Numbers are the basic of Mathematics. Strange that Hindi numbers are unorganized unlike Sanskrit and other Southern Indian languages. Like other Sanskrit derived/Indian languages, Hindi numbers also follow decimal format.
Cardinals
| English | Hindi | Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero (00) | शून्य (०) | śhunya/siphar | |
| One (1) | एक (१) | ēk | |
| Two (2) | दो (२) | do | |
| Three (3) | तीन (३) | teen | |
| Four (4) | चार (४) | chaār | |
| Five (5) | पाँच (५) | pānch | |
| Six (6) | छः (६) | chah | |
| Seven (7) | सात (७) | saāt | |
| Eight (8) | आठ (८) | āṭh | |
| Nine (9) | नौ (९) | nau | |
| Ten (10) | दस (१०) | das | |
| Eleven (11) | ग्यारह (११) | gyārah | |
| Twelve (12) | बारह (१२) | bārah | |
| Thirteen (13) | तेरह (१३) | tērah | |
| Fourteen (14) | चौदह (१४) | chaudah | |
| Fifteen (15) | पंद्रह (१५) | pandrah | |
| Sixteen (16) | सोलह (१६) | solah | |
| Seventeen (17) | सत्रह (१७) | satrah | |
| Eighteen (18) | अट्ठारह (१८) | aṭṭhārah | |
| Nineteen (19) | उन्नीस (१९) | unnis | |
| Twenty (20) | बीस (२०) | bees |
Hindi cardinal numbers up to 100 have no specific standardization. Up to 20, the numbers are unique. After that each tenth number (such as 30, 40 etc) is unique. The rest of the numbers take the form of prefix of incremental digit and the base of preceding tenth number. However these prefixes and bases vary slightly and in a random manner. Although the pattern isn't regular, don't worry too much. They're just slightly different and with some practice you'd soon get the hang of it. Here are the numbers from 21 to 100. Try to follow them and find any similar pattern.
| English | Hindi | Transliteration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twenty one (21) | इक्कीस (२१) | ikkīs | |
| Twenty two (22) | बाईस (२२) | bāīs | |
| Twenty three (23) | तेईस (२३) | tēīs | |
| Twenty four (24) | चौबिस(२४) | chaubīs | |
| Twenty five (25) | पच्चीस(२५) | pachchīs | |
| Twenty six (26) | छब्बीस(२६) | chhabbīs | |
| Twenty seven (27) | सत्ताईस (२७) | sattāīs | |
| Twenty eight (28) | अट्ठाईस (२८) | aṭṭhāīs | |
| Twenty nine (29) | उनतीस (२९) | unatīs | |
| Thirty (30) | तीस (३०) | tīs | |
| Thirty one (31) | इकतीस (३१) | ikatīs | |
| Thirty two (32) | बत्तीस (३२) | battīs | |
| Thirty three (33) | तैंतीस (३३) | taiṃtīs | |
| Thirty four (34) | चौंतीस (३४) | chauṃtīs | |
| Thirty five (35) | पैंतीस (३५) | paiṃtīs | |
| Thirty six (36) | छत्तीस(३६) | chattīs | |
| Thirty seven (37) | सैंतीस (३७) | saiṃtīs | |
| Thirty eight (38) | अड़तीस (३८) | aṛatīs | |
| Thirty nine (39) | उनतालीस (३९) | unatālīs | |
| Forty (40) | चालीस (४०) | chālīs | |
| Forty one (41) | इकतालीस (४१) | ikatālis | |
| Forty two (42) | बयालीस (४२) | biyālis | |
| Forty three (43) | तैंतालीस (४३) | taiṃtālīs | |
| Forty four (44) | चौंतालीस(४४) | chauṃtālīs | |
| Forty five (45) | पैंतालीस (४५) | paiṃtālīs | |
| Forty six (46) | छियालीस(४६) | chiyālīs | |
| Forty seven (47) | सैंतालीस (४७) | saiṃtālīs | |
| Forty eight (48) | अड़तालीस (४८) | aṛatālīs | |
| Forty nine (49) | उनचास(४९) | uncās | |
| Fifty (50) | पचास (५०) | pacās | |
| Fifty one (51) | इक्यावन(५१) | ikyāvan | |
| Fifty two (52) | बावन (५२) | bāvan | |
| Fifty three (53) | तिरेपन (५३) | tirēpana | |
| Fifty four (54) | चौवन(५४) | chauvan | |
| Fifty five (55) | पचपन (५५) | pachapan | |
| Fifty six (56) | छप्पन (५६) | chappan | |
| Fifty seven (57) | सत्तावन (५७) | sattāvan | |
| Fifty eight (58) | अट्ठावन (५८) | aṭṭhāvan | |
| Fifty nine (59) | उनसठ (५९) | unasaṭh | |
| Sixty (60) | साठ (६०) | sāṭh | |
| Sixty one (61) | इकसठ (६१) | ikasaṭh | |
| Sixty two (62) | बासठ (६२) | bāsaṭh | |
| Sixty three (63) | तिरेसठ (६३) | tirasaṭh | |
| Sixty four (64) | चौंसठ (६४) | chauṃsaṭh | |
| Sixty five (65) | पैंसठ (६५) | paiṃsaṭh | |
| Sixty six (66) | छयासठ(६६) | chiyāsaṭh | |
| Sixty seven (67) | सरसठ (६७) | sarasaṭh | |
| Sixty eight (68) | अड़सठ (६८) | aṛasaṭh | |
| Sixty nine (69) | उनहत्तर (६९) | unahattar | |
| Seventy (70) | सत्तर (७०) | sattar | |
| Seventy one (71) | इकहत्तर (७१) | ikahattar | |
| Seventy two (72) | बहत्तर (७२) | bahattar | |
| Seventy three (73) | तिहत्तर (७३) | tihattar | |
| Seventy four (74) | चौहत्तर (७४) | chauhattar | |
| Seventy five (75) | पचहत्तर (७५) | pachahattar | |
| Seventy six (76) | छिहत्तर (७६) | chihattar | |
| Seventy seven (77) | सतहत्तर (७७) | satahattar | |
| Seventy eight (78) | अठहत्तर (७८) | aṭhahattar | |
| Seventy nine (79) | उन्यासी (७९) | unāsī | |
| Eighty (80) | अस्सी (८०) | assī | |
| Eighty one (81) | इक्यासी (८१) | ikyāsī | |
| Eighty two (82) | बयासी (८२) | bayāsī | |
| Eighty three (83) | तिरासी (८३) | tirāsī | |
| Eighty four (84) | चौरासी (८४) | chaurāsī | |
| Eighty five (85) | पचासी (८५) | pachāsī | |
| Eighty six (86) | छियासी (८६) | chiyāsī | |
| Eighty seven (87) | सत्तासी (८७) | sattāsī | |
| Eighty eight (88) | अठासी (८८) | aṭhāsī | |
| Eighty nine (89) | नवासी (८९) | navāsī | |
| Ninety (90) | नब्बे (९०) | nabbē | |
| Ninety one (91) | इक्यानवे (९१) | ikyānavē | |
| Ninety two (92) | बानवे (९२) | bānavē | |
| Ninety three (93) | तिरानवे (९३) | tirānavē | |
| Ninety four (94) | चौरानवे (९४) | chaurānavē | |
| Ninety five (95) | पचानवे (९५) | pachānavē | |
| Ninety six (96) | छियानवे (९६) | chiyānavē | |
| Ninety seven (97) | सत्तानवे (९७) | sattānavē | |
| Ninety eight (98) | अट्ठानवे (९८) | aṭṭhānavē | |
| Ninety nine (99) | निन्यानवे (९९) | ninyānavē | |
| (One) hundred (100) | (एक) सौ (१००) | (ēka) sau |
Once you have got through the numbers 1-100 the rest of the numbers are regular. For example if we need seven hundred sixty seven it will be सात सौ सड़सठ (sāta sau saṛasaṭha).
Another point to be noted in Hindi in case of cardinal numbers is that Hindi (and all other Indic languages) often use quantities like lakh and crore which are less common in English speaking countries. The opposite is true for quantities like million, billion (We are talking about the US billion which is 1 followed by 9 zeros, not the UK billion which is 1 followed by 12 zeros.), trillion etc.
| English | Hindi | Transliteration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two hundred (200) | दो सौ (२००) | do saw | |
| Five hundred (500) | पांच सौ (५००) | pāancha saw | |
| One thousand (1000) | एक हज़ार / एक सहस्र | ēk hazār | |
| Five thousand (5000) | पांच हज़ार | paanch hazār | |
| Ten thousand (10,000) | दस हज़ार | das hazār | |
| Hundred thousand/One lakh (100,000) | एक लाख | ēk lākh | |
| One million/Ten lakh (1,000,000) | दस लाख | das lākh | |
| Ten million/One crore (10,000,000) | एक करोड़ | ēk karod | |
| Hundred million/Ten crore (100,000,000) | दस करोड़ | das karod | |
| One billion (1,000,000,000) | एक अरब | ēk arab | |
| Hundred billion (100,000,000,000) | एक सौ अरब | ēk saw arab |
Ordinals
Hindi ordinals are a piece of cake once you are thorough with the cardinals. Only the first six ordinals are unique.
| English | Hindi | Transliteration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First (1st) | पहला/प्रथम (१ला/१म) | pahalā/prathama | |
| Second (2nd) | दूसरा/द्वितीय (२रा/२य) | dusarā/dvitīya | |
| Third (3rd) | तीसरा/तृतीय (३रा/३य) | tisarā/tr̥tīya | |
| Fourth (4th) | चौथा/चतुर्थ (४था/४र्थ) | cauthā/caturtha | |
| Fifth (5th) | पांचवां/पंचम (५वां/५म) | pāṃcavāṃ/paṃcama | |
| Sixth (6th) | छठा/षष्ठ (६ठा/६ष्ठ) | chaṭhā/ṣaṣṭha | |
| Seventh (7th) | सातवां/सप्तम (७वां/७म) | sātavāṃ/saptama | |
| Eighth (8th) | आठवां/अष्टम (८वां/८म) | āṭhavāṃ/aṣṭama | |
| Ninth (9th) | नौवां/नवम (९वां/९म) | nauvāṃ/navama | |
| Tenth (10th) | दसवां/दशम (१०वां/१०म) | dasa vāṃ/daśama | |
| Fourteenth (14th) | चौदहवां (१४वां) | caudahavāṃ | |
| Seventy eighth (78th) | अठहत्तरवां (७८वां) | aṭhahattaravāṃ | |
| Hundredth (100th) | सौवां (१००वां) | sauvāṃ |
shunya ek do teen char panch chhah saat aath nao das gyaarh
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
As you would have noticed by now that in Hindi 'वां' acts just like 'th' in English which you can add to the end of cardinal numbers to form the corresponding ordinal numbers. If you're wondering about the irregularities of the second options, then let us just tell you that they are the Sanskrit ordinal numbers that are used often in Hindi. You just have to remember ten of them (for they sometimes appear in texts/speeches). After ten, any ordinal numbers you would encounter would be most likely in the general form of ordinal number+vāṃ
Note :- As we mentioned before that the Hindi cardinal numbers are not standardized and several variants exist for the same number. For example सड़सठ and सरसठ are both correct for representing sixty seven. All of these variant forms could be considered correct, however for maintaining uniformity throughout this wikibook we'd be using the forms that are mentioned in this text which is also advocated by the Central Hindi Directorate, Government of India, Ministry of Education and Social Welfare (BGMH, pp. 64-5)