Hundreds, Thousands and Millions
Ɔha is 100, apem is 1,000 and ɔpepem is a million. For several thousands say mpem + number: mpem du (10,000).
How It Works
1. Hundreds
ɔha (100), ahanu (200), ahasa (300), ahanan (400), ahanum (500), ahansia (600), ahanson (700), ahanwɔtwe (800), ahankron (900). Some books spell them ahaanu, ahaasa and so on.
2. Thousands
One thousand is apem. Above that, use the plural mpem followed by how many: mpem mmienu or mpenu (2,000), mpem du (10,000), mpem aduonu (20,000), mpem ɔha (100,000), mpem ahanum (500,000).
3. Millions
Ɔpepem is a million: ɔpepem mmienu (two million), ɔpepem du (ten million). A billion is ɔpepepem.
4. Putting a number together
Say the biggest part first and work down. Ne (and) goes only before the last part.
- ahanum ne aduonu nsia (526)
- apem ahanu ne aduonum (1,250)
- mpem du ahanan ne aduonu baako (10,421)
5. With nouns
As with small numbers, the number follows the noun: nnipa apem (a thousand people), sidi ahanum (500 cedis). Tens are covered in Numbers From Eleven.
Examples (6)
- Nnipa bɛyɛ apem na wɔbaeɛ.
About a thousand people came.
Bɛyɛ (about) comes before the number, and na puts the focus on the crowd.
- Ne boɔ yɛ sidi ahanum.
It costs five hundred cedis.
Word by Word: its price is cedi five-hundred
- Me nana adi mfe ɔha.
My grandparent is a hundred years old.
Word by Word: my grandparent has eaten years hundred
- Wɔatɔn nwoma mpem du.
They have sold ten thousand books.
Mpem comes first, then du: literally thousands ten.
- apem ahanu ne aduonum
one thousand two hundred and fifty (1,250)
Ne (and) comes only before the last part.
- ɔpepem mmienu ne mpem ahanum
two million five hundred thousand (2,500,000)
Common Mistakes
Putting the number of thousands first, as in English.
du mpemmpem duTwi says thousands ten: the unit mpem comes first and the number of thousands after it.
Using apem for more than one thousand.
apem mmiɛnsampem mmiɛnsaApem is one thousand. For two thousand or more, use the plural form mpem.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Large numbers build on the numbers from eleven.
Related Patterns
- Numbers One to Ten
The numbers one to ten count the hundreds, thousands and millions.
Level 1 - ne (And)And Between Nouns: Ne
Ne, the word for and, joins the last part of a large number.
Level 1 - bɛyɛ (About)About, Approximately: Bɛyɛ
Bɛyɛ before a large number means about or roughly.
Level 4 - First, Second, Third
Ordinals like ɛtɔ so ɔha (hundredth) are built on these numbers.
Level 4 - di mfe (Age)Talking About Age: Di Mfe
Ages use the same numbers after mfe: adi mfe ɔha.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice Hundreds, Thousands and Millions in Bubblegum
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