How To Count Turkish Numbers You Should Learn As A Beginner

We all need numbers in our daily lives – whether you're shopping at the Turkish bazaar, telling the time, or sharing your age with new friends. The good news? Turkish numbers follow a logical pattern that makes them easier to learn than you might think!

In this blog post, I'll teach you everything you need to know about Turkish numbers, from counting from 1 to 10, understanding larger numbers, forming compound numbers, and even using them in common phrases.

The Basics of Turkish Numbers

Before diving into specific numbers, it's helpful to understand the overall structure of the Turkish number system:

1. Decimal-based: Like English, Turkish uses a base-10 system
2. Highly regular: Turkish numbers follow consistent patterns, especially for teens and compound numbers
3. Phonetic: Numbers are pronounced exactly as they're written
4. Logical construction: Larger numbers are built by stating the multiplier first, then the unit (e.g., "two hundred," "five thousand")

Understanding these basic principles will make learning Turkish numbers much easier as you progress through this guide.

Turkish Numbers 1 - 10

Turkish numbers from 1 to 10 are the foundation of counting and are incredibly simple to learn.

Numbers 11 - 19

The structure for numbers 11 to 20 is logical. You start with on (ten) and add the next number from 1 to 9. For example, "on üç" is 10 + 3, making it 13.

Multiples Of 10

In Turkish, counting by tens is straightforward and follows consistent patterns. While not immediately obvious, there are patterns connecting some base numbers to their tens counterparts:

• altı (6) → altmış (60): Notice the addition of "-mış" to the base number
• yedi (7) → yetmiş (70): The "d" changes to "t" and "-miş" is added
• sekiz (8) → seksen (80): The "iz" ending is replaced with "-sen"
• dokuz (9) → doksan (90): The "uz" ending is replaced with "-san"

The patterns for 20, 30, 40, and 50 are less obvious, and these words need to be memorized individually. However, once you learn these patterns for 60-90, you'll find it much easier to remember these numbers.

How To Combine Numbers In Turkish

To form numbers between multiples of ten, simply state the ten followed by the digit. For example:

• 68 = Altmış sekiz (60 + 8)
• 99 = Doksan dokuz (90 + 9)

There’s no need for conjunctions like "and", just place the words side by side. Easy enough!

When building more complex numbers in Turkish, you follow a logical order from largest to smallest unit. The pattern is always: [thousands] [hundreds] [tens] [ones]

Examples:

Large Numbers In Turkish

When it comes to large numbers, Turkish remains as logical and structured as it is for smaller ones. Here’s a guide to understanding and building hundreds, thousands, and even millions, step by step.

Building Numbers in the Hundreds

For hundreds, you use "yüz" (hundred):

Notice that for 100, you simply say "yüz" and not "bir yüz" (one hundred). This is similar to how in English we say "one hundred" but just "hundred," not "one hundred." For all other hundreds, you prefix with the multiplier number.

Thousands

For thousands, use "bin" (thousand). Just like with hundreds, for 1,000 you simply say "bin" rather than "bir bin" (one thousand). For all other thousands, you prefix with the multiplier number.

Millions And Billions

Turkish follows the same logical structure for very large numbers as it does for hundreds and thousands. Unlike with "yüz" (hundred) and "bin" (thousand), you always include "bir" (one) before "milyon," "milyar," and "trilyon" when referring to exactly one million, one billion, or one trillion.

For complex large numbers, you follow the same pattern - starting with the largest unit and working down:

Ordinal Numbers In Turkish

To form ordinal numbers in Turkish, you add one of these suffixes to the cardinal number:

• -inci: after words ending with e or i
• -ıncı: after words ending with a or ı
• -uncu: after words ending with o or u
• -üncü: after words ending with ö or ü

These variations follow Turkish vowel harmony rules, where the vowels in the suffix harmonize with the last vowel of the word.

Notice that with dördüncü (4th), the final "t" in "dört" changes to "d" when adding the suffix. This is a common consonant change in Turkish called consonant softening.

Just note that there's a special word, "ilk," meaning "first," that's sometimes used instead of "birinci." While they both mean "first," they're used in different contexts:

• birinci: usually used for rankings, positions, or enumeration (1st place, 1st floor)
• ilk: used for "the first" as in the beginning of something (the first day, the first time)

Examples:

• Birinci sınıf (First grade) - for ranking/position
• İlk gün (The first day) - for the beginning of something

Decimal Numbers

In Turkish, decimals are written with a comma instead of a period:

• 3.5 in English = 3,5 in Turkish (üç virgül beş)
• 10.75 in English = 10,75 in Turkish (on virgül yetmiş beş)

The word "virgül" means "comma" and is used when reading decimal numbers aloud.

Practical Uses for Turkish Numbers

Telling Time

To ask for the time in Turkish:

• Saat kaç? (What time is it? Literally: "How many hours?")

To tell the time:

• 3:00 - Saat üç (It's three o'clock)
• 5:15 - Saat beş on beş (It's five fifteen)
• 7:30 - Saat yedi buçuk (It's seven thirty/half past seven)
• 9:45 - Saat ona çeyrek var (It's quarter to ten)

The word "buçuk" means "half" and "çeyrek" means "quarter" in time expressions.

Money and Shopping

The Turkish currency is the lira (TL), divided into kuruş (like cents).

When discussing prices:

• Bu ne kadar? (How much is this?)
• Beş lira (Five lira)
• On sekiz lira elli kuruş (Eighteen lira and fifty kuruş)

When writing prices:

• 5₺ = 5 lira
• 18,50₺ = 18 lira 50 kuruş

Telling Your Age

To say how old you are:

• Ben yirmi altı yaşındayım. (I am twenty-six years old.)
• O kırk dört yaşında. (He/She is forty-four years old.)

The word "yaş" means "age" and takes different suffixes depending on the person.

Phone Numbers

Turkish phone numbers are typically spoken in groups:

• 0532 123 45 67 would be spoken as: "Sıfır beş yüz otuz iki - yüz yirmi üç - kırk beş - altmış yedi"

Turkish mobile numbers typically begin with 05, followed by eight more digits.

Dates

For dates, you use ordinal numbers:

• 1 Ocak = Bir Ocak (January 1st)
• 23 Nisan = Yirmi üç Nisan (April 23rd)

For years:

• 1923 = bin dokuz yüz yirmi üç
• 2025 = iki bin yirmi beş

Conclusion

Turkish numbers are a perfect example of the language’s logical and consistent structure, making them easy to learn and incredibly useful for daily conversations. From counting objects to handling money or telling time, mastering Turkish numbers will significantly enhance your ability to navigate real-life situations confidently.

Remember, the key to success is practice. Incorporate Turkish numbers into your daily routine—count items around you, read prices aloud, or challenge yourself by combining large numbers.

With regular practice, you’ll soon find yourself using Turkish numbers naturally and fluently. So, start counting today; bir, iki, üç… You’ve got this!

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