Learning a new language often begins with mastering the basics, and one of the most fundamental aspects is getting familiar with numbers and counting terms. In Kannada, one of the classical languages of India, there is a unique set of numerical terms that are important for everyday interactions. Whether you’re shopping, telling time, or just need to give a quantity, knowing these terms is essential. We’ll explore some of the primary numerical and counting terms in Kannada here.

ಒಂದು (Ondu)
Ondu means “one” in Kannada. It is the starting point for counting and is used widely in daily conversation to indicate a single item or instance.
ನನಗೆ ಒಂದು ಸೇಬು ಬೇಕು.
(I need one apple.)

ಎರಡು (Eradu)
Eradu translates to “two” in Kannada. It is used when referring to a pair or couple of things.
ನಮಗೆ ಎರಡು ಟಿಕೆಟ್ಗಳು ಬೇಕಾಗಿದೆ.
(We need two tickets.)

ಮೂರು (Mooru)
Mooru is the Kannada word for “three.” It is often used in the context of small groups or quantities.
ಅವಳು ಮೂರು ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳನ್ನು ಓದಿದಳು.
(She read three books.)

ನಾಲ್ಕು (Naalku)
Naalku means “four” in Kannada. This term is useful when discussing things that come in fours, like wheels of a car or legs of a table.
ನಾನು ನಾಲ್ಕು ಬಾಟಲಿ ನೀರು ಖರೀದಿಸಿದೆನೆ.
(I bought four bottles of water.)

ಐದು (Aidu)
Aidu is the word for “five” in Kannada. It can be noted in contexts such as the five fingers on a hand or a workweek’s days.
ನನಗೆ ಐದು ಕೆಜಿ ಅಕ್ಕಿ ಬೇಕು.
(I need five kilograms of rice.)

ಆರು (Aaru)
Aaru denotes “six” in Kannada. It is frequently used to represent half a dozen items.
ಅವನು ಆರು ಮೀಟರ್ ಬಟ್ಟೆಯನ್ನು ತಂದಿದ್ದಾನೆ.
(He brought six meters of fabric.)

ಏಳು (Yelu)
Yelu translates to “seven” in Kannada, which you might use when talking about the days in a week or the deadly sins.
ಈ ವಾರದಲ್ಲಿ ಏಳು ದಿನಗಳಿವೆ.
(There are seven days in a week.)

ಎಂಟು (Entu)
Entu signifies “eight” in Kannada. It can be used in various scenarios like octagons or the number of legs on a spider.
ಎಂಟು ಮಂದಿ ಸದಸ್ಯರು ಸಭೆಗೆ ಆಗಮಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
(Eight members have attended the meeting.)

ಒಂಬತ್ತು (Ombattu)
Ombattu is the Kannada term for “nine.” This number is often associated with the last single digit before reaching ten.
ನನಗೆ ಒಂಬತ್ತು ಪೆನ್ನುಗಳು ಸಿಗುತ್ತವೆ.
(I will get nine pens.)

ಹತ್ತು (Hattu)
Hattu translates to “ten” in Kannada. It’s a base number in the decimal system and is often the first big milestone in counting.
ನಿನಗೆ ಹತ್ತು ರೂಪಾಯಿ ಬಾಕಿ ಇದೆ.
(You owe ten rupees.)

Learning these fundamental counting terms in Kannada not only forms the base for further numerical learning but also empowers you to engage with native speakers in various everyday situations. Practice these numbers in real-life scenarios to enhance your understanding and fluency in the Kannada language. Happy learning!