Numbers are all around us. In Kannada, the language spoken mainly in the state of Karnataka in India, numbers have their own unique symbols and names. Let's start with the first ten digits. These are the foundation for writing and saying any other number.

Here are the Kannada numerals from zero to nine, along with how to write and pronounce them. Pay close attention to the shapes of the numerals. Some might look familiar, while others will be completely new.

Practice writing these symbols. Just like learning any new alphabet, repetition is key. Notice how the numeral for one (೧) looks a bit like a curled ribbon, and the zero (೦) is a simple circle, just like in the English system.

Once you know the numbers from zero to nine, counting higher is a matter of learning the pattern. Let's look at the number ten.

The numbers from eleven to nineteen follow a straightforward pattern. They combine the root word for ten, "hattu," with the numbers one through nine. For example, eleven is "hannondu," which is a combination meaning ten-one.

After nineteen, we get to the multiples of ten. Learning these is the next big step to counting all the way to one hundred.

To form a number like twenty-one, you simply combine the word for twenty ("ippattu") with the word for one ("ondu"). This gives you "ippattondu."

This pattern continues for all the other numbers. For example, thirty-five would be "mūvattu" (30) plus "aidu" (5), which becomes "mūvattaidu."

Let's try one more. How would you say 42? You take the word for forty, "nālvattu," and the word for two, "eraḍu," to get "nālvatteraḍu."

Now you have the basic tools to recognize, say, and write numbers in Kannada up to one hundred.