Counting using Filipino Numbers

Learning how to count Filipino numbers is fairly straight forward. After learning the first ten numbers, you'll be able to figure out the pattern for larger numbers easily.
Similar to the English counting numbers, the succeeding Filipino numbers will have a root word to indicate twenty, thirty, forty, etc., plus the first basic ten numbers.

For example, numbers 11 to 19 will start with the root word "labíng" derived from the Filipino word "labî" (which means "leftover").

For numbers 20 to 99, you will notice the numbers are patterned after the word "sampû (10) where they all use the the ending syllable -pû.

For example: dalawampû (20), tatlumpû (30), ápatnapû (40), etc..
You'll notice some small spelling changes with the root word "labing" in some of the numbers. "Labing" can turn into "Labin" or "Labim", at times depending on the word that follows. This type of minor spelling change is a pattern that can be found frequently in the Filipino language. For now, don't worry to much about the rules for when these spelling changes happen, just recognize that "ng" does turn in to "n" and "m" at times in the Filipino language.


Hundreds: Filipino numbers in the hundreds use the word daán. For example, isáng daán (100), dalawáng daán (200), tatlóng daán (300), etc.

Thousands: Filipino numbers in the thousands use the word libo. For example, tatlóng libo (3,000), sampúng libo (10,000), isáng daáng libo (100,000).

Millions: Filipino numbers in the millions use the word milyón as in isáng milyón (1,000,000), dalawáng milyón (2,000,000), etc.
For larger numbers (like 108, 718, 1987, or 26,725), reciting each number with the correct place values is the right way to dictate these. It is similar to how a certain number is dictated in the English language (for example: 123 is dictated as one hundred twenty-three). Translated in Filipino, it would be dictated as isáng daan dalawampú't tatló.

In the first three examples below, notice that the word "at" is used for numbers like 108, 203, and 405. because they do not have a word connective, unlike numbers with "labin-" / "labing-" and "-pú't". Example: Labingwaló (18) is understood as "labí na waló" (na as word connective). Another example would be Dalawampú't limá (25), which is understood as "dalawampû at limá (at as word connective).Take note that this type of number dictation is normally used for formal occasions. In casual settings, Filipinos typically use the English language or just create a shortcut for it. Find out more about this in the succeeding lessons.