Spoken Malayalam phrases

How to Count 1 to 10 in Malayalam

Casual, everyday Malayalam — not textbook. By Dr. Reshmi R Nair, PhD.

ഒന്ന്, രണ്ട്, മൂന്ന്...
Onnu, randu, moonnu... — One, two, three...

▶ Hear it spoken by a native voice.

In short: Counting 1–5 in Malayalam: ഒന്ന് (onnu), രണ്ട് (randu), മൂന്ന് (moonnu), നാല് (naalu), അഞ്ച് (anchu). Then 6–10: ആറ് (aaru), ഏഴ് (ezhu), എട്ട് (ettu), ഒൻപത് (onpathu), പത്ത് (patthu). These cover most everyday counting, prices and quantities.

Variations & related phrases

MalayalamRomanisedEnglish
ഒന്ന് · രണ്ട് · മൂന്ന്Onnu · Randu · Moonnu1 · 2 · 3
നാല് · അഞ്ച്Naalu · Anchu4 · 5
ആറ് · ഏഴ് · എട്ട്Aaru · Ezhu · Ettu6 · 7 · 8
ഒൻപത് · പത്ത്Onpathu · Patthu9 · 10

When & how to use it

Learn 1–5 first — that handles most tea-shop and auto situations. Use numbers with രൂപ (roopa) for money: നൂറ് രൂപ (nooru roopa) = 100 rupees. The audio here covers 1–5; the flashcards include a 6–10 clip too.

Example sentences

MalayalamRomanisedEnglish
രണ്ട് ചായ താ.Randu chaaya thaa.Give me two teas.
ഇത് എത്ര രൂപയായി?Ithu ethra roopayaayi?How many rupees is this?

Want to hear this used in a real conversation? Listen to Episode 8 - Numbers, Counting & Money in the free Listen & Learn library — every line has a Malayalam, romanised and English transcript.

Practise speaking it for real

These pages train your ear. A live 1-to-1 lesson with Dr. Reshmi trains your mouth — real-time correction only a teacher can give.

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RRN
Dr. Reshmi R Nair, PhD

Teaches casual, everyday spoken Malayalam to beginners, NRIs, partners of Malayalis and travellers — never stiff textbook Malayalam.

Frequently asked questions

How do you count to five in Malayalam?

ഒന്ന് (onnu), രണ്ട് (randu), മൂന്ന് (moonnu), നാല് (naalu), അഞ്ച് (anchu).

How do you say ten in Malayalam?

Ten is പത്ത് (patthu).

How do you ask the price in Malayalam?

Say ഇത് എത്ര രൂപയായി? (ithu ethra roopayaayi?).

Are Malayalam numbers hard?

The first ten are short and regular — learn 1–5 first and the rest follow quickly.