Lesson 2A1

Numbers 1–10

സംഖ്യകൾ 1–10

English numbers compound almost as cleanly as Malayalam's from thirteen onward — but eleven and twelve are a small irregular pocket worth knowing about upfront.

Grammar Comparison

Thirteen onward is transparent, eleven and twelve aren't

English

thirteen = three + teen ('ten'); but eleven, twelve don't visibly mean 'ten-one', 'ten-two'

Malayalam (previous course)

പതിമൂന്ന് = പത്ത് + മൂന്ന്; പതിനൊന്ന്, പന്ത്രണ്ട് are equally transparent

From thirteen to nineteen, English does what Malayalam does the whole way through: fuse a unit-word with '-teen' (a worn-down form of 'ten'). But eleven and twelve break that pattern — they don't visibly decompose the way Malayalam's teens do. Treat eleven and twelve as two irregular words to memorize, then the pattern resumes.

Vocabulary

onewun

Malayalam (previous course): ഒന്ന്onnu

twotoo

Malayalam (previous course): രണ്ട്randu

threethree

Malayalam (previous course): മൂന്ന്moonu

fourfor

Malayalam (previous course): നാല്naalu

fivefyv

Malayalam (previous course): അഞ്ച്anchu

sixsiks

Malayalam (previous course): ആറ്aaru

sevenSEH-vn

Malayalam (previous course): ഏഴ്ezhu

eightate

Malayalam (previous course): എട്ട്ettu

ninenyn

Malayalam (previous course): ഒൻപത്onpathu

tenten

Malayalam (previous course): പത്ത്patthu

English	Pronunciation	Malayalam (previous course)
one	wun	ഒന്ന്onnu
two	too	രണ്ട്randu
three	three	മൂന്ന്moonu
four	for	നാല്naalu
five	fyv	അഞ്ച്anchu
six	siks	ആറ്aaru
seven	SEH-vn	ഏഴ്ezhu
eight	ate	എട്ട്ettu
nine	nyn	ഒൻപത്onpathu
ten	ten	പത്ത്patthu

← Greetings & Formality Family →