Declension of Numbers
Numbers 1 to 5
Each of these numbers have a specific declension pattern and the numbers 1 (eka), 3 (ti) and 4 (catu) have different declension in masculine, feminine, and neuter genders.
eka (1)
Masculine
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. | eko | eke |
| Acc. | ekaṃ | eke |
| Inst. | ekena | ekehi, ekebhi |
| Dat. | ekassa | ekesaṃ, ekesānaṃ |
| Abl. | ekasmā, ekamhā | ekehi, ekebhi |
| Gen. | ekassa | ekesaṃ, ekesānaṃ |
| Loc. | ekasmiṃ, ekamhi | ekesu |
Neuter
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. | ekaṃ | eke, ekāni |
| Acc. | ekaṃ | eke, ekāni |
| The declension of neuter number ‘eka’ is similar to that of masculine number ‘eka’ for Instrumental to Locative cases. | ||
Feminine
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. | ekā | ekā, ekāyo |
| Acc. | ekaṃ | ekā, ekāyo |
| Inst. | ekāya | ekāhi, ekābhi |
| Dat. | ekassā, ekissā, ekāya | ekāsaṃ, ekāsānaṃ |
| Abl. | ekāya | ekāhi, ekābhi |
| Gen. | ekassā, ekissā, ekāya | ekāsaṃ, ekāsānaṃ |
| Loc. | ekassaṃ, ekāyaṃ | ekāsu |
Please Note : Though eka typically means one (1), it is also used to indicate ‘someone’. Hence, we come across plural forms of eka in Pali texts.
E.g. eke manussā = some men,
ekāni gehāni = some houses,
ekāsu nadīsu = in some (certain) rivers
dvi (2)
| Nom. | dve, duve | |
| Acc. | dve, duve | |
| Inst. | dvīhi, dvībhi | |
| Dat. | dvinnaṃ, duvinnaṃ | |
| Abl. | dvīhi, dvībhi, dve | |
| Gen. | dvinnaṃ, duvinnaṃ | |
| Loc. | dvīsu | |
| The declension of dvi is the same in all the three genders. | ||
ti (3)
| Case | Masculine | Neuter | Feminine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | tayo | tīṇi | tisso |
| Acc. | tayo | tīṇi | tisso |
| Inst. | tīhi, tībhi | tīhi, tībhi | tīhi, tībhi |
| Dat. | tiṇṇaṃ, tiṇṇannaṃ | tiṇṇaṃ, tiṇṇannaṃ | tissannaṃ |
| Abl. | tīhi, tībhi | tīhi, tībhi | tīhi, tībhi |
| Gen. | tiṇṇaṃ, tiṇṇannaṃ | tiṇṇaṃ, tiṇṇannaṃ | tissannaṃ |
| Loc. | tīsu | tīsu | tīsu |
catu (4)
| Case | Masculine | Neuter | Feminine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | cattāro, caturo | cattāri | catasso |
| Acc. | cattāro, caturo | cattāri | catasso |
| Inst. | catūhi, catūbhi | catūhi, catūbhi | catūhi, catūbhi |
| Dat. | catunnaṃ | catunnaṃ | catassannaṃ |
| Abl. | catūhi, catūbhi | catūhi, catūbhi | catūhi, catūbhi |
| Gen. | catunnaṃ | catunnaṃ | catassannaṃ |
| Loc. | catūsu | catūsu | catūsu |
pañca (5)
| Nom. | pañca | |
| Acc. | pañca | |
| Inst. | pañcahi, pañcabhi | |
| Dat. | pañcannaṃ | |
| Abl. | pañcahi, pañcabhi | |
| Gen. | pañcannaṃ | |
| Loc. | pañcasu | |
| The declension of pañca is the same in all the three genders. | ||
| The numbers 6 to 18 – cha to aṭṭhārasa – are all ‘a’-ending and they decline like the number pañca. | ||
ekūnavīsati (19)
| Nom. | ekūnavīsati | |
| Acc. | ekūnavīsatiṃ | |
| Inst. | ekūnavīsatiyā | |
| Dat. | ekūnavīsatiyā | |
| Abl. | ekūnavīsatiyā | |
| Gen. | ekūnavīsatiyā | |
| Loc. | ekūnavīsatiyaṃ | |
| The declension of numbers ekūnavīsati (19) to aṭṭhanavuti (98) is similar to feminine nouns: latā (for numbers ending in ‘ā’), and bhūmi (for numbers ending in ‘i’) |
||
ekūnasata (99)
| Nom. | ekūnasataṃ | |
| Acc. | ekūnasataṃ | |
| Inst. | ekūnasatena | |
| Dat. | ekūnasatassa, ekūnasatāya | |
| Abl. | ekūnasatā, ekūnasatasmā, ekūnasatamhā | |
| Gen. | ekūnasatassa | |
| Loc. | ekūnasate, ekūnasatasmiṃ, ekūnasatamhi | |
| The declension of the numbers sata (100) to satasahassa (100000) is similar to that of ekūnasata (99). | ||
Pali number dvi is used to indicate two (2). But there is another number ubha which is used when indicating ‘both’.
ubha = both
| Nom. | ubho |
| Acc. | ubho |
| Inst. | ubhehi, ubhebhi, ubhohi, ubhobhi |
| Dat. | ubhinnaṃ |
| Abl. | ubhehi, ubhebhi, ubhohi, ubhobhi |
| Gen. | ubhinnaṃ |
| Loc. | ubhesu, ubhosu |
Another number that we frequently come across in the suttas is kati, which is used to indicate ‘how many?’
kati = how many
| Nom. | kati |
| Acc. | kati |
| Inst. | katīhi, katībhi |
| Dat. | katīnaṃ, katinnaṃ |
| Abl. | katīhi, katībhi |
| Gen. | katīnaṃ, katinnaṃ |
| Loc. | katīsu |