Indian numbering system
The Indian numbering system is used in the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and in Burma. The terms lakh (100,000 or 1,00,000 in Indian notation) and crore (10,000,000 or 1,00,00,000)[1] are used in Indian English to express large numbers. For example, in India 150,000 rupees is called 1.5 lakh rupees, written ₹1,50,000; while 30,000,000 (thirty million) rupees is called 3 crore rupees, written ₹3,00,00,000 with commas at the thousand, lakh, and crore levels; and 1,000,000,000 (one billion) rupees is called 100 crore rupees or one arab अरब, written ₹1,00,00,00,000. There are also words for numbers larger than 1 crore, but these are not commonly used and unfamiliar to most speakers. These include 1 arab, equal to 100 crore, 1 kharab equal to 100 arab, 1 Neel equal to 100 kharab, 1 Padm equal to 100 Neel, 1 Shankh equal to 100 Padm and 1 Mahasankh equal to 100 Shankh. In common parlance, the thousand, lakh, crore terminology repeats for larger numbers: thus 1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion) becomes 1 lakh crore, written as 10,00,00,00,00,000.
The Indian number-word system corresponds to the western system for the zeroth through fourth powers of ten: one, ten, one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand. For higher powers, 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 hundred crore, and so on: there are the single words lakh = 105 and crore = 107. 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 the single words 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 English systems both use the decimal point and the comma digit-separator, while some other countries using the Western number-word system use the decimal comma, and space or point to separate digits in powers of one thousand.
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 one lakh crore (or 10 kharab). This makes the number convenient to read using thousand, lakh, crore terminology. Thus:
| Indian system | Western system | In words (Indian) | In words (Western) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5,00,000 | 500,000 | Five lakh(s) |
Five hundred thousand |
| 12,12,12,123 | 121,212,123 | Twelve crore, twelve lakh, twelve thousand, one hundred and twenty-three | One hundred and twenty-one million, two hundred and twelve thousand, one hundred and twenty-three |
| 17,00,00,00,000 | 17,000,000,000 | Seventeen arab | Seventeen billion |
| 67,89,000,00,00,000 | 67,890,000,000,000 | Sixty-seven lakh, eighty-nine thousand crore | Sixty-seven trillion, eight hundred and ninety billion |
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.
| Hindi / Urdu / Tamil / Telugu / Bengali / Sylheti / Marathi / Kannada (transliteration) South Asian English |
Indian figure | Power notation |
International figure[3] | Short scale Western (long scale Western) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| एक / ایک (ek) /ஒன்று/ஏகம் (Ondru/Ekam) / ఒకటి (okati) / এক (êk) / ꠄꠇ (ekh) / ek / एक / ಒಂದು (Ondu) one |
1 | 100 | 1 | One |
| दस / دس (das) /பத்து (Pathu) / పది (padi) / দশ (dôsh) / ꠖꠡ (dosh) / doc / दहा / ಹತ್ತು (Haththu) ten |
10 | 101 | 10 | Ten Scientific (SI prefix): deca- |
| सौ / سو (sau) /நூறு (Nooru) / వంద (vandha) / একশ (êkshô) / ꠄꠇ꠆ꠡ (ekhsho) / cót / शंभर / ನೂರು (Nooru) one hundred |
100 | 102 | 100 | One hundred SI prefix: hecto- |
| सहस्र (sahasra) / हज़ार / ہزار (hazār) / ஆயிரம் (Aayiram) / వెయ్యి (Veyyi) / হাজার (hazar) / (ꠢ)ꠀꠎꠣꠞ ((h)azar) / házar / एक हजार / ಸಾವಿರ (Saavira) one thousand |
1,000 | 103 | 1,000 | One thousand SI prefix: kilo- |
| दस हज़ार / دس ہزار (das hazār) /பத்தாயிரம்/ஆயுதம் (Pathaayiram/Ayutham) / పది వేలు (padi vēlu) /দশ হাজার (dôsh hazar) / ꠖꠡ (ꠢ)ꠀꠎꠣꠞ (dosh (h)azar) / doc házar / दहा हजार / ಹತ್ತು ಸಾವಿರ (Haththu Saavira) ten thousand |
10,000 | 104 | 10,000 | Ten thousand |
| लाख / لاکھ (lākh) / இலட்சம்/நியுதம் (Latcham/Niyutham) / లక్ష (Lakṣa) / লাখ (lakh) / ꠟꠣꠈ (lakh) / lák / एक लाख / ಲಕ್ಷ (Laksha) one lakh (also lac) |
1,00,000 | 105 | 100,000 | One hundred thousand |
| अदन्त / ادنت (adant) / दस लाख / دس لاکھ (das lākh) / பத்து இலட்சம் (Pathu Latcham) /పది లక్షలు (padi Lakṣalu) / দশ লাখ (dôsh lakh) / ꠖꠡ ꠟꠣꠈ (dosh lakh) / doc lák / दहा लाख / ಹತ್ತು ಲಕ್ಷ (Haththu Laksha) ten lakh |
10,00,000 | 106 | 1,000,000 | One million SI prefix: mega- |
| करोड़ / کروڑ (karoṛ) / கோடி (Kodi) / కోటి (Kōṭi)/ কোটি (koti) / ꠇꠥꠐꠤ (kuti) / kurul / एक कोटी / ಕೋಟಿ (Koti) one crore |
1,00,00,000 | 107 | 10,000,000 | Ten million |
| दस करोड़ / دس کروڑ (das karoṛ) / அற்புதம் (Arputham) / పది కోట్లు (Padi kōṭlu)/ দশ কোটি (dôsh koti) / ꠖꠡ ꠇꠥꠐꠤ (dosh kuti) / दहा कोटी / ಹತ್ತು ಕೋಟಿ (Haththu Koti) ten crore |
10,00,00,000 | 108 | 100,000,000 | One hundred million |
| अबज़ (abaj) / ارب (arab) / सौ करोड़ (sau karoṛ) /நிகற்புதம் (Nigarputham) / వంద కోట్లు (vandha kōṭlu)/ একশ কোটি (êkshô koti) / ꠄꠇ ꠅꠞꠛ (ekh orob) / doc kurul / एक अब्ज / ನೂರು ಕೋಟಿ (Nooru Koti) one arab / one hundred crore |
100,00,00,000 | 109 | 1,000,000,000 | One billion (one milliard) SI prefix: giga- |
| एक हजार करोड़ek hazar crod (ek hazār karoṛ) / دس ارب (das arab) /கும்பம் (Kumbam) / వెయ్యి కోట్లు (Veyyi kōṭlu)/ এক হাজার কোটি (êk hazar koti) / ꠖꠡ ꠅꠞꠛ (dosh orob) / kuthí / दहा अब्ज /ಒಂದು ಸಾವಿರ ಕೋಟಿ (Ondu Saavira Koti) one thousand crore / ten arab |
1,000,00,00,000 | 1010 | 10,000,000,000 | Ten billion (ten milliard) |
| खरब / کھرب (kharab) / கணம் (Ganam) /పది వేల కోట్లు (Padi vēla kōṭlu) / দশ হাজার কোটি (dôsh hazar koti) / ꠄꠇ ꠈꠞꠛ (ekh khorob) / doc kuthí / शंभर अब्ज / ಹತ್ತು ಸಾವಿರ ಕೋಟಿ (Haththu Saavira Koti) ten thousand crore / one kharab / one hundred arab |
10,000,00,00,000 | 1011 | 100,000,000,000 | One hundred billion (one hundred milliard) |
| एक लाख करोड़ (ek lākh karoṛ) / دس کھرب (das kharab) / கற்பம் (Karpam) / లక్ష కోట్లు (Lakṣa kōṭlu) / এক লাখ কোটি (êk lakh koti) / ꠖꠡ ꠈꠞꠛ (dosh khorob) / cót kuthí / एक हजार अब्ज / ಒಂದು ಲಕ್ಷ ಕೋಟಿ (Ondu Laksha Koti) one lakh crore / ten kharab / one thousand arab |
1,00,000,00,00,000 | 1012 | 1,000,000,000,000 | One trillion (one billion) SI prefix: tera- |
| नील / نیل (nīl) /நிகற்பம் (Nikarpam) / పది లక్షల కోట్లు (Padi Lakṣala kōṭlu) / দশ লাখ কোটি (dôsh lakh koti) / ꠄꠇ꠆ꠡ ꠈꠞꠛ (ekhsho khorob) / házar kuthí / दहा हजार अब्ज / ಹತ್ತು ಲಕ್ಷ ಕೋಟಿ (Haththu Laksha Koti) ten lakh crore / one neel / one hundred kharab / ten thousand arab |
10,00,000,00,00,000 | 1013 | 10,000,000,000,000 | Ten trillion (ten billion) |
| एक करोड़ करोड़ (ek karod karod) / دس نیل (das nīl) / பதுமம் (Padhumam) /కోటి కోట్లు (Kōṭi kōṭlu)/ শত লাখ কোটি (shôtô lakh koti) / (ꠢ)ꠀꠎꠣꠞ ꠈꠞꠛ ((h)azar khorob) / doc házar kuthí / एक लाख अब्ज /ಒಂದು ಕೋಟಿ ಕೋಟಿ (Ondu Koti Koti) one crore crore / ten neel |
1,00,00,000,00,00,000 | 1014 | 100,000,000,000,000 | One hundred trillion (one hundred billion) |
| पद्म / پدم (padma) / சங்கம் (Sangam) /పది కోటి కోట్లు (Padi Kōṭi kōṭlu) / হাজার লাখ কোটি (hajar lakh koti) / ꠖꠡ (ꠢ)ꠀꠎꠣꠞ ꠈꠞꠛ (dosh (h)azar khorob) / lák kuthí / ಹತ್ತು ಕೋಟಿ ಕೋಟಿ (Haththu Koti Koti) one padma / one hundred neel / ten crore crore |
10,00,00,000,00,00,000 | 1015 | 1,000,000,000,000,000 | One quadrillion (one billiard) SI prefix: peta- |
| दस पद्म / دس پدم (das padm) /வெள்ளம்/சமுத்திரம் (Vellam/Samuthiram) / వంద కోటి కోట్లు (Vandha Kōṭi kōṭlu) / দশ হাজার লাখ কোটি (dôsh hajar lakh koti) / ꠟꠣꠈ ꠈꠞꠛ (lakh khorob) / kurul kuthí / ನೂರು ಕೋಟಿ ಕೋಟಿ (Nooru Koti Koti) ten padma / one hundred crore crore |
100,00,00,000,00,00,000 | 1016 | 10,000,000,000,000,000 | Ten quadrillion (ten billiard) |
| शङ्ख (शंख) / شنکھ (śaṅkh) / அந்நியம் (Anniyam) / వెయ్యి కోటి కోట్లు (Veyyi Kōṭi kōṭlu) / শত হাজার লাখ কোটি (shôtô hajar lakh koti) / ꠖꠡ ꠟꠣꠈ ꠈꠞꠛ (dosh lakh khorob) / doc kurul kuthí / ಒಂದು ಸಾವಿರ ಕೋಟಿ ಕೋಟಿ (Ondu Saavira Koti Koti) one shankh / one hundred padma / one thousand crore crore / one lakh lakh crore |
1,000,00,00,000,00,00,000 | 1017 | 100,000,000,000,000,000 | One hundred quadrillion (one hundred billiard) |
| गुलशन / گلشن (Gulshan) / அர்த்தம் (Artham) / పది వేల కోటి కోట్లు (Padi vēla Kōṭi kōṭlu) / দশ শত হাজার লাখ কোটি (dôsh shôtô hajar lakh koti) / ꠇꠥꠐꠤ ꠈꠞꠛ (kuti khorob) / cót kurul kuthí / ಹತ್ತು ಸಾವಿರ ಕೋಟಿ ಕೋಟಿ (Haththu Saavira Koti Koti) (ten shankh / ten thousand crore crore) |
10,000,00,00,000,00,00,000 | 1018 | 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 | One quintillion (one trillion) SI prefix: exa- |
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 figure | Power notation |
Equivalent numeric representation | Short scale Western | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| एक (eka) | 1 | 100 | 1 | One |
| दश (daśa) | 10 | 101 | 10 | Ten |
| शत (śata) | 100 | 102 | 100 | One hundred |
| सहस्र (sahasra) | 1,000 | 103 | 1,000 | One thousand |
| अयुत (ayuta) | 10,000 | 104 | 10,000 | Ten thousand |
| लक्ष (lakṣa) | 1,00,000 | 105 | 1,00,000 | One hundred thousand |
| नियुत (niyuta) | 1,00,000 daśa | 106 | 10,00,000 | One million |
| कोटि (koṭi) |
1,00,000 śata | 107 | 1,00,00,000 | Ten million |
| शङ्कु (śaṅku) | 1,00,000 koṭi | 1012 | 1,00000,00,00,000 | One trillion |
| महाशङ्कु (mahā-śaṅku) | 1,00,000 śaṅku | 1017 | 1,00000,00000,00,00,000 | One hundred quadrillion |
| वृन्द (vṛnda) | 1,00,000 mahā-śaṅku | 1022 | 1,00000,00000,00000,00,00,000 | Ten sextillion (ten trilliard) |
| महावृन्द (mahā-vṛnda) | 1,00,000 vṛnda | 1027 | 1,00000,00000,00000,00000,00,00,000 | One octillion |
| पद्म (padma) | 1,00,000 mahā-vṛnda | 1032 | 1,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00,00,000 | One hundred nonillion |
| महापद्म (mahā-padma) | 1,00,000 padma | 1037 | 1,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00,00,000 | Ten undecillion |
| खर्व (kharva) | 1,00,000 mahā-padma | 1042 | 1,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00,00,000 | One tredecillion |
| महाखर्व (mahā-kharva) | 1,00,000 kharva | 1047 | 1,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00,00,000 | One hundred quattuordecillion |
| समुद्र (samudra) | 1,00,000 mahā-kharva | 1052 | 1,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00,00,000 | Ten sexdecillion |
| ओघ (ogha) | 1,00,000 samudra | 1057 | 1,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00,00,000 | One octodecillion |
| महौघ (mahaugha) | 1,00,000 ogha | 1062 | 1,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00000,00,00,000 | One hundred novemdecillion |
Usage in different languages
- In Bengali, a lakh is also called লক্ষ lokkho (ardha-tatsama), or laakh (tadbhava) and a crore is called কোটি 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 ಲಕ್ಷ lakṣha and a crore is called ಕೋಟಿ 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 ലക്ഷം laksham and a crore is called കോടി kodi.
- In Marathi, a lakh is called लाख / लाख/लक्ष lākh and a crore is called कोटी koṭi or करोड karoḍ, and an arab (109) is called अब्ज abja.
- In Nepali, a lakh is called लाख lākh and a crore is called करोड karoḍ.
- In Odia (Oriya), a lakh is called ଲକ୍ଷ lakhya and a crore is called କୋଟି 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 Sinhalese, a lakh is called ලක්ෂ lakṣa and a crore is called කෝටි kōṭi.
- In Sylheti, a lakh is called লাখ lakh (lax) and a crore is called কোটি kuti. A billion is called "arob". And hundred billion is called "kharob".
- In Sylheti, a lakh is called ꠟꠣꠈ lakh and a crore is called ꠇꠥꠐꠤ kuti. A billion is called "orob" (ꠅꠞꠛ). And hundred billion/ orob is called "khorob"(ꠈꠞꠛ).
- In Tamil, a lakh is called இலட்சம் 'ilatcham and a crore is called கோடி kodi.
- In Telugu, a lakh is called లక్ష lakṣha and a crore is called కోటి kōṭi.
- In Urdu, a lakh is called لاکھ lākh and a crore is called کروڑ karoṛ. A billion is called "arab"ارب . And hundred billion/ arab (ارب) is called "kharab"( کھرب).
- Lakh has entered the Swahili language as "laki" and is in common use.
- In Burmese, crore is called ကုဋေ [ɡədè]. Lakh is used in Burmese English.
References
- "Knowing our Numbers". Department Of School Education And Literacy. National Repository of Open Educational Resources. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
- Emmons, John (2018-03-25). "UNICODE LOCALE DATA MARKUP LANGUAGE (LDML) PART 3: NUMBERS". Unicode.org. Archived from the original on 2018-07-25. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
- Use of separator in digit grouping is following customs in most English speaking countries. For international standard and details cf. Decimal mark
- Valmiki Ramayana Yuddha Kanda