Teaching Numbers 1 to 20 in Marathi, Hindi & Gujarati (with Free Worksheets)
Learning numbers in the mother tongue gives young children a strong, joyful start in early maths — and it's easier than parents expect. Start by counting real objects aloud, then match each quantity to its numeral and its name: १ एक, २ दोन/दो, ३ तीन… Marathi and Hindi share the Devanagari numerals (१, २, ३), while Gujarati has its own (૧, ૨, ૩). This guide shows the numbers 1 to 20 in all three languages and simple, playful ways to teach them at home with free printable worksheets.
Why Teach Numbers in the Mother Tongue?
Children grasp new ideas fastest in the language they think and speak in at home. Counting in Marathi, Hindi or Gujarati connects maths to everyday life — stairs, snacks, toys — and to conversations with family, so it feels natural rather than like schoolwork.
It also builds a bridge to English maths later. A child who truly understands ‘three’ as तीन or ત્રણ will map it onto 3 easily. The concept comes first; the symbols follow.
Indian Numerals Look Different from 1, 2, 3
One thing to point out early: the numerals themselves have their own shapes. Marathi and Hindi use the Devanagari numerals, and Gujarati uses the Gujarati numerals — both different from the familiar 1, 2, 3.
Show your child both together at first (१ = 1) so they connect the new shape to a quantity they already know.
- Devanagari (Marathi & Hindi): १ २ ३ ४ ५ ६ ७ ८ ९ १०
- Gujarati: ૧ ૨ ૩ ૪ ૫ ૬ ૭ ૮ ૯ ૧૦
- Always pair the numeral with a count your child can see and touch
Numbers 1 to 10 in Three Languages
Here are the first ten numbers with their names. Say them aloud together, pointing to fingers or objects as you go.
- 1 — मराठी एक · हिन्दी एक · ગુજરાતી એક
- 2 — दोन · दो · બે • 3 — तीन · तीन · ત્રણ
- 4 — चार · चार · ચાર • 5 — पाच · पाँच · પાંચ
- 6 — सहा · छह · છ • 7 — सात · सात · સાત
- 8 — आठ · आठ · આઠ • 9 — नऊ · नौ · નવ • 10 — दहा · दस · દસ
How to Teach Each Number
Whatever the number, the same gentle routine works. It takes about five minutes and keeps maths playful.
- Count it: gather that many real objects and count aloud together
- Show it: point to the numeral and say its name (१ — एक)
- Trace it: guide your child over the numeral on a worksheet
- Match it: line up the numeral with the right number of objects
- Celebrate: a high five, then revise it the next day
Building Up to 20
Once 1 to 10 feels secure, add the next ten a few at a time. Eleven to twenty follow the same idea — a numeral, a name and a quantity — so your child is really just extending a pattern they already know.
Keep counting real things: eleven steps, fifteen crayons, twenty claps. The more the numbers live outside the worksheet, the faster they stick.
- Add 11–15 first, then 16–20, over a few short sessions
- Revise 1–10 before starting the next set
- Count everyday things aloud to 20
Fun Counting Games for Home
Games turn practice into play. A few minutes here and there add up to real fluency.
- Count stairs, spoons or toys in your language every day
- ‘How many?’ — hold up objects and ask your child to count
- Hop and count out loud to ten, then to twenty
- Trace one numeral a day and stick it on the fridge
Free Number Worksheets to Practise
You only need a printed sheet, a pencil and five minutes a day. Our free Marathi and Hindi number worksheets take children from १ to २० with tracing lines and number names, so recognising and writing numerals becomes second nature.
If you'd like everything for one language in a single book — letters, barakhadi, numbers, reading and writing — the Complete Marathi, Hindi and Gujarati packs gather it all into one clean, print-ready PDF.
- Free Marathi number worksheets — trace १ to २० with names
- Free Hindi number worksheets — trace १ to २० with names
- Complete Language Packs — numbers plus the whole alphabet in one PDF
Put it into practice
Bring this guide to life with our free printable worksheets.