Numbers

12 phrases · Papiamentu with romanization, English and audio

  1. Un, dos, tres

    One, two, three

    Usage

    Basic Papiamentu numbers 1 to 3

    Grammar Note

    Papiamentu numbers closely resemble Spanish and Portuguese numerals

  2. Kuater, sinku, seis

    Ku-a-ter, sin-ku, seis

    Four, five, six

    Usage

    Papiamentu numbers 4 to 6

    Grammar Note

    "kuater" comes from Spanish "cuatro" (four); the -er ending is a regular Papiamentu development and is unrelated to Dutch "vier"

  3. Shete, ocho, nuebe

    She-te, o-cho, nue-be

    Seven, eight, nine

    Usage

    Papiamentu numbers 7 to 9

    Grammar Note

    Eight and nine are close to their Spanish equivalents, but seven is shete, spelt differently from Spanish siete. The form survives in the Curaçao national park name Shete Boka ("seven inlets")

  4. Dies

    Ten

    Usage

    The Papiamentu word for ten

    Grammar Note

    "dies" derives from Spanish "diez" (ten), adapted to Papiamentu pronunciation

  5. Kuantu? Binti florin.

    Ku-an-tu? Bin-ti flo-rin.

    How much? Twenty florins.

    Usage

    A practical exchange about price using numbers

    Grammar Note

    "binti" means "twenty" from Spanish "veinte"; "florin" is the currency of Aruba

  6. Binti un, binti dos, binti tres

    Bin-ti un, bin-ti dos, bin-ti tres

    Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three

    Usage

    Compound numbers 21 to 23 in Papiamentu

    Grammar Note

    Compound numbers follow the pattern "tens + ones" without a connector word

  7. Trinta, kuarenta, sinkuenta

    Trin-ta, ku-a-ren-ta, sin-ku-en-ta

    Thirty, forty, fifty

    Usage

    Tens 30, 40, 50 in Papiamentu

    Grammar Note

    Nearly identical to Spanish "treinta, cuarenta, cincuenta" — easy to remember

  8. Sien, mil, un miyon

    Sien, mil, un mi-yon

    One hundred, one thousand, one million

    Usage

    Large number units in Papiamentu

    Grammar Note

    "sien" from Spanish "cien" (hundred); the number system closely parallels Spanish

  9. Promé, segundo, tresero

    Pro-mé, se-gun-do, tre-se-ro

    First, second, third

    Usage

    Ordinal numbers for order and sequence in Papiamentu

    Grammar Note

    "promé" comes from Portuguese "primeiro" / Spanish "primero" (first); "segundo" and "tresero" are also Iberian

  10. E buelo ta na porta número sinku.

    E bue-lo ta na por-ta nú-me-ro sin-ku.

    The flight is at gate number five.

    Usage

    Practical use of numbers for gate announcements at the airport

    Grammar Note

    "número" is identical to Spanish for "number" — shows practical use of numbers

  11. Mi tin binti shete aña.

    Mi tin bin-ti she-te a-ña.

    I'm 27 years old

    Usage

    Giving your age — the answer to "Kuantu aña bo tin?" (How old are you?)

    Grammar Note

    Papiamentu states age as "tin + numeral + aña" ("to have N years"), the same frame as "Mi mucha tin tres aña" in this data with the subject changed. "aña" stays singular after a numeral, and twenty-one to twenty-nine are built as "binti" plus the unit

  12. E aña aki mi ta kumpli binti ocho aña.

    E a-ña a-ki mi ta kum-pli bin-ti o-cho a-ña.

    I turn 28 this year

    Usage

    Saying what age you will reach during the current year

    Grammar Note

    "kumpli + numeral + aña" means to turn an age, as in "un hungadó por a kumpli 13 aña despues di promé di mei" (a player may turn thirteen after 1 May). "This X" is framed as "E … aki", the same shape as "E siman aki" (this week)

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