The Invariable Numbers (6, 7, 9)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Unlike other numbers, 6 (sita), 7 (saba), and 9 (tisa) never change their form, regardless of the noun class.
- Rule 1: Use 'sita' for 6 regardless of the object: 'vitabu sita' (6 books).
- Rule 2: Use 'saba' for 7 regardless of the object: 'watu saba' (7 people).
- Rule 3: Use 'tisa' for 9 regardless of the object: 'nyumba tisa' (9 houses).
Invariable Numbers Overview
| Number | Swahili Word | Agreement | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
6
|
sita
|
None
|
Watu sita
|
|
7
|
saba
|
None
|
Vitabu saba
|
|
9
|
tisa
|
None
|
Nyumba tisa
|
Meanings
These specific cardinal numbers do not take noun class prefixes, unlike numbers 1-5 and 8.
Counting objects
Used to quantify nouns directly.
“Nina watoto sita.”
“Kuna magari saba.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Noun + Number
|
Watu sita
|
|
Negative
|
Sina + Noun + Number
|
Sina watu sita
|
|
Question
|
Je, una + Noun + Number?
|
Je, una watu sita?
|
|
Plural
|
Noun + Number
|
Vitabu saba
|
|
Singular
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
Possessive
|
Noun + Number + Yangu
|
Vitabu sita vyangu
|
Formalitätsspektrum
Nina vitabu sita. (General)
Nina vitabu sita. (General)
Nina vitabu sita. (General)
Vitabu sita niko navyo. (General)
The Invariable Trio
6
- sita six
7
- saba seven
9
- tisa nine
Beispiele nach Niveau
Nina kalamu sita.
I have 6 pens.
Kuna watu saba.
There are 7 people.
Tuna nyumba tisa.
We have 9 houses.
Wana watoto sita.
They have 6 children.
Je, unayo madaftari saba?
Do you have 7 notebooks?
Sina pesa tisa.
I don't have 9 (units of) money.
Kuna magari sita barabarani.
There are 6 cars on the road.
Tunaona ndege saba.
We see 7 birds.
Nimenunua vitabu sita kwa ajili ya masomo yangu.
I have bought 6 books for my studies.
Kuna sababu saba kwa nini tunapaswa kwenda.
There are 7 reasons why we should go.
Tisa ni namba yangu ya bahati.
9 is my lucky number.
Kuna wageni sita wanaokuja leo.
There are 6 guests coming today.
Ili kukamilisha mradi, tunahitaji watu saba wenye ujuzi.
To complete the project, we need 7 skilled people.
Kuna tofauti tisa kati ya picha hizi mbili.
There are 9 differences between these two pictures.
Sita kati ya wanafunzi wamefaulu mtihani.
6 out of the students passed the exam.
Tunaweza kuchagua kati ya chaguzi saba.
We can choose between 7 options.
Katika utafiti huu, tuligundua sababu tisa kuu za mabadiliko.
In this study, we identified 9 main reasons for the changes.
Sita ni namba ya kipekee katika muktadha huu wa kihistoria.
6 is a unique number in this historical context.
Kuna saba zilizotajwa katika maandishi ya kale.
There are 7 mentioned in the ancient texts.
Tisa ni idadi ya chini inayohitajika kwa kikao.
9 is the minimum number required for the session.
Uchambuzi wetu unaonyesha kuwa sita ni kigezo muhimu.
Our analysis shows that 6 is a key criterion.
Kuna saba za kiroho zinazojadiliwa katika fasihi hii.
There are 7 spiritual ones discussed in this literature.
Tisa ni kiasi kinachohitajika ili kufikia lengo.
9 is the amount needed to reach the goal.
Sita ni namba inayojirudia katika mifumo hii ya kitamaduni.
6 is a number that repeats in these cultural systems.
Leicht verwechselbar
Learners try to add prefixes to 6, 7, and 9 because they do it for 1-5.
Learners think 8 is also invariable.
Learners think every adjective must have a prefix.
Häufige Fehler
Watu asita
Watu sita
Vitabu visaba
Vitabu saba
Nyumba nitisa
Nyumba tisa
Sita watu
Watu sita
Magari masita
Magari sita
Watu sabaa
Watu saba
Tisa vitabu
Vitabu tisa
Sita-watu
Watu sita
Saba ya watu
Watu saba
Tisa-za-nyumba
Nyumba tisa
Sita-kama-idadi
Sita kama namba
Saba-kama-kiashiria
Saba kama kiashiria
Tisa-kama-kigezo
Tisa kama kigezo
Satzmuster
Nina ___ ___.
Kuna ___ ___.
Je, unayo ___ ___?
Nahitaji ___ ___ kwa ajili ya kazi.
Real World Usage
Nataka machungwa sita.
Tuna vitabu saba.
Niko na watu tisa.
Tunahitaji watu sita.
Kuna viti saba.
Nataka chapati tisa.
The Rule of Three
Don't Add Prefixes
Arabic Roots
Natural Speech
Smart Tips
Don't look for a prefix for 6, 7, or 9.
Use these numbers as anchors because they never change.
Always keep them as single words.
Compare them to 1-5 to see the difference.
Aussprache
Sita
Pronounced see-tah.
Saba
Pronounced sah-bah.
Tisa
Pronounced tee-sah.
Statement
Nina vitabu sita ↘
Falling intonation for simple facts.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
6, 7, 9 are the 'S-S-T' club: Sit, Sab, Tis. They sit still and never change!
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a statue of the number 6, 7, and 9. Because they are statues, they cannot move or change their shape.
Rhyme
Six is sita, seven is saba, nine is tisa, they never change, no matter the casa!
Story
Three friends named Sita, Saba, and Tisa went to a party. Everyone else at the party was wearing costumes that changed based on who they were with, but Sita, Saba, and Tisa refused to change their clothes. They stayed exactly as they were all night long.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Write down 3 sentences using 6, 7, and 9 with different nouns (people, books, cars) to prove they don't change.
Kulturelle Hinweise
These numbers are used daily in markets and schools without any variation.
Similar usage, very standard across all regions.
The Arabic origin is more recognized here, but the usage remains the same.
These numbers are borrowed from Arabic (sitta, sab'a, tis'a).
Gesprächseinstiege
Una watoto wangapi?
Kuna vitabu vingapi mezani?
Unahitaji kalamu ngapi?
Je, unaweza kuhesabu hadi tisa?
Tagebuch-Impulse
Häufige Fehler
Test Yourself
Nina vitabu ___.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Vitabu visaba.
Nina nyumba tisa.
Numbers 6, 7, and 9 change based on noun class.
A: Una watoto wangapi? B: Nina ___.
sita / vitabu / Nina
Which are invariable?
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesNina vitabu ___.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Vitabu visaba.
Nina nyumba tisa.
Numbers 6, 7, and 9 change based on noun class.
A: Una watoto wangapi? B: Nina ___.
sita / vitabu / Nina
Which are invariable?
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
They are loanwords from Arabic and don't follow the Bantu noun class system.
No, never. It is always 'sita'.
They use 'na' + the number (e.g., kumi na sita).
Most numbers above 10 are also invariable.
Yes, it is standard across all major dialects.
Yes, 'watu sita' is perfectly correct.
Native speakers will understand, but it will sound like a beginner mistake.
They are neutral and used in all registers.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Seis, siete, nueve
Swahili has a split system (some change, some don't), Spanish does not.
Six, sept, neuf
French is consistently invariable; Swahili is inconsistent.
Sechs, sieben, neun
German has no noun class agreement for numbers.
Roku, nana, kyuu
Japanese relies on counters; Swahili relies on prefixes.
Sitta, sab'a, tis'a
Arabic grammar is much more complex regarding gender agreement.
Liu, qi, jiu
Chinese measure words are distinct from Swahili noun classes.
