Learning to count is one of the most practical steps you can take when studying a new language.

Numbers are essential for shopping in Addis Ababa, exchanging phone numbers, or simply telling the time.

Amharic numbers follow a very logical and predictable pattern.

Once you memorize the basic numbers from one to ten, building larger numbers becomes incredibly easy.

I’ll show you exactly how to count from 1 to 100 in Amharic with clear pronunciation guides.

Counting from 1 to 10 in Amharic

The foundation of the entire Amharic counting system rests on the numbers one through ten.

You must memorize these ten words before moving on to larger numbers.

They’re used as the building blocks for everything else.

Here are the numbers 1 through 10 in English, Amharic script (Fidel), and their transliteration.

Numbers 11 to 19: the teens

Once you know 1 through 10, the “teen” numbers are incredibly straightforward.

In Amharic, you simply take the word for ten and add the single digit to the end.

However, the word for ten (asir) slightly changes its ending to asra when combined with another number.

The formula is always: Asra + [Number 1-9].

Look at how simple this pattern is in practice.

Counting by tens: 20 to 90

To count all the way up to 100, you’ll need to learn the words for the multiples of ten.

These words are unique, but you might notice they share some root sounds with the single digits.

For example, sost (3) sounds a bit like selasa (30).

Here’s the complete list of tens in Amharic.

Combining tens and ones: 21 to 99

Creating compound numbers like 24 or 87 is exactly like it’s done in English.

You simply say the “tens” word followed immediately by the “ones” word.

There are no connector words or complicated grammar rules to worry about here.

The formula is always: [Ten] + [One].

How to say 100 in Amharic

Reaching one hundred brings us to a brand new standalone vocabulary word.

The Amharic word for 100 is meto (መቶ).

If you want to say larger hundreds, you just place the single digit before meto.

For example, 200 is simply hulet meto (ሁለት መቶ).

Pronunciation tips for Amharic numbers

Getting the pronunciation right is just as important as memorizing the vocabulary.

Amharic has a few sounds that don’t exist in the English language.

The number nine (zetegn) ends with a “gn” sound (ኝ).

This sound is pronounced exactly like the ñ in the Spanish word “jalapeño” or the gn in the Italian word “gnocchi”.

Amharic also features ejective consonants, which are produced by a sharp burst of air from the throat.

The “t” sound in the number nine (zetegn / ዘጠኝ) uses the ejective t’ (ጠ) rather than a soft English “t”.

Make sure to pronounce this letter with a slight click or pop in the back of your throat.

You can practice hearing these exact native sounds by signing up for Talk In Amharic.

Finally, pay attention to the subtle vowels in numbers like simint (8) and sidist (6).

The “i” in these words is very short and clipped, almost like a quick beat connecting the consonants together.