When you learn Turkish, you need to learn tons of new words, including Turkish numbers.
And while learning to count to ten is often one of the first and easiest things any language learner does, things can get a bit trickier when you start counting past ten. And when you include things like ordinal numbers.
Numbers can be a little different in Turkish, so in this post, you'll learn all about the particularities of Turkish numbers. By the end of it, you'll be able to count and talk about numbers in Turkish with ease. So let's get going!
Pro Tip
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Table of Contents
Why Turkish Numbers Can Be Tricky
That’s right, while you might not think about it in English because it comes so naturally, there is actually more than one kind of number and some numbers don’t follow numerical patterns.
For example there are cardinal numbers (what you think of as regular numbers like one, two, three, etc.) and there are ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.).
There are also words for numbers that start a new set of ten that contain their base number (like sixty) and those that don’t (like twenty).
As a native English speaker you probably take for granted that one is the equivalent of first, two goes with second, and three goes with third. You also know intuitively that that twenty is the second set of tens even though the number two is not in the word. It’s obvious right?
Well for English language learners it’s actually not. When you look closer you see that one and first are actually two completely distinct vocabulary words. They have almost nothing in common. You have to intentionally commit to memory that one equals first and and that thirty is related to three.
When it comes to ordinal numbers it isn’t until you get to the number four and its corresponding ordinal number fourth that you first get to see an ordinal number that contains the cardinal number in it.
And it's not until six and sixth that you get it consistently, all the way through tenth. The same goes for the numbers that start a new set of ten. You have to wait until sixty to get consistency.
Then of course there are the abbreviations of these ordinal numbers which are like vocabulary on their own (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc.). For someone learning English, it takes time and intentionality to know all of this.
Cardinal Numbers In Turkish
The good news is that learning cardinal and ordinal numbers in Turkish is actually easier for you than learning English numbers is for non-native speakers.
That’s because there are simple rules you follow with ordinal Turkish numbers that make each one an obvious extension of its cardinal counterpart.
How To Count To Ten In Turkish
But before we get to the ordinal numbers, lets learn how to count to ten and then one hundred in Turkish .
- 0 – sıfır
- 1 – bir
- 2 – iki
- 3 – üç
- 4 – dört
- 5 – beş
- 6 – altı
- 7 – yedi
- 8 – sekiz
- 9 – dokuz
- 10 – on
The best way to get a handle on counting is to just practise it over and over again until you have it down pat. What I recommend is using the StoryLearning method – in other words read books in Turkish so that you see the numbers again and again.
The good news is that once you have the first ten Turkish numbers down you will be very well prepared to learn to count as high as you want.
This is not necessarily the case with English where 11 and 12 have their own words and are not part of a numerical pattern.
In Turkish though, the formula for saying a number is saying the ten place first followed by the ones place. For example, eleven is on bir. You say on for ten and bir for one meaning “ten one”, or eleven.
Nineteen then, is on dokuz. This simple formula is true for counting basically as high as you want to go, with only one more thing to mention.
Multiples Of Ten In Turkish
One area where Turkish is like English is that some of the first numbers in a new set of ten are their own vocabulary words, meaning they don’t follow a numerical pattern.
In English twenty, thirty, and fifty are their own vocab words and don’t really contain their word for the number they are based on (two for twenty, three for thirty, and five for fifty).
They are close but not exact, whereas the rest of the numbers that start a new set of ten (forty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety) contain the word exactly.
Turkish is actually a bit more complex on this point than English because just about every new set of ten requires you to memorize a new word.
The numbers are:
- 20 – yirmi
- 30 – otuz
- 40 – kırk
- 50 – elli
- 60 – altmış
- 70 – yetmiş
- 80 – seksen
- 90 – doksan
As you can see some of the latter numbers contain an indication of its corresponding base number (altı and altmış, yedi and yetmiş, sekiz and seksen, and dokuz and doksan).
But essentially there is no pattern and these are words you just have to memorize. But once you do, saying any number you want is easy as you just say the tens place number followed by the ones place number.
Fifty three is elli üç, for example. To master saying these Turkish numbers simply practise over and over again (reading stories to see the numbers in context is a great way to do this) taking any tens place number and any ones place number and say it several times. Before long it should be fairly easy.
Counting To 100 And Beyond In Turkish
The good news is that there are only a few more words you need to learn in order to say any number you want. Here they are:
- hundred – yüz
- thousand – bin
- million – milyon
- billion – milyar
Let’s assume for now that being able to count to a billion is enough for a beginning Turkish learner. If you want to say any number you start with the highest number place and say each number down to the ones place.
Here are a few examples:
- 189 – yüz seksen dokuz
- 1762 – bin yedi yüz altmış iki
- 45,678 – kırk beş bin altı yüz yetmiş sekiz
You follow this pattern as high as you can go in counting and saying Turkish numbers. While it takes a little effort to learn the vocab words, the pattern makes counting a breeze before long.
Ordinal Numbers In Turkish
As noted at the beginning of this article, ordinal numbers in Turkish are actually easier than ordinal numbers in English.
The reason for this is because all ordinal numbers in Turkish contain the word of the number itself. The only thing you do to make a number ordinal in Turkish is add the ending inci/ıncı/uncu/üncü.
If that four way ending scares you it might mean you need to take some more time to revise Turkish vowel harmony. Vowel harmony is one of the basic tenets of Turkish and every ending you add in Turkish (which there are tons of) relies on it.
If you feel you are ready to continue with ordinal numbers here is what each looks like:
- Bir – birinci
- Iki – ikinci
- Üç – üçüncü
- Dört – dördüncü
- Beş – beşinci
- Altı – altıncı
- Yedi – yedinci
- Sekiz – sekizinci
- Dokuz – dokuzuncu
- On – onuncu
If you are wondering what happens to the first number in each new set of ten it is the exact same. You take the number and simply add the appropriate vowel harmonized ending.
Instead of showing you all of them here are two examples:
- Kırk – kırkıncı
- Yetmiş – yetmişinci
The same is true for hundred, thousand, million, and beyond. It is true for every number without exception. This makes saying the correct ordinal number easy to learn and execute.
How To Abbreviate Ordinal Numbers
Finally, just as there are abbreviations for ordinal numbers in English, there are abbreviations for ordinal numbers in Turkish. And once again the Turkish version is easier to learn. Here it is: you simply put a full stop after the number.
- Birinci – 1.
- Ikinci – 2.
- Üçüncü – 3.
There really is no need to show you all of them because they are all the same. If you are trying to write any of these words (or read them) you simply put or look for a period after the number. It’s that simple.
A Note On “First” In Turkish
Before I wrap up this post on Turkish numbers let's look at one common mistake Turkish language learners make.
It has to do with the concept and words for first. In Turkish there is the word birinci which refers to the number but then there is also the word ilk which refers to the beginning of something.
So while you would say birinci sınıf for first grade you would say ilk gün when talking about the first day of school. This can be a little tricky to get used to, but with practice it begins to feel natural.
FAQs About Turkish Numbers
What are the numbers 1 to 20 in Turkish?
Here are the numbers from 1 to 10 in Turkish:
Bir – One
İki – Two
Üç – Three
Dört – Four
Beş – Five
Altı – Six
Yedi – Seven
Sekiz – Eight
Dokuz – Nine
On – Ten
To count from 11 to 19, all you need to do is say the word for “ten” (on) and combine it with the number for 1 to 9. For example:
On bir – Eleven
On iki – Twelve
On üç – Thirteen
On dört – Fourteen
On beş – Fifteen
On altı – Sixteen
On yedi – Seventeen
On sekiz – Eighteen
On dokuz – Nineteen
Last but not least, the word for “twenty” is:
Yirmi – Twenty
How do you count to 10 in Turkish?
Counting to 10 in Turkish is pretty simple! Here are the numbers to 10 in Turkish:
Bir – One
İki – Two
Üç – Three
Dört – Four
Beş – Five
Altı – Six
Yedi – Seven
Sekiz – Eight
Dokuz – Nine
On – Ten
What is 20 in Turkish?
The word for 20 in Turkish is yirmi (twenty).
What is the difference between ilk and birinci?
The words ilk and birinci both mean “first” in English, so it might seem confusing at first glance that there are two words for this.
That said, you do use the words ilk and birinci in specific contexts. The best way I can describe it is that the word ilk is used to describe the beginning of a thing or a moment, while the word birinci is used to refer to something being first out of a number of things.
For example, if there is a competition of some sort, then you wouldn’t say that someone came in ilk. Instead, you’d want to say: Yarışmada birinci oldu (He/she got first in the competition), recognising that someone else might be coming in second (ikinci), third (üçüncü), and so on and so forth.
But if you’re wanting to say that you’re doing something for the first time, you’d want to say ilk kez or ilk defa (first time).
Here are some example sentences to help you get to grips with this:
Hayatımda ilk defa yurt dışına çıkıyorum. – I’m going overseas for the first time in my life.
Oğlum bu yıl birinci sınıfa başlayacak. – My son is starting in first grade this year.
What is the lucky number in Turkish?
There is something special about the number 40 (kırk) in Turkish. A lot of superstitions and beliefs involve the number 40!
For example, people believe that if you invite someone to have coffee with you and they accept that your friendship with the person will last 40 years!
The number 40 also features in the popular Turkish phrase, kırk bir kere maşallah (literally: forty-one times mashallah) which is a phrase that is used by many toward children and other loved ones to protect against the evil eye.
How To Learn And Use Turkish Numbers
Learning numbers and counting is an important part of any language. The best part about learning Turkish numbers is that they are logical, systematic, and with a good effort very manageable.
One way to learn them is to write them out, say them over and over again, and even work them into your Turkish conversations. But here at StoryLearning®, my fun and effective method that teaches you through stories, not rules is all about immersion, especially in books.
So, immerse yourself in short stories in Turkish and look out for the numbers as you read. You'll also spot them when you watch Turkish movies on Netflix. Thanks to this exposure, you'll start to feel more comfortable counting in Turkish.
And if you find yourself making mistakes, don’t be discouraged by the fear villain. It takes time to learn numbers in a new language, especially when they are so ingrained in your native language.
Kolay gelsin!
Olly Richards
Creator of the StoryLearning® Method
Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearning® method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.
Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.
When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preaches—he speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.
