Indian numbering

system

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 This article contains Indic text. Without
proper rendering support, you may see
question marks or boxes, misplaced
vowels or missing conjuncts instead of
Indic text.

The Indian numbering system is used in

the Indian subcontinent to express large
numbers. The terms lakh (100,000) and
crore (10,000,000)[1] are the most
commonly used terms (even in English,
such as in a local variety called Indian
English) to express large numbers in the
system. For example, 150,000 rupees in
India is referred to as "1.5 lakh rupees",
which is written as 1,50,000 rupees;
30,000,000 (thirty million) rupees is
referred to as "3 crore rupees", which is
written as 3,00,00,000 rupees with
commas at the thousand, lakh, and crore
places.

There are words for numbers larger than 1

crore as well, but these are not commonly
used and are unfamiliar to most speakers.
These include 1 arab (equal to 100 crore or
1 billion), 1 kharab (equal to 100 arab or
100 billion), 1 nil (sometimes incorrectly
transliterated as neel; equal to 100 kharab
or 10 trillion), 1 padma (equal to 100 nil or
1 quadrillion), 1 shankh (equal to 100
padma or 100 quadrillion), and 1
mahashankh (equal to 100 shankh or 10
quintillion). In common parlance, the
thousand, lakh, and crore terminology
(though inconsistent) repeats for larger
numbers: thus 1,000,000,000,000 (one
trillion) becomes 1 lakh crore, written as
1,00,000,00,00,000.

The Indian numbering system corresponds

to the Western system for the zeroth
through fourth powers of ten: one (100),
ten (101), one hundred (102), one thousand
(103), ten thousand (104). For higher
powers of ten, the names no longer
correspond. In the Indian system, the next
powers of ten are called one lakh, ten lakh,
one crore, ten crore, one arab (or one
hundred crore), and so on; there are new
words for every second power of ten (105 +
2n): lakh (105), crore (107), arab (109), etc.
In the Western system, the next powers of
ten are called one hundred thousand, one
million, ten million, one hundred million,
one billion, and so on; there are new words
for every third power of ten (103n): million
(106), billion (109), trillion (1012), etc.

The written numbers differ only in the

placement of commas, which group the
digits into powers of one hundred in the
Indian system (except for the first
thousand), and into powers of one
thousand in the Western system. The
Indian and most English systems both use
the decimal point and the comma digit-
separator, while some other languages
and/or countries using the Western
numbering system use the decimal
comma and the thin space or point to
group digits.

Use of separators
The Indian numbering system uses
separators differently from the
international norm. Instead of grouping
digits by threes as in the international
system, the Indian numbering system
groups the rightmost three digits together
(until the hundreds place), and thereafter
groups by sets of two digits.[2] One trillion
would thus be written as
10,00,00,00,00,000 or 10 kharab (or one
lakh crore). This makes the number
convenient to read using the system's
terminology. Thus:

Indian system Western system In words (Indian) In words (Western)

5,00,000 500,000 Five lakh(s) Five hundred thousand

Twelve crore, twelve

One hundred and twenty-one
lakh, twelve
million, two hundred and
12,12,12,123 121,212,123 thousand, one
twelve thousand, one hundred
hundred and twenty-
and twenty-three
three

17,00,00,00,000 17,000,000,000 Seventeen arab Seventeen billion

Sixty-seven lakh,
Sixty-seven trillion, eight
67,89,000,00,00,000 67,890,000,000,000 eighty-nine thousand
hundred and ninety billion
crore

This accords with the Indian numbering

system, which has units for thousands,
hundreds of thousands, tens of millions,
etc.
Names of numbers
The table below follows the short scale
usage of one billion being one thousand
million. In India, Bangladesh and Pakistan,
following former British usage, the long
scale was used, with one billion equivalent
to one million million.
Names of numbers

Hindi/Urdu Marathi Bengali Tamil Telugu Kannada

Indian notation

South Asian English

एक / ‫اﯾﮏ‬ एक এক ஒ ఒక ಒಂದು
(ēk) (ēk) (êk) (oṉṟu) (okaṭi) (ondu)

One

दस / ‫دس‬ दहा দশ ப ప ಹತು

(das) (dahā) (dôś) (pattu) (padi) (hattu)

Ten

सौ / ‫ﺳﻮ‬ ंभर একেশা వంద/నూరు ನೂರು

(sau) (śambhar) (êkśō) (nūṟu) (vanda/nūru) (nūru) 1

One hundred

सह
(sahasra) एक हजार হাজার ஆய ர ಾ ರ
हज़ार / ‫ﮨﺰار‬ (ēk hajār) (hājār) (āyiram) (veyyi) (sāvira) 1,0
(hazār)

One thousand

दस हज़ार / दहा हजार দশ ப தாய ர ప లు ಹತು 10,0

‫دس ﮨﺰار‬ (dahā হাজার (pattāyiram) (padi vēlu) ಾ ರ
(das hazār) hajār) (dôś ஆ த (hattu
hājār) (āyutam) sāvira)
 অযুত
(ōjut)

Ten thousand

இல ச
लाख / ‫ﻻﮐﮫ‬ एक ाख লাখ (ilaṭcam) ల ಲ
(lākh) (ēk lākh) (lākh) ந த (lakṣa) (lakṣa) 1,00,0
(niyutam)

One lakh (sometimes incorrectly transliterated as lac)

दस लाख /
দশ লাখ
‫دس ﻻﮐﮫ‬ ப
दहा ाख (dôś ప ల లు ಹತು ಲ
(das lākh) இல ச
(dahā lākh) (padi (hattu
अद त / (pattu 10,00,0
lākh) িনযুত lakṣalu) lakṣa)
‫ادﻧﺖ‬ ilaṭcam)
(nijut)
(adanta)

Ten lakh

करोड़ / ‫ ﮐﺮوڑ‬एक कोट কািট ேகா ೂೕ

(karōṛ) (ēk kōṭī) (kōṭi) (kōṭi) (kōṭi) (kōṭi) 1,00,00,0
One crore

দশ
কািট ಹತು
दस करोड़ / दहा कोट
(dôś அ த ప టు ೂೕ
‫دس ﮐﺮوڑ‬ (dahā
kōṭi) (aṟputam) (padi kōṭlu) (hattu 10,00,00,0
(das karōṛ) kōṭī)
অবুদ kōṭi)
(ōrbud)

Ten crore

एक अ ज একেশা நக த వంద టు ನೂರು 100,00,00,0

अरब / ‫ارب‬ (ēk abja) কািট (nikaṟputam) (vanda kōṭlu) ೂೕ
(arab) (êkśō (nūru
सौ करोड़ / kōṭi) kōṭi)
‫ﺳﻮ ﮐﺮوڑ‬
(sau karōṛ)

One arab / one hundred crore

दस अरब /
‫دس ارب‬ হাজার ಒಂದು
(das arab) কািট ಾ ರ
दहा अ ज
एक हज़ार (hājār ப టు ೂೕ
(dahā
करोड़ / ‫اﯾﮏ‬ kōṭi) (kumpam) (veyyi kōṭlu) (ondu 1,000,00,00,0
abja)
‫ﮨﺰار ﮐﺮوڑ‬ খব sāvira
(ēk hazār (khôrbō) kōṭi)
karōṛ)

Ten arab / one thousand crore

দশ ಹತು
হাজার ಾ ರ
खरब / ंभर अ ज ప ల టు
কািট கண ೂೕ
‫ﮐﮭﺮب‬ (śambhar (padi vēla
(dôś (kaṇam) (hattu 10,000,00,00,0
(kharab) abja) kōṭlu)
hājār sāvira
kōṭi) kōṭi)

One kharab / one hundred arab / ten thousand crore

दस खरब / एक हजार লাখ க ப ల టు ಒಂದು 1,00,000,00,00,0

‫دس ﮐﮭﺮب‬ अज কািট (kaṟpam) (lakṣa kōṭlu) ಲ
(das (ēk hajār (lākh ೂೕ
kharab) abja) kōṭi) (ondu
एक लाख lakṣa
करोड़ / ‫اﯾﮏ‬ kōṭi)
‫ﻻﮐﮫ ﮐﺮوڑ‬
(ēk lākh
karōṛ)

Ten kharab / one thousand arab / one lakh crore

दहा हजार দশ লাখ ಹತು ಲ

ప ల ల
अज কািট ೂೕ
नील / ‫ﻧﯿﻞ‬ நக ப టు
(dahā (dôś (hattu
(nīl) (nikaṟpam) (padi lakṣala 10,00,000,00,00,0
hajār lākh lakṣa
kōṭlu)
abja) kōṭi) kōṭi)

One nil / one hundred kharab / ten thousand arab / ten lakh crore

दस नील /
‫دس ﻧﯿﻞ‬ একেশা
ಒಂದು
(das nīl) एक ाख লাখ
ೂೕ
एक करोड़ अज কািট ப ம టు
ೂೕ
करोड़ / ‫( اﯾﮏ‬ēk lākh (êkśō (patumam) (kōṭi kōṭlu) 1,00,00,000,00,00,0
(ondu
‫ﮐﺮوڑ ﮐﺮوڑ‬ abja) lākh
kōṭi kōṭi)
(ēk karōṛ kōṭi)
karōṛ)

Ten nil / one crore crore

प / ‫ﭘﺪم‬ হাজার ச க ప ట టు ಹತು 10,00,00,000,00,00,0

(padma) লাখ (caṅkam) (padi kōṭla ೂೕ
কািট kōṭlu) ೂೕ
(hājār (hattu
kōṭi kōṭi)
 lākh
kōṭi)

One padma / one hundred nil / ten crore crore

দশ
হাজার
ನೂರು
दस प / লাখ ெவ ள వంద ట
ೂೕ
‫دس ﭘﺪم‬ কািট (veḷḷam) టు
ೂೕ
(das (dôś ச தர (vanda kōṭla 100,00,00,000,00,00,0
(nūru
padma) hājār (camuttiram) kōṭlu)
kōṭi kōṭi)
lākh
kōṭi)

Ten padma / one hundred crore crore

শত
ಒಂದು
হাজার
ಾ ರ
লাখ ట
ೂೕ
शंख / ‫ﺷﻨﮑﮫ‬ কািট அ நய టు
ೂೕ
(śaṅkh) (śata (anniyam) (veyyi kōṭla
(ondu 1,000,00,00,000,00,00,0
hājār kōṭlu)
sāvira
lākh
kōṭi kōṭi)
kōṭi)

One shankh / one hundred padma / one thousand crore crore / one
lakh lakh crore

दस शंख / দশ শত அ த ప ల ట ಹತು 10,000,00,00,000,00,00,0

‫دس ﺷﻨﮑﮫ‬ হাজার (arttam) టు ಾ ರ
(das লাখ (padi vēla ೂೕ
śaṅkh) কািট kōṭla kōṭlu) ೂೕ
गुलशन / (daś (hattu
‫ﮔﻠﺸﻦ‬ śata sāvira
(gulśan) hājār kōṭi kōṭi)
lākh
kōṭi)

Ten shankh / ten thousand crore crore

Vedic numbering systems

There are various systems of numeration
found in various ancient Vedic literary
works of India. The following table gives
one such system used in the Valmiki
Ramayana.[4]
 Indian Power
Equivalent numeric representation
notation notation

एक (ēka) 1 100

दश (daśa) 10 101

शत (śata) 100 102

सह
1,000 103
(sahasra)

अयुत (ayuta) 10,000 104

ल (lakṣa) 1,00,000 105

1,00,000
नयुत (niyuta) 106
daśa

1,00,000
को ट (kōṭi) 107
śata

1,00,000
शङ् कु (śaṅku) 1012
koṭi

महाशङ् कु 1,00,000
1017
(mahāśaṅku) śaṅku

1,00,000
वृ द (vr̥nda) 1022 10
mahāśaṅku

महावृ द 1,00,000
1027 1,000,000
(mahāvr̥nda) vr̥nda

1,00,000
प (padma) 1032 100,000,000,000
mahāvr̥nda

महाप 1,00,000 1037 10,000,000,000,000,000

(mahāpadma) padma

1,00,000
खव (kharva) 1042 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
mahāpadma

महाखव 1,00,000
1047 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
(mahākharva) kharva

समु 1,00,000
1052 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
(samudra) mahākharva

1,00,000
ओघ (ōgha) 1057 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
samudra

महौघ 1,00,000
1062 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
(mahaugha) ogha

Usage in different languages

In Bengali, a lakh is also called ল
lokkho (ardha-tatsama), or laakh
(tadbhava) and a crore is called কািট
koti.
In Gujarati, a lakh is called લાખ lākh and
a crore is called કરોડ karoḍ. A hundred
crore is called અબજ abaj.
In Kannada, a lakh is called ಲ lakṣha
and a crore is called ೂೕ kōṭi.
In Khasi, a lakh is called lak and a crore
is called klur or krur. A billion is called
arab and hundred billion is called kharab.
In Malayalam, a lakh is called ല ം
laksham and a crore is called േകാടി
kodi.
In Marathi, a lakh is called लाख / ाख/
lākh and a crore is called कोट koṭi or
करोड karoḍ, and an arab (109) is called
अ ज abja.
In Nepali, a lakh is called लाख lākh and a
crore is called करोड karoḍ.
In Odia (Oriya), a lakh is called ଲ lakhya
and a crore is called େକାଟି koti.
In Punjabi, a lakh is called lakkh
(Shahmukhi: ‫ﻟﮑﮫ‬, Gurmukhi: ਲੱਖ) and a
crore is called karoṛ (Shahmukhi: ‫ﮐﺮوڑ‬,
Gurmukhi: ਕਰੋੜ).
In Rohingya, a lakh is called lák and a
crore is called kurul. A thousand crores
is called "kuthí ".
In Sinhala, a lakh is called ල ෂ lakṣa
and a crore is called ෙක kōṭi.
In Sylheti, a lakh is called লাখ lakh (lax)
and a crore is called কািট kuti. A billion
is called "arob". And hundred billion is
called "kharob".
In Tamil, a lakh is called இல ச
ilatcham and a crore is called ேகா
kodi.
In Telugu, a lakh is called ల lakṣha and
a crore is called kōṭi.

In Urdu, a lakh is called ‫ ﻻﮐﮫ‬lākh and a

crore is called ‫ ﮐﺮوڑ‬karoṛ. A billion is
called "arab"‫ ارب‬. And hundred billion/
arab (‫ )ارب‬is called "kharab"( ‫)ﮐﮭﺮب‬.
Lakh has entered the Swahili language
as "laki" and is in common use.
In Burmese, crore is called ကုေဋ [ɡədè].
Lakh is used in Burmese English.
 In Assamese, a lakh is also called ল
lokhyo, or লাখ lakh and a crore is called
কৗিট বা কািট kouti.

References
1. "Knowing our Numbers" . Department
Of School Education And Literacy.
National Repository of Open
Educational Resources. Retrieved
13 February 2016.
2. Emmons, John (25 March 2018).
"UNICODE LOCALE DATA MARKUP
LANGUAGE (LDML) PART 3:
NUMBERS" . Unicode.org. Archived
from the original on 25 July 2018.
Retrieved 25 March 2018.
3. Use of separator in digit grouping here
follows customs in most English-
speaking countries. For international
standards and details, see decimal
mark.
4. Valmiki Ramayana Yuddha Kanda
Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Indian_numbering_system&oldid=954786652"

Last edited on 4 May 2020, at 09:07

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