Quechua by the numbers (some travel advice, a book recommendation and a helpful chart)

Updated on March 4, 2019 by Siduith Ferrer in Art & Culture, Books on Peru with 0 Comments

English-speaking travelers to Peru routinely brush up on their Spanish in preparation for their journey.

What about the other widely spoken mother tongue that came before Spanish — the one spoken in the Andean epicenter of the once-mighty Inca Empire?

Whether it be asking directions while roaming a village in the Sacred Valley or haggling in the indigenous market in Cuzco, your experience can be greatly enriched if you try to communicate with some phrases in Quechua.

There are some places in the world where local people are unappreciative of foreigners who make the effort to speak their language. Nothing could be further from the truth, however, in the Peruvian sierra. Quechua is a living symbol of ethnic identity and cultural pride, and showing an interest in learning it is almost always perceived as a compliment.

One very good, inexpensive resource is the small paperback Quechua (Lonely Planet Phrasebooks 2nd Edition) by Serafin M. Coronel-Molina. It costs under $10. Consider picking up a copy and keeping it handy during your journey. There are more than two dozen dialects of Quechua spoken throughout the Andes. Coronel-Molina’s handbook focuses on the dialect predominate in the southern highlands, including Cuzco.

Like with any language, a great place to start with Quechua is learning how to count. Quechua numbers follow a logical progression and are easy to learn. For example, thirteen is expressed as “ten-plus-three,” and thirty would be “three tens.”

This chart is intended to help get you started. Have a great trip!

Huq p’unchaykama

Numbers	Quechua	Phonetic	English
0	Illa	Ee-ya	Zero
1	Uk	Ook	One
2	Iskay	Eesh-kay	Two
3	Kinsa	Kin-sah	Three
4	Tawa	Toa-wa	Four
5	Pichqa	Peesh-kay	Five
6	Soqta	Sok-ta	Six
7	Qanchis	Khan-chees	Seven
8	Pusaq	Poo-sak	Eight
9	Isqon	Eesh-kon	Nine
10	Chunka	Choon-kah	Ten
11	Chunka Uk niyuq	Choon-kah Ook Nee-yook	Eleven
12	Chunka Iskay niyuq	Choon-kah Eesh-kay Nee-yook	Twelve
13	Chunka Kinsa yuq	Choon-kah Kin-sah Yook	Thirteen
14	Chunka Tawa yuq	Choon-kah Toa-wa Yook	Fourteen
15	Chunka Pichqa yuq	Choon-kah Peesh-kay Yook	Fifteen
16	Chunka Soqta yuq	Choon-kah Sok-ta Yook	Sixteen
17	Chunka Qanchis niyuq	Choon-kah Khan-chees Nee-yook	Seventeen
18	Chunka Pusaq niyuq	Choon-kah Poo-sak Nee-yook	Eighteen
19	Chunka Isqon niyuq	Choon-kah Eesh-kon Nee-yook	Nineteen
20	Iskay Chunka	Eesh-kay Choon-kah	Twenty
21	Iskay Chunka Uk niyuq	Eesh-kay Choon-kah Ook Nee-yook	Twenty-one
22	Iskay Chunka Iskay niyuq	Eesh-kay Choon-kah Eesh-kay Nee-yook	Twenty-two
23	Iskay Chunka Kinsa yuq	Eesh-kay Choon-kah Kin-sah Yook	Twenty-three
24	Iskay Chunka Tawa yuq	Eesh-kay Choon-kah Toa-wa Yook	Twenty-four
25	Iskay Chunka Pichqa yuq	Eesh-kay Choon-kah Peesh-kay Yook	Twenty-five
26	Iskay Chunka Soqta yuq	Eesh-kay Choon-kah Sok-ta Yook	Twenty-six
27	Iskay Chunka Qanchis niyuq	Eesh-kay Choon-kah Khan-chees Nee-yook	Twenty-seven
28	Iskay Chunka Pusaq niyuq	Eesh-kay Choon-kah Poo-sakNee-yook	Twenty-eight
29	Iskay Chunka Isqon niyuq	Eesh-kay Choon-kah Eesh-kon Nee-yook	Twenty-nine
30	Kinsa Chunka	Kin-sahChoon-kah	Thirty
31	Kinsa Chunka Uk niyuq	Kin-sah Choon-kah Ook Nee-yook	Thirty-one
32	Kinsa Chunka Iskay niyuq	Kin-sah Choon-kah Eesh-kay Nee-yook	Thirty-two
33	Kinsa Chunka Kinsa yuq	Kin-sah Choon-kah Kin-sah Yook	Thirty three
34	Kinsa Chunka Tawa yuq	Kin-sah Choon-kah Toa-wa Yook	Thirty-four
35	Kinsa Chunka Pichqa yuq	Kin-sah Choon-kah Peesh-kay Yook	Thirty five
36	Kinsa Chunka Soqta yuq	Kin-sah Choon-kah Sok-ta Yook	Thirty-six
37	Kinsa Chunka Qanchis niyuq	Kin-sah Choon-kah Khan-chees Nee-yook	Thirty-seven
38	Kinsa Chunka Pusaq niyuq	Kin-sah Choon-kah Poo-sakNee-yook	Thirty eight
39	Kinsa Chunka Isqon niyuq	Kin-sah Choon-kah Eesh-kon Nee-yook	Thirty-nine
40	Tawa Chunka	Toa-waChoon-kah	Forty
41	Tawa Chunka Uk niyuq	Toa-wa Choon-kah Ook Nee-yook	Forty-one
42	Tawa Chunka Iskay niyuq	Toa-wa Choon-kah Eesh-kay Nee-yook	Forty-two
43	Tawa Chunka Kinsa yuq	Toa-wa Choon-kah Kin-sah Yook	Forty-three
44	Tawa Chunka Tawa yuq	Toa-wa Choon-kah Toa-wa Yook	Forty-four
45	Tawa Chunka Pichqa yuq	Toa-wa Choon-kah Peesh-kay Yook	Forty-five
46	Tawa Chunka Soqta yuq	Toa-wa Choon-kah Sok-ta Yook	Forty-six
47	Tawa Chunka Qanchis niyuq	Toa-wa Choon-kah Khan-chees Nee-yook	Forty-seven
48	Tawa Chunka Pusaq niyuq	Toa-wa Choon-kah Poo-sak Nee-yook	Forty-eight
49	Tawa Chunka Isqon niyuq	Toa-wa Choon-kah Eesh-kon Nee-yook	Forty-nine
50	Pichqa Chunka	Peesh-kay Choon-kah	Fifty
51	Pichqa Chunka Uk niyuq	Peesh-kay Choon-kah Ook Nee-yook	Fifty-one
52	Pichqa Chunka Iskay niyuq	Peesh-kay Choon-kah Eesh-kay Nee-yook	Fifty-two
53	Pichqa Chunka Kinsa yuq	Peesh-kay Choon-kah Kin-sah Yook	Fifty-three
54	Pichqa Chunka Tawa yuq	Peesh-kay Choon-kah Toa-wa Yook	Fifty-four
55	Pichqa Chunka Pichqa yuq	Peesh-kay Choon-kah Peesh-kay Yook	Fifty-five
56	Pichqa Chunka Soqta yuq	Peesh-kay Choon-kah Sok-ta Yook	Fifty six
57	Pichqa Chunka Qanchis niyuq	Peesh-kay Choon-kah Khan-chees Nee-yook	Fifty-seven
58	Pichqa Chunka Pusaq niyuq	Peesh-kay Choon-kah Poo-sak Nee-yook	Fifty-eight
59	Pichqa Chunka Isqon niyuq	Peesh-kay Choon-kah Eesh-kon Nee-yook	Fifty nine
60	Soqta Chunka	Sok-ta Choon-kah	Sixty
61	Soqta Chunka Uk niyuq	Sok-ta Choon-kah Ook Nee-yook	Sixty-one
62	Soqta Chunka Iskay niyuq	Sok-ta Choon-kah Eesh-kay Nee-yook	Sixty-two
63	Soqta Chunka Kinsa yuq	Sok-ta Choon-kah Kin-sah Yook	Sixty three
64	Soqta Chunka Tawa yuq	Sok-ta Choon-kah Toa-wa Yook	Sixty-four
65	Soqta Chunka Pichqa yuq	Sok-ta Choon-kah Peesh-kay Yook	Sixty-five
66	Soqta Chunka Soqta yuq	Sok-ta Choon-kah Sok-ta Yook	Sixty-six
67	Soqta Chunka Qanchis niyuq	Sok-ta Choon-kah Khan-chees Nee-yook	Sixty-seven
68	Soqta Chunka Pusaq niyuq	Sok-ta Choon-kah Poo-sak Nee-yook	Sixty eight
69	Soqta Chunka Isqon niyuq	Sok-ta Choon-kah Eesh-kon Nee-yook	Sixty nine
70	Qanchis Chunka	Khan-chees Choon-kah	Seventy
71	Qanchis Chunka Uk niyuq	Khan-chees Choon-kah Ook Nee-yook	Seventy-one
72	Qanchis Chunka Iskay niyuq	Khan-chees Choon-kah Eesh-kay Nee-yook	Seventy two
73	Qanchis Chunka Kinsa yuq	Khan-chees Choon-kah Kin-sah Yook	Seventy-three
74	Qanchis Chunka Tawa yuq	Khan-chees Choon-kah Toa-wa Yook	Seventy four
75	Qanchis Chunka Pichqa yuq	Khan-chees Choon-kah Peesh-kay Yook	Seventy five
76	Qanchis Chunka Soqta yuq	Khan-chees Choon-kah Sok-ta Yook	Seventy six
77	Qanchis Chunka Qanchis niyuq	Khan-chees Choon-kah Khan-chees Nee-yook	Seventy seven
78	Qanchis Chunka Pusaq niyuq	Khan-chees Choon-kah Poo-sak Nee-yook	Seventy-eight
79	Qanchis Chunka Isqon niyuq	Khan-chees Choon-kah Eesh-kon Nee-yook	Seventy-nine
80	Pusaq Chunka	Poo-sak Choon-kah	Eighty
81	Pusaq Chunka Uk niyuq	Poo-sak Choon-kah Ook Nee-yook	Eighty-one
82	Pusaq Chunka Iskay niyuq	Poo-sak Choon-kah Eesh-kay Nee-yook	Eighty-two
83	Pusaq Chunka Kinsa yuq	Poo-sak Choon-kah Kin-sah Yook	Eighty-three
84	Pusaq Chunka Tawa yuq	Poo-sak Choon-kah Toa-wa Yook	Eighty-four
85	Pusaq Chunka Pichqa yuq	Poo-sak Choon-kah Peesh-kay Yook	Eighty-five
86	Pusaq Chunka Soqta yuq	Poo-sak Choon-kah Sok-ta Yook	Eighty-six
87	Pusaq Chunka Qanchis niyuq	Poo-sak Choon-kah Khan-chees Nee-yook	Eighty seven
88	Pusaq Chunka Pusaq niyuq	Poo-sak Choon-kah Poo-sak Nee-yook	Eighty-eight
89	Pusaq Chunka Isqon niyuq	Poo-sak Choon-kah Eesh-kon Nee-yook	Eighty nine
90	Isqon Chunka	Eesh-kon Choon-kah	Ninety
91	Isqon Chunka Uk niyuq	Eesh-kon Choon-kah Ook Nee-yook	Ninety-one
92	Isqon Chunka Iskay niyuq	Eesh-kon Choon-kah Eesh-kay Nee-yook	Ninety-two
93	Isqon Chunka Kinsa yuq	Eesh-kon Choon-kah Kin-sah Yook	Ninety-three
94	Isqon Chunka Tawa yuq	Eesh-kon Choon-kah Toa-wa Yook	Ninety-four
95	Isqon Chunka Pichqa yuq	Eesh-kon Choon-kah Peesh-kay Yook	Ninety-five
96	Isqon Chunka Soqta yuq	Eesh-kon Choon-kah Sok-ta Yook	Ninety-six
97	Isqon Chunka Qanchis niyuq	Eesh-kon Choon-kah Khan-chees Nee-yook	Ninety-seven
98	Isqon Chunka Pusaq niyuq	Eesh-kon Choon-kah Poo-sak Nee-yook	Ninety-eight
99	Isqon Chunka Isqon niyuq	Eesh-kon Choon-kah Eesh-kon Nee-yook	Ninety nine
100	Pachak	Pah-chak	Hundred

Tags: book review

Authored by: Siduith Ferrer

Website: Fertur Peru Travel

Founder of Fertur Peru Travel: Since 1994 creating wonderful vacation experiences for adventure travelers and holidaymakers in Cusco, Lima, Arequipa, Lake Titicaca, and all around the Andean region.

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Quechua by the numbers (some travel advice, a book recommendation and a helpful chart)

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