Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Mastering Telugu numbers 1-20 is the foundation for all future counting and time-telling in the language.
- Numbers 1-10 are unique roots: 1 (okaṭi), 2 (renḍu), 3 (mūḍu).
- Numbers 11-20 follow a pattern of 'ten + digit': 11 (padakonḍu) is 'ten + one'.
- Numbers are used as adjectives before nouns without changing form.
Meanings
Cardinal numbers represent quantities or counts of items.
Counting
Used for counting objects or people.
“Okaṭi”
“Renḍu”
Telugu Numbers 1-20
| Number | Telugu Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | okaṭi | oh-ka-tee |
| 2 | renḍu | ren-doo |
| 3 | mūḍu | moo-doo |
| 4 | nālugu | naa-loo-goo |
| 5 | aidu | eye-doo |
| 6 | āru | aa-roo |
| 7 | ēḍu | ay-doo |
| 8 | enimidi | eh-nee-mee-dee |
| 9 | tommidi | to-mee-dee |
| 10 | padi | pa-dee |
Teens Formation
| Number | Telugu Word |
|---|---|
| 11 | padakonḍu |
| 12 | panrenḍu |
| 13 | padamūḍu |
| 14 | padanālugu |
| 15 | padahēnu |
| 20 | iravai |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinal | Number + Noun | renḍu pustakālu |
| Time | Number + gantalu | aidu gantalu |
| Quantity | Number + mandi | padi mandi |
격식 수준 스펙트럼
Nā daggara renḍu unnāyi. (General)
Nā daggara renḍu unnāyi. (General)
Nā daggara renḍu unnāyi. (General)
Nā daggara renḍu unnay. (General)
Number Roots
Units
- • 1-okaṭi
- • 2-renḍu
- • 3-mūḍu
수준별 예문
Okaṭi
One
Renḍu
Two
Mūḍu
Three
Nālugu
Four
Nā daggara renḍu pustakālu unnāyi.
I have two books.
Māku aidu cāy kāvāli.
We want five teas.
Akkada padi mandi unnāru.
There are ten people there.
Nēnu padakonḍu gantaku vastānu.
I will come at 11 o'clock.
Vāru padi-padahēnu nimishālu āgāru.
They waited for 10-15 minutes.
Nāku iravai rūpāyalu ivvandi.
Give me twenty rupees.
Mūḍu-nālugu rōjula taruvāta vastānu.
I will come after three or four days.
Āru-ēḍu samvatsarāla kritam.
Six or seven years ago.
Iravai mandi vidyārthulu parīksha rāstunnāru.
Twenty students are taking the exam.
Padi-padahēnu samvatsarāla anubhavam undi.
I have 10-15 years of experience.
Renḍu-mūḍu prāntālu bāgā unnāyi.
Two or three areas are good.
Nālugu-aidu gantalu samayam paṭṭindi.
It took four to five hours.
Sabhālo iravai mandi pradhāna atithulu unnāru.
There are twenty chief guests in the meeting.
Padahēnu rōjula kritam jarigina vishayam.
The matter that happened fifteen days ago.
Enimidi-tommidi gantala madhya.
Between eight and nine o'clock.
Padakonḍu-panrenḍu samvatsarāla vayasu.
The age of eleven to twelve years.
Iravai samvatsarāla dīrghakāla anubhavam.
Twenty years of long-term experience.
Padi-padahēnu rōjulu paṭṭē avakāsham undi.
There is a chance it might take 10-15 days.
Renḍu-mūḍu vishayālu alōchinchāli.
We need to think about two or three things.
Nālugu-aidu samvatsarāla kritam.
Four to five years ago.
혼동하기 쉬운
Learners mix up 'one' (okaṭi) and 'first' (modati).
āru and ēḍu sound similar.
Forgetting to pluralize nouns after numbers.
자주 하는 실수
okaṭi pustakālu
okaṭi pustakam
renḍu pustakam
renḍu pustakālu
padi-okaṭi
padakonḍu
āru
ēḍu
aidu gantalu
aidu gantalu
iravai pustakam
iravai pustakālu
padi-renḍu
panrenḍu
iravai-okaṭi
iravai-okaṭi
padi-mūḍu
padamūḍu
nālugu-aidu gantalu
nālugu-aidu gantalu
iravai-nālugu
iravai-nālugu
padi-āru
padahāru
padi-ēḍu
padahēḍu
padi-enimidi
padhenimidi
문장 패턴
Nā daggara ___ unnāyi.
Māku ___ kāvāli.
Nēnu ___ gantaku vastānu.
Ikkada ___ mandi unnāru.
Real World Usage
Renḍu cāy ivvandi.
Idhi enni rūpāyalu?
Padi gantalu ayyindi.
2 days ago.
Nāku padi samvatsarāla anubhavam undi.
Renḍu tikkeṭlu kāvāli.
Practice Daily
Watch the Plural
Listen to Natives
Use Numbers in Bargaining
Smart Tips
Always check if the noun is plural.
Use the combined form.
Focus on the vowel length.
Remember it's a unique word.
발음
Vowel Length
Long vowels (ā, ū, ē) are held twice as long as short vowels.
Rising
Enni? ↑
Question
암기하기
기억법
Think of 'padi' (10) as a pad-lock. You add numbers to the pad-lock to make teens.
시각적 연상
Imagine 10 apples in a basket (padi). Adding one more makes 11 (padakonḍu).
Rhyme
Okaṭi, renḍu, mūḍu, nālugu, counting is fun, let's start the dialogue!
Story
I bought one (okaṭi) apple. Then I bought two (renḍu) more. Now I have three (mūḍu) apples in my bag.
Word Web
챌린지
Count your fingers in Telugu right now.
문화 노트
Numbers are often used in bargaining at local markets.
Telugu numbers are Dravidian in origin.
대화 시작하기
Mī daggara enni pustakālu unnāyi?
Mīru enni gantalu panichēstāru?
Mīku enni cāy kāvāli?
Ikkada enni mandi unnāru?
일기 주제
Test Yourself
What is 2 in Telugu?
Nā daggara ___ pustakālu unnāyi. (2)
Find and fix the mistake:
Renḍu pustakam.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
I have 5 pens.
What is 11?
Nēnu ___ gantaku vastānu. (12)
Find and fix the mistake:
Iravai pustakam.
Score: /8
연습 문제
8 exercisesWhat is 2 in Telugu?
Nā daggara ___ pustakālu unnāyi. (2)
Find and fix the mistake:
Renḍu pustakam.
Match 10.
I have 5 pens.
What is 11?
Nēnu ___ gantaku vastānu. (12)
Find and fix the mistake:
Iravai pustakam.
Score: /8
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
No, Telugu numbers are gender-neutral.
It is 'padakonḍu'.
No, 1 takes the singular form.
They have similar vowel sounds.
Yes, but digits are also common.
Use 'mandi' after the number.
20 is 'iravai'.
The numbers themselves don't change, but the sentence structure might.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Uno, dos, tres...
Telugu numbers are gender-neutral.
Un, deux, trois...
Telugu is more logical.
Eins, zwei, drei...
Telugu is simpler.
Ichi, ni, san...
Telugu doesn't need counters.
Wahid, ithnan, thalatha...
No gender agreement.
Yi, er, san...
Both are highly predictable.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Connected Grammar
Plural Nouns
PrerequisiteNumbers require plural nouns.
Time Telling
Builds OnUses numbers.
Ordinal Numbers
Advanced FormNext step after cardinals.
Money
SimilarUses numbers.