Master Arabic Numbers
Arabic uses its own set of Eastern Arabic numerals (٠١٢٣٤٥٦٧٨٩), which are the ancestors of the Western digits used worldwide today. Numbers are written left-to-right even though Arabic text reads right-to-left. The numerals originated in ancient India and spread through the Islamic Golden Age, eventually reaching Europe where they evolved into the familiar 0–9 we use now.
Watch the videos below, then download the Foreign Numbers app and practice what you've learned!
Below are the numbers in Arabic, including Eastern Arabic numerals and cardinal forms:
| Numeral | Arabic Numeral | Cardinal |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | ٠ | صفر (ṣifr) |
| 1 | ١ | واحد (wāḥid) |
| 2 | ٢ | اثنان (ithnān) |
| 3 | ٣ | ثلاثة (thalātha) |
| 4 | ٤ | أربعة (arbaʿa) |
| 5 | ٥ | خمسة (khamsa) |
| 6 | ٦ | ستة (sitta) |
| 7 | ٧ | سبعة (sabʿa) |
| 8 | ٨ | ثمانية (thamāniya) |
| 9 | ٩ | تسعة (tisʿa) |
| 10 | ١٠ | عشرة (ʿashara) |
| 11 | ١١ | أحد عشر (aḥada ʿashar) |
| 12 | ١٢ | اثنا عشر (ithnā ʿashar) |
| 13 | ١٣ | ثلاثة عشر (thalāthata ʿashar) |
| 14 | ١٤ | أربعة عشر (arbaʿata ʿashar) |
| 15 | ١٥ | خمسة عشر (khamsata ʿashar) |
| 16 | ١٦ | ستة عشر (sittata ʿashar) |
| 17 | ١٧ | سبعة عشر (sabʿata ʿashar) |
| 18 | ١٨ | ثمانية عشر (thamāniyata ʿashar) |
| 19 | ١٩ | تسعة عشر (tisʿata ʿashar) |
| 20 | ٢٠ | عشرون (ʿishrūn) |
| 30 | ٣٠ | ثلاثون (thalāthūn) |
| 40 | ٤٠ | أربعون (arbaʿūn) |
| 50 | ٥٠ | خمسون (khamsūn) |
| 60 | ٦٠ | ستون (sittūn) |
| 70 | ٧٠ | سبعون (sabʿūn) |
| 80 | ٨٠ | ثمانون (thamānūn) |
| 90 | ٩٠ | تسعون (tisʿūn) |
| 100 | ١٠٠ | مئة (miʾa) |
| 1000 | ١٠٠٠ | ألف (alf) |
| 1000000 | ١٠٠٠٠٠٠ | مليون (milyūn) |
Number data and information courtesy of Omniglot.