3.7 Numerals
3.7.1 Cardinal
numerals
There are 23 elementary cardinal numerals (
bazaj
numeraloj):
nul –
0
unu[16]
– 1
du –
2
tri –
3
kvar –
4
kvin –
5
ses –
6
sep –
7
ok –
8
naŭ –
9
dek –
10
cent –
100
ok –
8
naŭ –
9
dek –
10
cent –
100
mil – 1000
Other cardinal
numerals are formed by combining these elementary
ones:
dek unu –
11
dek tri –
13
dudek –
20
dudek kvin –
25
tridek –
30
okdek –
80
cent kvin –
105
cent tridek ok –
138
naŭcent –
900
mil ducent kvardek sep – 1
247
tri mil – 3
000
dudek mil – 20
000
cent okdek unu mil kvarcent naŭdek
tri – 181 493
Numerals 1 to 999 999 can be
expressed by the following formula N:
N = [ [ I’ ] *
mil] + [ I ]
I = [ [
du-
naŭ ]
*
cent ] + [ [
du-
naŭ ]
*
dek ] + [
unu-
naŭ
]
I’ = [ [
du-
naŭ ]
*
cent ] + [ [
du-
naŭ ]
*
dek ] + [
du-
naŭ
]
- [ x ] means that x is optional, with one exception – the resulting
string of the whole formula N cannot be empty.
- du-naŭ
or
unu-naŭ
means one of the numerals between du and
naŭ, or
unu and
naŭ.
- Parts separated by * are written together in I and I’, and are written
with space in between in N. Parts separated by + are written with space in
between.
The interpretation of the resulting numeral is the
following: Elementary numerals are replaced by corresponding numbers and + and *
are treated as classical arithmetic operators.
The cardinal numerals can
be viewed as nondeclinable adjectives. Counted things are normally declined (and
in plural, if the numeral is other than
unu).
[17]unu
viro –
one man, kvin
viroj –
five
menKvin amikoj iras en
arbaron. –
Five friends go to the
forest.La instruisto laŭdas kvin
lernantojn. –
The teacher praises five
pupils.The numeral
unu can be used
as a pronoun. In that case, it is declined.
Unuj legis,
kaj aliaj skribis. –
Ones have been reading and the others
have been writing.Estas facile unujn ami kaj
aliajn malami.H –
It is easy to love ones and to
hate others.There are different opinions about the accusative form of
the pronoun
unu in singular. Some
authorities
[18] say that it is not
correct to add the accusative ending
n with
unu in pronominal function. The reason is that
it is hard to distinguish between numeral and pronominal
unu (in contrary to the form
unuj, which can be only a pronoun). Some
authorities
[19] are not so strict
and just say that the absence of
n is
illogical, and has no other than historical reasons.
Numerals as
miliono –
106,
miliardo –
109,
biliono =
duiliono –
1012, etc.
are nouns
[20] and are normally
declined:
Mi havas unu milionon.
–
I have one million.Mi havas dek
milionojn. –
I have ten millions.and counted
objects are in prepositive using preposition
da:
Cent milionoj da
dolaroj. –
Hundred millions of dollars.There is no
strict rule about mixed expression (noun numerals with pure
numerals)
[21]:
Li
havas dek milionojn tricent mil naŭcent sepdek ok da
dolaroj. =
Li havas dek milionojn
tricent mil naŭcent sepdek ok dolarojn. –
He has
$10 300 978.
3.7.2 Non
cardinal
numerals[22]
Other than cardinal numerals are formed by suffixes and endings added to
the last part of the cardinal numeral. The spaces between parts of the cardinal
numeral are replaced by hyphen.
trimil okcent dudek
kvin –
3 825
trimil-okcent-dudek-kvina
– 3 825th
3.7.2.1 Ordinal
numerals
Ordinal numerals (Ordaj numeraloj) are
formed by adding the adjective ending
a:
unua
– first
dua –
second
mil-kvincent-sesdek-tria
– 1563rd
You can also form an ordinal numerals from a
numeral noun by replacing the noun ending by the adjective ending:
miliono
◊
miliona
Nia
miliona kliento ricevos specialan donacon.M –
Our millionth client will receive a special present.
Ordinal numerals
are normally declined as adjectives:
Mi skribas trian
ĉapitron. – I am writing the third
chapter.
3.7.2.2 Adverbial
numerals
Adverbial numerals (Numeralaj adverboj)
are formed by adding the adverbial ending
e:
unue
– for first time, first (in a
list)
due – for second
time, second (in a
list)
mil-kvincent-sesdek-trie
– for 1563rd
3.7.2.3 Names
of numbers
Names of numbers are formed by adding the noun ending
o:
unuo
– number one
duo –
number two
cento –
number
hundred
kvincent-tridek-sepo
– number five hundred thirty seven
3.7.2.4 Multiplication
numerals
Multiplication numerals (multiplikaj
numeraloj) are formed by the suffix
obl.
triobla – three as much in
size, strength, number, or
amount
trioble – three
times
trioblo – a number
or quantity three times as great as
another
triobligi – to
make something three times bigger, larger, etc.
or by suffix
foj:
trifoja
– occurring three
times
trifoje – three
times
trifojo – an
occurrence three times
trifojigi
– to make something occurring three times
There is a difference
between obl and
foj: The former means multiplication, the
latter repetition.
duobla pago –
salary two times as big as normal
dufoja
pago – salary paid two times to the same
person
3.7.2.5 Collectives
Collectives (kolektivigaj numeraloj) are
formed by the suffix
op:
duopa
– having groups of
two
duope – in groups of
two
duopo – group of
two, a pair
kvaropo –
quartet
marŝi kvarope
– march in groups of four
3.7.2.6 Fractions
Fractions (frakcioj) are formed by the
suffix
on:
duono
– half
duona –
being a half
duone –
to the extend of one
half
duonigi – to
halve
Counted objects after fractions are connected with the preposition
de (not
da).
Duono de ni
mortos.A – One half of us
died.
triona horo =
triono de horo – three quarters of an
hour
Li faris sian taskon nur
trione.A – He did only one third of his
task.
La tanko estas duone malplena.
– The tank is half-empty.
Nominal fractions are normally
declined:
Li donis al mi duonon de sia
pano.M – He gave me half of his
bread.
Li trinkis duonan litron da
lakto.M = Li trinkis duonon de litro
da lakto.M – He drunk one half of the liter of
the milk.
3.7.2.7 Distribution
Distribution
[23]
(
distribuo) of objects is expressed by the
preposition
po:
La
gastoj trinkis vinon po du glasoj.A –
Each guest
drunk two glasses of wine.La gastoj venis po
tri. –
Guests came in groups of
three.Ili ricevis po kvin pomojn.
–
They received five apples each.Prenu la
medikamenton po 20 gutoj. –
Each time you use the medicine,
take 20 drops.From
po, you can form
also an adjective –
poa, and adverb
–
poe:
Ili
ricevis poan korbon da pomoj.A –
They received a
basket of apples each.Tiuj studentinoj havis poe
plurajn amantojn.A –
These girl-students had more
lovers each.These forms are rare, because
poa =
po unu,
and
poe =
po.
3.7.2.8 Other
topics
I have not covered many topics that are not important for morphology
– how to express dates and times, problems of using numerals with some
prepositions, mathematical expressions, etc. These topics are thoroughly covered
in PAG §87G & I or PMEG –
http://purl.oclc.org/NET/pmeg/pmeg10/nvq.htm
Un'! du! un'! du! - La soldatoj
marŝis.M –
One, two, one, two –
soldiers marched."Un', du, tri, kvar", li kalkulis
laŭte.M –
“One, two, three,
four”, he counted loudly.However, it is impossible to use that
form in normal sentences:
*Mi havas nur un'
amikon.M –
I have only one
friend.[17] There is no rule
about number of the counted thing after
nul.
PMEG
(
http://purl.oclc.org/NET/pmeg/pmeg10/jfquzasp.htm)
says that it is preferred to say
neniu, if it
is possible:
Post tio restos nul homo(j). =
Post tio restos neniu(j) homo(j). –
After that nobody will stay.,
Mi aĉetis nul
komo kvin kilogramo(j)n da rizo. =
I have bought 0.5 kilograms of
rice.
[20] In the past, for 0 only
the noun
nulo was used. Today the form
nul is normally used, and the form
nulo is used for the name of the number –
similarly to many other numerals
kvin –
kvino,
dek
–
deko.