# Urdu: Numbers



## Setwale_Charm

Another question for Urdu. Can you tell me how to pronounce the number 6? Is there any aspiration?
 Some sources say pronounce it exactly the way it is in Hindi, some say differently.


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## panjabigator

I think I remember reading somewhere on here that you can read Nepali, correct?  Since it used Devanagari, I'll employ it's use to help with sounds.

The number 6 in Urdu is aspirated.  I always say the number (in all three languages: Hindi, Urdu and Panjabi) as /chhe/ with an aspiration.  In Hindi, it technically can be pronounced or written three ways:

/chhe/ छे tick
/chh:/ छ: [the colon (known as a visarga in Hindi) adds a certain breathiness which I can't replicate all to well.]
/chhah/ छह (the aspirated /chh/ sound with an H after it.)

How would you pronounce it in Hindi?

I unfortunately cannot type in Urdu at the moment...grumble!


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## Setwale_Charm

The same way. Only some sources give the Urdu pronunciation as {chay}.


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## panjabigator

That seems right to me


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## linguist786

In Urdu (or Hindi), I always pronounce it "che" (or "chay") - with a strong aspiration of course. In Gujarati I pronounced it "cha"


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## Setwale_Charm

And what about 4 and 8?
 Is 4 pronounced with an aspiration? And is there a T with an aspiration at the end of 8?


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## linguist786

Setwale_Charm said:


> Is 4 pronounced with an aspiration?


No! It's the other /ch/ that is used in Hindi - the unaspirated one. Although it's written /chaar/ I tend to pronounce it more like /chyaar/ for some reason.

In Urdu, the aspiration is shown by the "do kaan haa". (*ـهـ*)

six - *چهہ*
four - *چار* 



> And is there a T with an aspiration at the end of 8?


Yes - /aath/. Note that _seven_ /saat/ doesn't.


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## Setwale_Charm

Thanks a million.


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## panjabigator

You call it "do kaan?"  I have always heard it as "do chashmi he!"

Setwale, I feel it is my duty to let you know these words so you don't confuse them, because they can sound very similar to learners.

/saat/-7 (dental unaspirated) سات
/saath/-with (dental aspirated) ساته
/saaTh/-60 (retroflex aspirated) (I can't figure out how to type it!  It is the same as the first one, but with the "Th" as in /Thiik/ (o.k).)


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## Setwale_Charm

panjabigator said:


> You call it "do kaan?" I have always heard it as "do chashmi he!"
> 
> Setwale, I feel it is my duty to let you know these words so you don't confuse them, because they can sound very similar to learners.
> 
> /saat/-7 (dental unaspirated)
> /saath/-with (dental aspirated)
> /saaTh/-60 (retroflex aspirated)


 

God have mercy on me!! Can you write them in Urdu script cos I have trouble perceiving the difference between various types of aspiration, I will do better when I can compare the letters with the description in the alphabet table.


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## Alijsh

panjabigator said:


> You call it "do kaan?" I have always heard it as "do chashmi he!"


we also say it "he-ye do-cheshm" which means "two-eyed he". But do-kân/do-gân also makes sense to me. It means "binary, consisting of two parts"


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## panjabigator

panjabigator said:


> You call it "do kaan?"  I have always heard it as "do chashmi he!"
> 
> Setwale, I feel it is my duty to let you know these words so you don't confuse them, because they can sound very similar to learners.
> 
> /saat/-7 (dental unaspirated) سات
> /saath/-with (dental aspirated) ساته
> /saaTh/-60 (retroflex aspirated) (I can't figure out how to type it!  It is the same as the first one, but with the "Th" as in /Thiik/ (o.k).)



I edited my post without thinking instead of reposting it.  Here it is.


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## linguist786

Sorry - I was supposed to say "do chasmi haa"! I tried to remember what panjabigator called it last time, I thought of "do kaan" for some reason!!
I myself don't call it anything really..

do chasme it is


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## Setwale_Charm

Thanks a lot, dear Panjabigator.


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## panjabigator

No problem!


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## tonyspeed

Is the number 6 ever pronounced "CHai" by individuals?


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## marrish

Yes, it is.


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## marrish

Here a reference: Thread: Urdu: six


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