Overall, there are two different counting systems in the Igbo language, a 20 based one (older version) and a 10 (decimal) based one (newer version). The lessons on this page mostly focus on the newer 10 based counting system, meaning the numbers are described based on the multiples of 10 instead of multiples 20. However, I did give examples of how to say both 20 and 400 using both systems.
Numbers
Ordinal
Numbers – ọnụọgụgụcount – gụọ0 zero – ncha/ adịgị / okpokoro / efu (Note: Many disagree about the meaning of zero in Igbo.)1 one – otu / ofu2 two – abụọ3 three – atọ4 four – anọ5 five – ise6 six – isii /isi7 seven – asaa / asa8 eight – asatọ9 nine – itoolu10 ten – iri
11 eleven – iri na otu12 twelve – iri na abụọ13 thirteen – iri na atọ14 fourteen – iri na anọ15 fifteen – iri na ise16 sixteen – iri na isii17 seventeen – iri na asaa18 eighteen – iri na asatọ19 nineteen – iri na itoolu20 twenty – iri abụọ (10 based) / ọgụ (20 based)21 twenty one – iri abụọ na otu22 twenty two – iri abụọ na abụọ23 twenty three – iri abụọ na atọ24 twenty four – iri abụọ na anọ25 twenty five – iri abụọ na ise26 twenty six – iri abụọ na isii27 twenty seven – iri abụọ na asaa28 twenty eight – iri abụọ na asatọ29 twenty nine – iri abụọ na itoolu30 thirty – iri atọ35 thirty five – iri atọ na ise40 forty – iri anọ50 fifty – iri ise60 sixty – iri isii70 seventy – iri asaa80 eighty – iri asatọ90 ninety – iri itoolu100 one hundred – otu nnarị / otu narị (Note: Many argue about whether 100 is spelled narị or nnarị.)101 one hundred one – otu narị na otu200 two hundred – narị abụọ223 two hundred twenty three – narị abụọ na iri abụọ na atọ300 three hundred – narị atọ400 four hundred – narị anọ (10 based) / nnụ (20 based)500 five hundred – narị ise600 six hundred – nari isii700 seven hundred – narị asaa800 eight hundred – narị asatọ900 nine hundred – narị itoolu1000 one thousand – otu puku1001 one thousand one – otu puku na otu2000 two thousand – puku abụọ2017 two thousand seventeen – puku abụọ na iri na asaa2018 two thousand eighteen – puku abụọ na iri na asato3000 three thousand – puku atọ3452 three thousand four hundred fifty two – puku atọ na narị anọ na iri ise na abụọ10, 000 one ten thousand – puku iri40, 000 forty thousand – puku iri anọ100, 000 one hundred thousand – puku narị1,000, 000 one million – otu nde1,000,000,000 one billion – otu ijeriOrdinal 1st first – nke mbụ2nd second – nke abụọ3rd third – nke atọ4th fourth – nke anọ5th fifth – nke ise6th sixth – nke isii7th seventh – nke asaa8th eighth – nke asatọ9th ninth – nke itoolu10th tenth – nke iri13th thirteenth – nke iri na atọ30th thirtieth – nke iri atọ300th three hundredth – nke nari atọ3000th three thousandth – nke puku atọonce – otu ugboro / otu mgbe (Note: Some argue about the meaning of once in Igbo.)twice – ugboro abụọthree times – ugboro atọNeed help staying consistent with your Igbo studies? Sign up for my Igbo Accountability Email Series today!
