Numbers, dates and time
Numbers in words and in Gujarati numerals (૧, ૨, ૩), prices and dates, the time with સવા, સાડા and પોણા, and since: ત્રણ વર્ષથી.
Learn
Numbers, dates and time, explained point by point
Everything the GCSE specification expects you to be able to do, and how to actually do it - the same lesson a signed-in student studies from.
Read the Gujarati numerals
Gujarati has its own digits, ૦ ૧ ૨ ૩ ૪ ૫ ૬ ૭ ૮ ૯, and uses the familiar ones too, so be ready for both: ૨૦૨૬ is 2026. Prices, dates and times on a Gujarati notice often use them.
Learn the numbers as words
Every number up to a hundred has its own word: એક, બે, ત્રણ, ચાર, પાંચ; અગિયાર 11, વીસ 20, એકવીસ 21, પચીસ 25, પચાસ 50. Then સો 100, હજાર 1,000 and લાખ 100,000.
Tell the time with વાગ્યા
કેટલા વાગ્યા છે? what time is it? ત્રણ વાગ્યા છે it is three o'clock, but એક વાગ્યો છે it is one o'clock. At a time is વાગ્યે: ત્રણ વાગ્યે at three.
Use સવા, સાડા and પોણા
સવા ત્રણ is quarter past three, સાડા ત્રણ half past three, પોણા ચાર quarter to four. Half past one and half past two have their own words, દોઢ and અઢી. Minutes are added with ને: ત્રણ ને દસ ten past three.
Say the part of the day and the date
સવારે in the morning, બપોરે in the afternoon, સાંજે in the evening, રાત્રે at night. આજે કઈ તારીખ છે? what is the date today? પંદર ઑગસ્ટ the fifteenth of August.
Say for and since with -થી and the present
English says I have been learning; Gujarati uses the present with -થી: હું ત્રણ વર્ષથી ગુજરાતી શીખું છું I have been learning Gujarati for three years, ગયા વર્ષથી since last year. Recognise it at Foundation; use it at Higher.
Ask the price and give quantities
આ કેટલાનું છે? how much is this? પાંચ પાઉન્ડ, સો રૂપિયા. Quantities: એક કિલો, અડધો લિટર, એક ડઝન, એક પૅકેટ.
Numbers, dates and time key terms
The words the specification and the mark schemes use, each defined the way an examiner wants it.
- Numeral
- A digit: Gujarati's own ૧, ૨, ૩, or 1, 2, 3.
- Ordinal number
- A number for order: પહેલું first, બીજું second, ત્રીજું third, ચોથું fourth. It agrees like an adjective.
- વાગ્યા
- O'clock, in કેટલા વાગ્યા છે?; વાગ્યે means at that time.
- સાડા
- Half past, before the hour: સાડા છ half past six.
- સવા and પોણા
- Quarter past and quarter to: સવા પાંચ 5.15, પોણા છ 5.45.
- Since, with -થી
- How long something has been going on, with the present: બે વર્ષથી for two years.
Common mistakes in Numbers, dates and time
The slips that cost marks year after year, and what to do instead.
Saying સાડા એક for half past one.
Half past one is દોઢ and half past two અઢી; સાડા starts at three: સાડા ત્રણ.
Mixing વાગ્યા and વાગ્યે.
ત્રણ વાગ્યા છે it is three o'clock; ત્રણ વાગ્યે at three o'clock.
Translating I have lived here for two years with the past, as in હું અહીં બે વર્ષ રહ્યો.
Use the present with -થી: હું બે વર્ષથી અહીં રહું છું.
Practice
Try a Numbers, dates and time question
A GCSE-style original question from this topic. Have a go before you open the working - deciding on an answer first is what makes the working stick.
What time is પોણા બે?
- 2.15
- 1.45
- 2.45
- 1.15
Show the answer and the working
Answer: 1.45
પોણા is a quarter less: પોણા બે is a quarter to two, 1.45.
- પોણા is quarter to.
- Quarter to two is 1.45.
- So 1.45.