Numbers in Turkish

How numbers work in Turkish

The numbers 0 to 10 are sıfır, bir, iki, üç, dört, beş, altı, yedi, sekiz, dokuz, on. From 11 the system is fully regular: on bir (10 + 1), on iki, on dokuz.

The tens are yirmi, otuz, kırk, elli, altmış, yetmiş, seksen, doksan. The unit follows after a space: yirmi bir, otuz beş, doksan dokuz.

Hundred and thousand take no bir: yüz (100), bin (1,000). For multiples, put the count in front: iki yüz, beş yüz, iki bin, on bin, yüz bin. A million, however, is bir milyon. The Turkish Language Association (TDK) writes numbers as separate words, but joined forms such as onbir are common, for example on cheques.

After a number the noun stays singular: iki kitap (two books), not iki kitaplar. Turkish has no grammatical gender.

Ordinals take the suffix -(ı)ncı following vowel harmony: birinci, ikinci, üçüncü, dördüncü, onuncu.

Up to half past you use geçiyor (is passing), with the hour in the accusative: yediyi beş geçiyor is 7:05. In the second half of the hour you use var (there are … left) with the next hour in the dative: dokuza yirmi var is 8:40. Half past uses buçuk: üç buçuk is 3:30, the hour that has passed plus a half, as in English.

Conversation uses the 12-hour clock, with sabah, öğleden sonra or akşam if needed. Official times and timetables use the 24-hour clock, read out as digits: on dört yirmi.