Numbers

1. Як, ду, се

   Yak, du, se

   One, two, three

   Usage

   Basic numbers used for counting and shopping

   Grammar Note

   Tajik numbers belong to the Iranian language family, close to Persian/Dari: yak(1), du(2), se(3), chor(4), panj(5), shash(6), haft(7), hasht(8), nuh(9), dah(10).

2. Чор, панҷ, шаш

   Chor, panj, shash

   Four, five, six

   Usage

   Continuation of basic numbers

   Grammar Note

   "Panj" (5) is related to English "punch" (the drink with 5 ingredients) via Persian. "Shash" (6) is the same as Persian "shesh".

3. Ҳафт, ҳашт, нӯҳ, даҳ

   Haft, hasht, nuh, dah

   Seven, eight, nine, ten

   Usage

   Numbers seven through ten

   Grammar Note

   "Haft" (7) shares proto-Indo-European roots with Sanskrit "sapta" and Latin "septem". These numbers reveal Tajik's deep Indo-European heritage.

4. Ёздаҳ, дувоздаҳ, сездаҳ

   Yoz-dah, du-voz-dah, sez-dah

   Eleven, twelve, thirteen

   Usage

   Numbers eleven through thirteen

   Grammar Note

   Teen numbers follow the pattern "~ + dah (ten)". "Yozdah" (11) has the same form as Persian "yazdah".

5. Бист, си, чил

   Bist, si, chil

   Twenty, thirty, forty

   Usage

   Multiples of ten

   Grammar Note

   "Chil" (40) is the same as Persian "chel". In Islamic culture, 40 is a sacred number (appears often in the Quran, 40 days of mourning, etc.).

6. Панҷоҳ, шаст, ҳафтод

   Pan-joh, shast, haf-tod

   Fifty, sixty, seventy

   Usage

   Tens from fifty to seventy

   Grammar Note

   "Panjoh" (50) is "panj" (5) and "haftod" (70) is "haft" (7) with an ending marking the tens. Same system as Persian numbers.

7. Ҳаштод, навад, сад

   Hash-tod, na-vad, sad

   Eighty, ninety, one hundred

   Usage

   Numbers eighty through one hundred

   Grammar Note

   "Sad" (100) is the same as Persian "sad". It traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root "km-t" (hundred), cognate with Latin "centum" and English "hundred".

8. Ҳазор, даҳ ҳазор, як миллион

   Ha-zor, dah ha-zor, yak mil-li-on

   One thousand, ten thousand, one million

   Usage

   Larger numbers for prices and amounts

   Grammar Note

   "Hazor" (1000) is the same as Persian "hezar". Tajikistan's currency is the somoni (1 somoni = 100 dirams). Russian numbers are also used due to Soviet legacy.

9. Биёед ҳисоб кунем

   Bi-yo-ed hi-sob ku-nem

   Let's calculate

   Usage

   When working out costs or doing calculations together

   Grammar Note

   "Biyoed + verb-1st-plural" = "let's do something". "Kunem" is first-person plural of "kardan" (to do). "Hisob" (calculation) comes from Arabic "hisab".

10. Нисф, чоряк

    Nisf, cho-ryak

    Half, quarter

    Usage

    Fractions used when dividing food or quantities

    Grammar Note

    "Nisf" (half) comes from Arabic "nisf". "Choryak" (quarter) = "chor" (4) + "yak" (1) = one of four, same as Persian "charak".

11. Якум, дуюм, севум

    Ya-kum, du-yum, se-vum

    First, second, third

    Usage

    Ordinal numbers for sequence, bus stops, or ranking

    Grammar Note

    Tajik ordinals are formed by adding "-um" suffix: yakum (1st), duyum (2nd), sevum (3rd), chorum (4th), panjum (5th). Same "-om" suffix as Persian.

12. Соат чанд аст?

    So-at chand ast?

    What time is it?

    Usage

    Basic expression for asking the time

    Grammar Note

    "Soat" (hour/clock) comes from Arabic "saah". Usage: "Soati du" (2 o'clock), "Soati se va nim" (3:30). "Va" is an alternative conjunction for "and".

13. Синну соли ман бисту ҳафт аст

    Sin-nu so-li man bis-tu haft ast

    I'm 27 years old

    Usage

    How to answer "Sinnu soli shumo chand ast?" (how old are you?). Simply replace "shumo" (you) with "man" (I) and "chand" (how many) with the number.

    Grammar Note

    For 21-99 the ten and the unit are joined by "-u": bistu haft (27), bistu hasht (28). "Sinnu sol" pairs Arabic "sinn" (age) with Tajik "sol" (year) in an izafet construction, with the possessor following.

14. Имсол синну соли ман бисту ҳашт мешавад

    Im-sol sin-nu so-li man bis-tu hasht me-sha-vad

    I turn 28 this year

    Usage

    Used in the year your age changes. It uses "meshavad" (becomes) instead of "ast" (is).

    Grammar Note

    "Imsol" is "im-" (this) + "sol" (year), the same word as Persian "emsāl". "Meshavad" is the third-person singular present of "shudan" (to become); the subject is "sinnu soli man", so the verb stays third person.

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