Numbers are some of the most useful Malayalam you can learn early: prices, phone numbers, ages, bus numbers and time all depend on them. This guide takes you from one to ten, through the teens and the tens, up to hundreds, thousands, lakhs and crores, then shows the numbers in the sentences you’ll actually use. Each number comes with the Malayalam script, an easy romanised spelling and the English meaning.
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Real colloquial pronunciation, the way it’s actually said in Kerala.
1 to 10
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| ഒന്ന് | Onnu | 1 |
| രണ്ട് | Randu | 2 |
| മൂന്ന് | Moonnu | 3 |
| നാല് | Naalu | 4 |
| അഞ്ച് | Anchu | 5 |
| ആറ് | Aaru | 6 |
| ഏഴ് | Ezhu | 7 |
| എട്ട് | Ettu | 8 |
| ഒമ്പത് | Onpathu | 9 |
| പത്ത് | Pathu | 10 |
Before a noun, “one” becomes oru: oru chaaya (one tea), oru kilo (one kilo). The others stay the same: randu chaaya, moonnu kilo.
11 to 20
The teens are built on pathu (ten): pathin-onnu is “ten-one”. Twelve and nineteen are a little irregular, so learn them as words.
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| പതിനൊന്ന് | Pathinonnu | 11 |
| പന്ത്രണ്ട് | Panthrandu | 12 |
| പതിമൂന്ന് | Pathimoonnu | 13 |
| പതിനാല് | Pathinaalu | 14 |
| പതിനഞ്ച് | Pathinanchu | 15 |
| പതിനാറ് | Pathinaaru | 16 |
| പതിനേഴ് | Pathinezhu | 17 |
| പതിനെട്ട് | Pathinettu | 18 |
| പത്തൊമ്പത് | Pathombathu | 19 |
| ഇരുപത് | Irupathu | 20 |
The tens: 20 to 100
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| ഇരുപത് | Irupathu | 20 |
| മുപ്പത് | Muppathu | 30 |
| നാല്പത് | Naalpathu | 40 |
| അമ്പത് | Ambathu | 50 |
| അറുപത് | Arupathu | 60 |
| എഴുപത് | Ezhupathu | 70 |
| എൺപത് | Enpathu | 80 |
| തൊണ്ണൂറ് | Thonnooru | 90 |
| നൂറ് | Nooru | 100 |
Numbers in between: 21 to 99
To make 21 to 99, join the ten to the unit, the way English says “twenty-one”. The final -u of the ten changes to a joining sound, so irupathu + onnu becomes irupathonnu. Once you know 1–10 and the tens, you can build every number up to 99.
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| ഇരുപത്തൊന്ന് | Irupathonnu | 21 |
| ഇരുപത്തിരണ്ട് | Irupathirandu | 22 |
| ഇരുപത്തഞ്ച് | Irupathanchu | 25 |
| മുപ്പത്തഞ്ച് | Muppathanchu | 35 |
| നാല്പത്തെട്ട് | Naalpathettu | 48 |
| എഴുപത്തഞ്ച് | Ezhupathanchu | 75 |
| തൊണ്ണൂറ്റൊമ്പത് | Thonnoottombathu | 99 |
Hundreds, thousands, lakhs and crores
Like the rest of India, Kerala counts large amounts in lakhs (1,00,000) and crores (1,00,00,000) rather than millions. House prices, salaries and news reports all use them.
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| നൂറ് | Nooru | 100 |
| നൂറ്റൊന്ന് | Noottonnu | 101 |
| നൂറ്റമ്പത് | Noottambathu | 150 |
| ഇരുന്നൂറ് | Irunnooru | 200 |
| മുന്നൂറ് | Munnooru | 300 |
| അഞ്ഞൂറ് | Anjooru | 500 |
| ആയിരം | Aayiram | 1,000 |
| രണ്ടായിരം | Randaayiram | 2,000 |
| പതിനായിരം | Pathinaayiram | 10,000 |
| ഒരു ലക്ഷം | Oru laksham | 1,00,000 (one lakh = 100,000) |
| ഒരു കോടി | Oru kodi | 1,00,00,000 (one crore = 10 million) |
Prices and money
The rupee is roopa. In shops and autos, prices are usually said in Malayalam, so these are worth practising aloud. For more shopping phrases, see Malayalam shopping phrases.
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| എത്രയാ? | Ethrayaa? | How much is it? |
| ഇത് അമ്പത് രൂപ | Ithu ambathu roopa | This is fifty rupees |
| ഇരുന്നൂറ്റമ്പത് രൂപ | Irunnoottambathu roopa | Two hundred and fifty rupees |
| നൂറ് രൂപ തരാമോ? | Nooru roopa tharaamo? | Could you give me a hundred rupees? |
| ചില്ലറ ഉണ്ടോ? | Chillara undo? | Do you have change? |
| എനിക്ക് പന്ത്രണ്ട് വേണം | Enikku panthrandu venam | I need twelve |
Asking for a phone number
Phone numbers are read digit by digit, and many people switch to English digits for them. The word number itself is borrowed from English.
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| നിന്റെ നമ്പർ എന്താ? | Ninte number enthaa? | What’s your number? (casual) |
| നിങ്ങളുടെ നമ്പർ തരാമോ? | Ningalude number tharaamo? | May I have your number? (polite) |
| എന്റെ നമ്പർ ... | Ente number ... | My number is ... |
| ഒരു മിസ്സ്ഡ് കോൾ അടിക്ക്, ഞാൻ സേവ് ചെയ്യാം | Oru missed call adikku, njaan save cheyyaam | Give me a missed call, I’ll save it |
More call phrases are in home and phone phrases. To ask someone’s age, see how old are you?; to tell the time, see telling the time.
Tips for learning numbers
Master 1–10 until you can say them without thinking, then learn the tens. After that, practise on real things: read every price tag, bus number and clock you see in Malayalam. A minute a day with numbers pays off fast, because they come up in almost every conversation. For a guided start, try the free 30-day course.
Frequently asked questions
How do you count 1 to 10 in Malayalam?
Onnu, randu, moonnu, naalu, anchu, aaru, ezhu, ettu, onpathu, pathu.
How do you say 11 to 20 in Malayalam?
Pathinonnu, panthrandu, pathimoonnu, pathinaalu, pathinanchu, pathinaaru, pathinezhu, pathinettu, pathombathu, irupathu.
What is 100 in Malayalam?
Nooru (നൂറ്). 1,000 is aayiram, one lakh is oru laksham and one crore is oru kodi.
How do you make numbers like 21 or 35 in Malayalam?
Join the ten and the unit: irupathu + onnu = irupathonnu (21); muppathu + anchu = muppathanchu (35).
How do you ask for a phone number in Malayalam?
“Ninte number enthaa?” casually, or “ningalude number tharaamo?” politely.
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