Cardinal, ordinal and fractional numbers
Cardinal numbers less than 100 are written in the solid form. While the bound conjunction “o” stands for “and”, the suffix “-om” or “-omin” are used to form the ordinals depending on whether the number occurs before or after a noun:
radif e bistopanjom |
= |
bistopanjomin radif | the twenty-fifth row |
The following table provides an overview of the structure of cardinal and ordinal numbers:
Cardinal | Cardinal | Ordinal (after a noun)) | Ordinal (before a noun) |
1 | yek | yekom/avval/noxost | yekomin/avvalin/noxostin |
2 | do | dovvom | dovvomin |
3 | se | sevvom | sevvomin |
4 | câhâr | câhârom | câhâromin |
5 | panj | panjom | panjomin |
6 | ŝeŝ | ŝeŝom | ŝeŝomin |
7 | haft | haftom | haftomin |
8 | haŝt | haŝtom | haŝtomin |
9 | noh | nohom | nohomin |
10 | dah | dahom | dahomin |
11 | yâzdah | yâzdahom | yâzdahomin |
12 | davâzdah | davâzdahom | davâzdahomin |
13 | sizdah | sizdahom | sizdahomin |
14 | câhârdah | câhârdahom | câhârdahomin |
15 | pânzdah | pânzdahom | pânzdahomin |
16 | ŝânzdah | ŝânzdahom | ŝânzdahomin |
17 | hefdah | hefdahom | hefdahomin |
18 | hejdah | hejdahom | hejdahomin |
19 | nuzdah | nuzdahom | nuzdahomin |
20 | bist | bistom | bistomin |
21 | bistoyek | bistoyekom | bistoyekomin |
bisto……… | bisto……… | bisto……… | |
30 | si | siom | siomin |
31 | sioyek | sioyekom | sioyekomin |
sio……… | sio……… | sio……… | |
40 | cehel | cehelom | cehelomin |
41 | ceheloyek | ceheloyekom | ceheloyekomin |
cehelo……… | cehelo……… | cehelo……… | |
50 | panjâh | panjâhom | panjâhomin |
51 | panjâhoyek | panjâhoyekom | panjâhoyekomin |
panjâho……… | panjâho……… | panjâho……… | |
60 | ŝast | ŝastom | ŝastomin |
61 | ŝastoyek | ŝastoyekom | ŝastoyekomin |
ŝasto……… | ŝasto……… | ŝasto……… | |
70 | haftâd | haftâdom | haftâdomin |
71 | haftâdoyek | haftâdoyekom | haftâdoyekomin |
haftâdo……… | haftâdo……… | haftâdo……… | |
80 | haŝtâd | haŝtâdom | haŝtâdomin |
81 | haŝtâdoyek | haŝtâdoyekom | haŝtâdoyekomin |
haŝtâdo……… | haŝtâdo……… | haŝtâdo……… | |
90 | navad | navadom | navadomin |
91 | navadoyek | navadoyekom | navadoyekomin |
navado……… | navado……… | navado……… | |
100 | sad | sadom | sadomin |
125 | sad o bistopanj | sadobistopanjom | sadobistopanjomin |
200 | devist | devistom | devistomin |
300 | sisad | sisadom | sisadomin |
400 | câhârsad | câhârsadom | câhârsadomin |
500 | pânsad | pânsadom | pânsadomin |
600 | ŝeŝsad | ŝeŝsadom | ŝeŝsadomin |
700 | haftsad | haftsadom | haftsadomin |
800 | haŝtsad | haŝtsadom | haŝtsadomin |
900 | nohsad | nohsadom | nohsadomin |
999 | nohsad o navadonoh | nohsadonavadonohom | nohsadonavadonohomin |
1.000 | hezâr | hezârom | hezâromin |
2.000 | do hezâr | dohezârom | dohezâromin |
9.000 | noh hezâr | nohhezârom | nohhezâromin |
1.000.000 | yek milyun | yekmilyunom | yekmilyunomin |
1.000.000.000 | yek milyârd | yekmilyârdom | yekmilyârdomin |
After the numbers 2 and 3, “vv” is inserted before “om”:
dovvom | 2nd | sevvom | 3th |
The corresponding questions, whose answer includes a cardinal or an ordinal number, are formed using cand (how many) or candom/candomin (umpteenth). Like all other ordinals numbers, candom is used before the noun, which is followed by the bound conjunction “-e”. In constrast, candomin is used after the noun:
Cand (tâ) gol dâri? | How many flowers do you have? |
Se tâ. | Three. |
Nasrin dar radif e candom neŝast? | In the umpteenth series die Nasrin sit? |
Dar radif e panjom. | In the fifth row. |
Nasrin dar candomin radif neŝast? | In the umpteenth series die Nasrin sit? |
Dar panjomin radif. | In the fifth row. |
However, cand can also be used with the meaning “a few”, “a couple of” or “some”:
(Man) cand (tâ) gol dâram. | I have a few flowers. |
If you want to emphasize the uncertainty of a statement, you use an indefinite noun or category word, which is formed by the postposition “i”:
(Man) cand mâh i dar Tehrân mimânam. | I stay for a couple of months in Tehran. |
While the numerator of a fraction is a cardinal number, the denominator is an ordinal number:
yekdovvom | 1/2 | dosevvom | 2/3 | secâhârom | 3/4 |
In addition the following fractions are also used:
nim/nesf | 1/2 | sols | 1/3 | rob’ | 1/4 |
Counting
Depending on what category the noun is, different category words are used, whereby the category word tâ (piece) plays a special role and can almost always be used from 2 pieces on:
Category Word | Category | Example | Meaning |
dast | clothes, dishes, furniture | do dast kotŝalvâr | two suits |
dâne | fruit, bread, eggs | se dâne toxmemorq | three eggs |
farvand | aircrafts | panj farvand havâpeymâ | five aircrafts |
jeld | books | yek jeld ketâb | a book |
joft | objective couples | câhâr joft kafŝ | four pairs of shoes |
tan / nafar | people | haŝt tan / nafar | eight people |
ra‘s | animals | do ra’s gâv | two cows |
tâ | general | se tâ toxmemorq | three eggs |
As you can see from the above examples, the noun stays always in singular after a category word.
Category words can be omitted:
do (farvand) havâpeymâ | two airplanes |
If you omit the noun, then you have to use a category word for numbers from 2. yeki is used for 1 instead of yek:
do havâpeymâ | two airplanes | > | do tâ |
se docarxe | three bikes | > | se tâ |
yek nafar | one person | > | yeki |
Percentages and decimals
Percentages are expressed using darsad (in hundred):
do darsad | 2% | bistopanj darsad | 25% |
The decimal places of a decimal number are expressed in dahom (tenth), sadom (hundredths), hezârom (thousandths) …:
bistopanjsadom | 0.25 | bisto panjsadom | 20.05 |
Calculations
The arithmetic operations can be expressed as follows:
3 + 5 = 8 | Se be alâve / ezâfe ye panj miŝavad hasht. |
8 – 3 = 5 | Hasht menhâ ye se miŝavad panj. |
4 × 4 = 16 | cahâr (zarb) dar cahâr miŝavad shânzdah. |
8 : 4 = 2 | Hasht taqsim bar câhâr miŝavad do. |
Instead of miŝavad (gets) you can also use barâbar ast bâ or mosâvi ‘st bâ (is equal to).
Times
Sâ’at (hour, clock) can be dropped in time expressions. Daqiqe (minute) is given only after a cardinal number. To refer to a specific time, the bound conjunction “e” is used:
(Sâ’at e) do qazâ mixorim. | We eat at two o’clock. |
The bound conjunction “e” is not used if you want to tell what time it is:
(Sâ’at) câhâr ast. | It’s four o‘clock. |
(Sâ’at) panj o nim ast. | It’s half past five. |
(Sâ’at) panj o si daqiqe ast. | It’s five thirty. |
(Sâ’at) haft o rob’ ast. | It’s a quarter past seven. |
(Sâ’at) haft o 15 daqiqe ast. | It’s seven fifteen. |
(Sâ’at) haft o panj daqiqe ast. | It’s five past seven. |
(Sâ’at) yek rob’ be hasht ast. | It’s a quarter to eight. |
(Sâ’at) haft o cehelopanj daqiqe ast. | It’s seven forty five. |
When asked about the time the word sâ’at is necessary. You have two options available:
Sâ’at e cand qazâ mixorid? | What o’clock do you eat? |
Ce sâ’at i qazâ mixorid? | What o’clock do you eat? |
Month names
The Iranian calendar is a solar calendar and begins on the first day of spring (March 21):
bahâr | spring | 1 | farvardin | 2 | ordibeheŝt | 3 | xordâd |
tâbestân | summer | 4 | tir | 5 | mordâd | 6 | ŝahrivar |
pâyiz | autumn | 7 | mehr | 8 | âbân | 9 | âzar |
zemestân | winter | 10 | dey | 11 | bahman | 12 | esfand |
The names of the months of the Christian calendar come from the French:
ĵânvie | fevrie | mârs | âvril | me | ĵuan | ĵuie | ut | septâmbr | oktobr | novâmbr | desâmbr |
Weekdays
The week starts on Saturday (ŝanbe) and ends on Friday (jom’e; âdine).The days of the week are:
ŝanbe | yekŝanbe | doŝanbe | seŝanbe | câhârŝanbe | panjŝanbe | jom’e; âdine |
Saturday | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
Depending on whether you have the night before or the night after a weekday in mind, ŝab (evening, night) plays a different role:
jom’eŝab | Friday evening | ŝab e jom’e | Thursday night |
Dates
The ordinals are usually used for dates:
(ruz e) ŝanbe, panjom e mehr(mâh) e (sâl e) hezâr o sisad o navadoyek | Saturday 5th Mehr 1991 |
(ruz e) ŝanbe, panjom e oktobr e (sâl e) do hezâr o davâzdah | Saturday 5th October 2012 |
Ages
The following expressions/questions are usually used for ages:
(To) cand sâl dâri? | How old are you? |
(Man) bist sâl dâram. | I’m 20 years old. |
(Shomâ) cand sâl etân ast? | How old Are you? |
(Man) bist sâl am ast. | I’m 20 years old. |