Learn Filipino: Numbers 1–20

Learning to count is a fundamental milestone in mastering Filipino, as numbers are essential for everything from shopping to telling time. This lesson introduces the cardinal numbers from one to twenty, providing the necessary building blocks for daily interactions and more complex numbering systems later on. You will start by learning the primary digits, such as Isa (i-sá) for one and Sampu (sam-pú) for ten. These roots are vital because they reappear in various forms as you progress to higher counts.

One useful pattern to observe is how the numbers eleven through nineteen are constructed using a prefix system. In Filipino, these numbers begin with a variation of labin-, which signifies an excess over ten. For instance, twelve is Labindalawa (la-bin-da-la-wá) and fifteen is Labinlima (la-bin-li-má). You may notice the prefix changes slightly to labing-, labim-, or labin- depending on the first letter of the root word to allow for smoother pronunciation. Similarly, the word for twenty, Dalawampu (da-la-wam-pú), is a combination of the word for two, Dalawa (da-la-wá), and a marker for the tens place. Understanding these repetitive structures will help you memorize the list more efficiently and recognize the logical connections within the Filipino counting system.