Language/Malay-individual-language/Vocabulary/Numbers-and-Counting
As a Malay language teacher with 20 years of experience, I know that learning numbers and counting is an essential part of mastering any language. In this lesson, we will cover the basics of Malay numbers and counting, including cardinal and ordinal numbers.
Cardinal Numbers
Cardinal numbers are used to represent quantity or the number of things. Malay cardinal numbers are quite straightforward and simple to learn. Here are the numbers from 1 to 10:
| Malay (individual language) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| satu | 'satu' | one |
| dua | 'dua' | two |
| tiga | 'tiga' | three |
| empat | 'empat' | four |
| lima | 'lima' | five |
| enam | 'enam' | six |
| tujuh | 'tujuh' | seven |
| lapan | 'lapan' | eight |
| sembilan | 'sembilan' | nine |
| sepuluh | 'sepuluh' | ten |
From 11 onwards, we use a combination of Malay numbers to create larger numbers. For example, 11 is 'sebelas' which is a combination of 'satu' (one) and 'belas' (ten). Likewise, 21 is 'dua puluh satu' which means 'two tens one'.
Here are some more examples:
- 12 - dua belas (two ten)
- 15 - lima belas (five ten)
- 27 - dua puluh tujuh (two ten seven)
- 39 - tiga puluh sembilan (three ten nine)
Note that the word 'puluh' means ten and is used to create multiples of ten.
Ordinal Numbers
Ordinal numbers are used to indicate the position of something in a series or sequence. In Malay, to form ordinal numbers, we add the suffix '-ke' to the cardinal numbers. For example, 'pertama' means first and is formed by adding the suffix '-ke' to 'satu'.
Here are the first 10 ordinal numbers:
- pertama (first)
- kedua (second)
- ketiga (third)
- keempat (fourth)
- kelima (fifth)
- keenam (sixth)
- ketujuh (seventh)
- kelapan (eighth)
- kesembilan (ninth)
- kesepuluh (tenth)
Just like in English, ordinal numbers are used to indicate dates, ranking, and order of events in Malay.
Counting Objects
When counting objects in Malay, the word 'buah' is used after the cardinal number. For example, 'tiga buah apel' means 'three apples'.
If the object being counted comes after a number ending in 1 (such as 21, 31, 41, etc.), the word 'ekor' is used instead of 'buah'. For example, 'dua puluh satu ekor kucing' means 'twenty-one cats'.
Conclusion
Congratulations on completing this lesson on Malay numbers and counting! Numbers are essential to know in any language, and Malay is no exception. With practice, you will be able to count and use numbers with ease. Keep practicing and don't forget to have fun while learning!
Related Lessons
- Drinks
- Travel and Transportation
- Geometry
- Animals
- Hobbies
- Numbers
- Count from 1 to 10
- Everyday Objects
- Family
- Medicine