Home › Guides › Yoruba numbers

Yoruba numbers: count like a Kuto trader

Yoruba counts in twenties and sometimes counts down: 15 is “five less than twenty” and 50 is “ten less than sixty”. Learn the market numbers below so nobody can cheat you for market.

Number	Say
1	ọ̀kan The first number. In front of a thing it becomes “kan”: ọmọ kan, one child.
2	èjì Two. In front of a thing it becomes “méjì”: ìwé méjì, two books.
3	ẹ̀ta Three. Counting things you say “mẹ́ta”: ọsàn mẹ́ta, three oranges.
4	ẹ̀rin Four. Counting things you say “mẹ́rin”.
5	àrún Five. Counting things you say “márùn-ún”.
6	ẹ̀fà Six. Counting things you say “mẹ́fà”.
7	èje Seven. Counting things you say “méje”. Moin moin elemi meje is “moin moin with seven lives (fillings)”.
8	ẹ̀jọ Eight. Counting things you say “mẹ́jọ”.
9	ẹ̀sán Nine. Counting things you say “mẹ́sàn-án”.
10	ẹ̀wá Ten. Counting things you say “mẹ́wàá”. Ten is the base for 11 to 14.
11	ọ̀kànlá Eleven: ọ̀kan + lá (“one on top of ten”).
12	èjìlá Twelve: èjì + lá (“two on top of ten”).
13	ẹ̀tàlá Thirteen: ẹ̀ta + lá (“three on top of ten”).
14	ẹ̀rìnlá Fourteen: ẹ̀rin + lá (“four on top of ten”).
15	ẹ̀ẹ́dógún Fifteen is counted down from twenty: “five less than twenty”. From 15 to 19 Yoruba counts back from 20.
20	ogún Twenty, a base number. Yoruba counts in twenties: 40 is ogójì (two twenties), 60 is ọgọ́ta (three twenties).
30	ọgbọ̀n Thirty. Remember the ladder: ogún 20, ọgbọ̀n 30, ogójì 40, àádọ́ta 50, ọgọ́ta 60.
40	ogójì Forty: “two twenties” (ogún méjì).
50	àádọ́ta Fifty: “ten less than sixty”.
60	ọgọ́ta Sixty: “three twenties” (ogún mẹ́ta).
100	ọgọ́rùn-ún One hundred: “five twenties” (ogún márùn-ún).
200	igba Two hundred, a base number of its own. Careful with tones: igbá (high tone) is a calabash.
1,000	ẹgbẹ̀rún One thousand. “Ẹgbẹ̀rún kan” is one thousand.

In the game, 🧮 Kà á! Count at Kuto brings 5 traders a day. Pick the right number for ₦500 each and ₦1,500 more when all 5 are right.

Count at Kuto today