Hejmar · From eleven to a thousand
Build larger numbers from familiar parts.
By the end of this lessonRead and write numbers from 11 to 1000, joining their parts with û.
The idea
Learn 11–19 as words, then learn the tens: bîst (20), sî (30), çil (40), pêncî (50), şêst (60), heftê (70), heştê (80), nod (90). Put the larger part first and join a remainder with û: bîst û pênc (25), sed û bîst û yek (121). Sed is 100 and hezar is 1000. Exact hundreds are multiples of sed: dused (200), sêsed (300).
See it in a sentence
Spellings vary: yazdeh/yanzdeh, duwazdeh/dwanzdeh, şazdeh/şanzdeh, hevdeh/hivdeh, hejdeh/hijdeh and sî/sih occur. Hundreds may be written together or separately, such as dused / du sed. The table follows the reference spelling; typed exercises specify a form where needed. In a simple counting phrase, put the number before the noun: bîst û pênc pirtûk. This does not remove case endings required in other grammatical contexts.
Build it step by step
- Memorize the teens and exact tens using the table. Do not build 15 by simply joining pênc and deh.
- Break a larger number into hundreds, tens and units, then read from largest to smallest.
- Join a nonzero remainder with û: 105 = sed û pênc; 125 = sed û bîst û pênc. Do not insert a word for an absent tens part.
| Number | Kurmanji |
|---|---|
| 11 | yanzdeh |
| 12 | dwanzdeh |
| 13 | sêzdeh |
| 14 | çardeh |
| 15 | panzdeh |
| 16 | şanzdeh |
| 17 | hivdeh |
| 18 | hijdeh |
| 19 | nozdeh |
| 20 | bîst |
| 30 | sî |
| 40 | çil |
| 50 | pêncî |
| 60 | şêst |
| 70 | heftê |
| 80 | heştê |
| 90 | nod |
| 100 | sed |
| 200 | dused |
| 300 | sêsed |
| 400 | çarsed |
| 500 | pêncsed |
| 600 | şeşsed |
| 700 | heftsed |
| 800 | heştsed |
| 900 | nehsed |
| 1000 | hezar |
Take a sentence apart
100: hundreds part
joins the remaining amount
20: tens part
and 1: units part, giving 121
English says twenty-five without “and”; Kurmanji uses û between bîst and pênc. The order of the place values stays largest first.
A common trap
Incorrect: bîst pênc
Correct: bîst û pênc
To write 25 in this pattern, join the tens and units with û.
Grammar reference: Thackston, § 9 · Cardinal numbers and compound numbers