Tagalog numbers can be a mouthful, even for Filipinos. Compare the folow two for the word twenty-two (22):
bente-dos (3 syllables)
There are many situations where Filipinos prefer to use Spanish-derived numbers. The most common are when saying one’s age and telling time.
Trese anyos. 13 years old.
Katorse anyos. 14 years old.
Kinse anyos. 15 years old.
Disi-sais anyos 16 years old.
Disi-syete anyos. 17 years old.
Disi-otso anyos. 18 years old.
Disi-nwebe anyos. 19 years old.
Bente anyos. 20 years old.
Trenta anyos. 30 years old.
Kwarenta anyos. 40 years old.
Singkwenta anyos. 50 years old.
Sesenta anyos. 60 years old.
Setenta anyos. 70 years old.
Otsenta anyos. 80 years old.
Nobenta anyos. 90 years old.
It’s as common to hear the ‘hundred’ and ‘thousand’ in Tagalog as in Spanish.
300 Tres syentos. = Tatlong daan.
400 Kwatro syentos. = Apat na daan.
500 Kinyentos. = Limang daan.
2,000 Dos mil. = Dalawang libo.
3,000 Tres mil. = Tatlong libo.
PERCENTAGE
Siyento porsyento.
One-hundred percent.
TELLING TIME
Ala-una. One o’clock.
Alas-dos. Two o’clock.
Alas-tres. Three o’clock.
Alas-kwatro. Four o’clock.
Alas-singko. Five o’clock.
Alas-sais. Six o’clock.
Alas-siyete. Seven o’clock.
Alas-otso. Eight o’clock.
Alas-nuwebe. Nine o’clock.
Alas-diyes. Ten o’clock.
Alas-onse. Eleven o’clock.
Alas-dose. Twelve o’clock.
