Counting Nouns

A cardinal number follows the noun it counts. Ɗaya ‘one’ accompanies a singular noun; the supplied Kano examples use this same post-noun form with masculine and feminine nouns. Above one, animate nouns generally take their plurals. Inanimate nouns often remain singular, although plural forms are also possible: gida biyu and gidaje biyu both mean ‘two houses’.

The singular unit form is required in the reference's money amounts, purchased quantities, and time spans. This restriction concerns the unit interpretation, rather than every use of those nouns. Nawa? ‘how many/how much?’ follows its noun and follows the same noun-form distinctions. Ordinals belong to another construction: ‘second’, for example, uses independent genitive na biyu or ta biyu, according to the referent.