree | horse farda |
dog saree | cat adurree | mouse antuuta | bird simbira |
Conversation in Oromo
Now we finally reach the last part, the practice of the daily conversations. These phrases are used to get to know new people, and break the ice.
| English | Oromo |
|---|---|
| Where are you from? | biyyi ke eessa? |
| I'm from the U.S | biyyo ko usa |
| I'm American | ani nama amaarikaaniti |
| Where do you live? | essa jiraatta? |
| I live in the U.S | biyya amaarikaani njiraadha |
| What do you do for a living? | maal hojiin ke? |
| I'm a student | ani barataadha |
Did you enjoy this lesson about numbers in Oromo? I hope so, if you have any problem with this lesson contact me with questions you have here. You can now check the next lesson below.
| Oromo Phrases |
Inspirational Quote: Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking. William B. Sprague |