Numbers from 0 to 10 in Wolof
Learning Wolof gets a lot easier once you can count—prices at the market, time, phone numbers, and everyday quantities. The good news: Wolof numbers from 0 to 10 are straightforward, and 6–9 follow a simple pattern.
Wolof numbers 0–10
Here are the most common spellings you’ll see in learning resources (with a quick pronunciation hint in English).
| Number | Wolof | Pronunciation hint |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | tus (also often: dara) | “tooss” / “dah-rah” |
| 1 | benn | “ben” |
| 2 | ñaar | “nyar” (like ny in canyon) |
| 3 | ñett | “nyet” |
| 4 | ñeent (also written: ñent) | “nyent” |
| 5 | juróom (also written: juroom) | “joo-rohm” |
| 6 | juróom-benn | “juroom-ben” |
| 7 | juróom-ñaar | “juroom-nyar” |
| 8 | juróom-ñett | “juroom-nyet” |
| 9 | juróom-ñeent | “juroom-nyent” |
| 10 | fukk | “fook” (final k is firm) |
You may come across variants depending on spelling conventions and regional usage—especially for 0 (often tus or dara).
The easy pattern (how 6–9 are built)
Wolof counting is famously regular because it leans on 5 and 10 as building blocks.
Once you know 5 = juróom, you get:
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6 = juróom + 1 → juróom-benn
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7 = juróom + 2 → juróom-ñaar
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8 = juróom + 3 → juróom-ñett
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9 = juróom + 4 → juróom-ñeent
Quick pronunciation tips (so you sound more natural)
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ñ is like the “ny” sound in canyon (many learners read it as “gn/ny”).
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You’ll sometimes see accent marks in Wolof spelling (like ó in juróom). They help reflect standardized writing systems, but you’ll also see versions without accents.
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Double consonants (like kk in fukk) are pronounced more firmly than a single consonant.
Practice (30 seconds)
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Say these out loud (slow → normal speed):
benn, ñaar, ñett, ñeent, juróom, juróom-benn, juróom-ñaar, juróom-ñett, juróom-ñeent, fukk -
Quick quiz:
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juróom-ñett = ?
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ñeent = ?
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fukk = ?
(Answers: 8, 4, 10.)
FAQ
What’s “zero” in Wolof?
You’ll most commonly see tus, and very often dara is used as well (literally “nothing,” used as zero in context).
Why do 6–9 start with juróom?
Because Wolof forms many numbers using a 5-based (quinary) structure alongside 10—so 6–9 are literally “five-one, five-two…”