Language/Shona/Vocabulary/Numbers-1-10

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Shona → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Numbers and Time → Numbers 1-10

Shona is a Bantu language spoken by the Shona people in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Botswana. It is the most widely spoken language in Zimbabwe, with over 11 million speakers. Learning Shona is a great way to appreciate the diverse culture of Zimbabwe and its people.

In this lesson, you will learn the Shona numbers from 1 to 10 and how to use them in sentences. This is a fundamental aspect of the Shona language that will allow you to talk about time, dates, and various numerical values.

After mastering this lesson, these related pages might interest you: Languages & Drinks.

Numbers 1-10

In Shona, numbers from 1 to 10 are:

Shona	Pronunciation	English
motsi	mo-tsi, poh-she	one
piri	pee-ri, mbi-ri	two
tatu	tuh-tu	three
ina	ee-nah	four
shanu	shah-noo	five
tanhatu	tah-nhaa-too	six
nomwe	nom-we	seven
sere	se-reh	eight
pfumbamwe	pfu-mba-mm-we	nine
gumi	goo-mee	ten

Note: that these have variations depending on the Shona language being used between the five main languages, and may have variations depending on dialects of the five main Shona clans. Example, "Bodzi, bodza, botsi, motsi, mosi, moshi, modza, moza, poshi, potsi, imwe" - all refer to the number one.

It is important to note that the Shona language has different noun classes that affect the agreement of numbers. For instance, when expressing the number "two," the singular noun class prefers "-piri" instead of "-viri." If you are in doubt, ask a native speaker or consult a reference book.

Here are some examples of how to use these numbers in simple sentences:

• Pamela ane vana vaviri kana vatatu. (Pamela has two or three children.)
• Tatenda ane makore mana. (Tatenda is four years old.)
• Nhasi ringori zuva rechishanu remwedzi basi. (Today is only the fifth day of the month.)
• Vanuhu vese vanodinga zvinhu nomwe. (Everyone needs seven things.)
• Yosefa anofamba kuenda kuchikoro mazuva ese. (Joseph walks to school every day.)

It's that simple! Now, you can practice counting numbers in Shona with ease.

Conclusion

In this lesson, you have learned the basic numbers from 1 to 10 in Shona and how to use them in sentences. This is an essential part of the language that will come in handy when talking about time, dates, or numbers in everyday conversations. Keep practicing and stay tuned for more Shona lessons!

Well done on mastering this lesson! Don't miss these related pages to expand your knowledge: Days of the week & Education.

Table of Contents - Shona Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Introduction to Shona

• The Shona Alphabet
• Basic Sentence Structure

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Greetings and Introductions

• Common Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

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Nouns and Pronouns

• Noun Classes
• Personal Pronouns

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-10
• Telling Time

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Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

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Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Comparatives and Superlatives

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Food and Dining

• Common Foods
• Ordering at a Restaurant

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Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Common Prepositions
• Connecting Sentences

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Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

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Shona Culture and Traditions

• Traditional Customs
• Festivals and Celebrations

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Asking Questions

• Question Words
• Indirect Questions

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Shopping and Money

• Shopping Vocabulary
• Talking about Money

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Music and Dance

• Traditional Music
• Traditional Dance

Other Lessons

• Health
• Days of the Week
• Numbers
• Count to 10
• Fruits and Vegetables
• Languages
• Colors
• Describing Relationships
• Emergency

Sources

• Shona numbers — Of Languages and Numbers
• Numbers in Shona
• Shona-Textbook.pdf

◀️ Personal Pronouns — Previous Lesson

Next Lesson — Telling Time ▶️