Here is how to count in Bambara, from 1 to 1,000, with 25 numbers checked against reference sources (Bambara of Mali, official spelling (tones not written)). Learn the first ten first: almost all the others are built from them.
1
From 0 to 10
kelenone
filaalso: fla, filan, flantwo
sabathree
naanifour
duurufive
wɔɔrɔsix
wolonfilaalso: wolonfla, wolonwula, wolonfulaseven
seginalso: seegineight
kɔnɔntɔnalso: kɔnɔntɔnine
tanten
2
From 11 to 19
Tan ni keleneleven
Tan ni filatwelve
Tan ni sabathirteen
Tan ni naanifourteen
Tan ni duurufifteen
Tan ni wɔɔrɔsixteen
Tan ni wolonfilaseventeen
Tan ni segineighteen
Tan ni kɔnɔntɔnnineteen
3
Tens, hundreds, thousands
mugantwenty
Bi sabathirty
Bi naaniforty
Bi duurufifty
kɛmɛone hundred
waaalso: waone thousand
Test yourself
1. What does “fila” mean?
2. What does “segin” mean?
3. What does “Tan ni naani” mean?
4. What does “mugan” mean?
Where do these words come from?
The words in this article come from: Peace Corps Mali Bambara courses, Bamadaba dictionary (Corpus Bambara de Référence). They are copied with their exact spelling; when two sources disagree, the variant is shown. Do you speak this language and spot a mistake? Write to us.
The words in this article come from: Peace Corps Mali Bambara courses, Bamadaba dictionary (Corpus Bambara de Référence). They are copied with their exact spelling; when two sources disagree, the variant is shown. Do you speak this language and spot a mistake? Write to us.