Sebelas

Sebelas is a cardinal numeral in Indonesian and Malay that represents the number eleven. It is used in counting, dates, and measurements, and appears in both spoken and written language. In numbers written as words, sebelas denotes eleven, while other teen numbers are formed by combining a digit with belas (for example, dua belas for twelve, tiga belas for thirteen, and so on).

For numbers above ten, Indonesian and Malay typically use tens and units (for example, dua puluh satu for twenty-one). Sebelas itself is a stand-alone form, but it also occurs in phrases describing quantities, such as sebelas orang (eleven people) or sebelas hari (eleven days). In time expressions, pukul sebelas means eleven o’clock. In calendar references, tanggal sebelas may be used to indicate the eleventh day of a month.

Etymology is generally described as a combination of se-, a prefix meaning “one” or “single,” with belas, which is tied to the set of numbers in the teens. The result is a unique form for eleven that is distinct from the pattern used for twelve to nineteen.

Sebelas is used in both Indonesian and Malay with essentially the same meaning and usage. Variants or closely related forms appear in other regional languages, but sebelas remains the standard term for eleven in these two languages.

See also: angka, sepuluh, dua belas, tiga belas.