Numbers cheat sheet

A quick look at numbers and numbers in use on one page. Nothing here is new: each row links to the section that teaches it. Stage: B Beginner, I Intermediate, A Advanced. Written shorthand is used from two digits up; zero, one digit, or none stays spelled.

Building a number word

A number word is one word: role letter, marker, one syllable per digit, ending. grarel is three.

Digit	Syllable	Digit	Syllable
1	wo	6	gu
2	du	7	le
3	re	8	ha
4	mo	9	na
5	va	0	zo

Job	Example	English	Stage
Count	zagadulx grarel.	Three cats.	B
Count, many digits: one word	graduzol	twenty	B
Ordinal: re for ra	zugul gredul.	The second book.	B
More than one	zagadulx gral.	Cats, more than one.	B

The marker

Marker	Writing	Use	Example	Stage
a	+	positive count or amount	g+3 three cats; b+12 of size 12	B
u	-	negative amount	d-3 −3 (object); z- some negative amount; g-2 a signed measure	I
e	#	rank from the start	g#2 the second page; z#2 second (as subject)	B
o	_	digit-string label or code	g_12 room 12; d_5551234; d_ some code	I

A sign applies once to the whole word; a label never takes one. In other slots the number stays an amount, rank, or code:

Prefix	Use	English	Stage
/ɡ/	modifier after the noun	three cats, the second page, room 12	I
/z/	subject	the value, code, or rank as subject	I
/d/	direct object	a code being dialed or a value being stated	I
/b/	extra noun	of size 12	I

Job	Example	English	Stage
Number as subject	zrarel gubuhel.	Three is blue.	I

The ending

Written	Spoken	Use	Stage
(none): g+3, g+	-l	exact, newly stated	B
~: g~+3, g~+, g~+27e6, g~#2	-m	approximate: about N	I
@: g@#2, g@_12	-n	conventional title or label	I
=: g=+3, g=#2, d=_12	-r	resume a number already given (needs a digit)	I

Digitless -r is not a resume: grar is some number in a statement and which number? in a question.

Writing it down

Speech	Writing	Stage
digit syllables wo … zo	0–9	I
ba / bu	e / e-	I
group separator th + marker vowel	,	I
ye	.	I
yo	%	I
yu	%*	I

Value	Writing	Reading	Stage
plural / more than one	g+	digitless ra	I
three (modifier)	g+3	on a noun	I
three (subject)	z+3		I
−3 (object)	d-3		I
second (modifier)	g#2		I
about 3	g~+3	approximate	I
how many? / some amount	g=+	digitless -r blank	I
that three again	g=+3	-r resume	I
room 12	g_12	digit-string label	I

Choose by digit count: two or more digits and every label or code in shorthand (g+12, d_555,123,4567); one digit or none spelled (grarel, gredul, grazol, gral). Number words side by side share one writing. A number built onto a root is always spelled and never takes ~, @, or =.

Blanks and bands

Drop every digit and the word says what kind of number, not its value. With -r it is the blank: some number in a statement, which number? in a question.

Marker	Writing	Unspecified	Stage
ra	…+	positive amount, specialized to more than one	I
ru	…-	a negative amount	I
re	…#	a rank from the start	I
ro	…_	a digit-string or label	I

Agazan	Use	English	Stage
g=+ (grar)	fill a count or amount	How many? / How much?	I
g=# (grer)	fill a place in order	Which place?	I
g=_ (gror)	fill a code or label	What number?	I

Job	Example	English	Stage
A few: open gram	zagadulx gram vehahel.	A few cats sit.	I
Some, on a mass noun	zedehel gral vehahel.	Some tea sits there.	I
Some amount	zazawan drar vahahal.	Azawan sees some number of them.	I
How many?	yol drar zazawan vahahal.	How many does Azawan see?	I
How many cats?	yol dagadulx grar zazawan vahahal.	How many cats does Azawan see?	I
Which place?	yol ol brer zalahen vehahel.	Which place does Alahen sit in?	I
How big?: blank on /w/	yol wrar gelavam zodogal.	How big is the dog?	I
How fast?	yol wrar hadehum zodogal varahal.	How fast does the dog run?	I

Many, few, enough, and too much are comparatives, not number words. Do not confuse the blank on /h/ with har sometimes.

Big and small

An exponent is a power of ten before the mantissa digits: ba positive, bu negative, ya after exponent digits when a mantissa follows. Use engineering notation (multiples of 3). A bare exponent, with no mantissa, names a band.

Form	Band	Reading	Stage
g+e0	1–9	ones	I
g+e1	10–99	tens	I
g+e2	100–999	hundreds	I
g+e3	1000–9999	thousands	I
g+e6	10⁶ up	millions band only	I
g-e3	negative	negative thousands band	I

The next bands, e4 and e5, are tens and hundreds of thousands. Soft grabarem is about in the thousands band. An exact count inside a band takes a mantissa (g+4e3 is 4000).

Job	Example	English	Stage
Exponent	g+27e12	27 × 10¹²	I
Decimal	g+5.2	5.2	I
Several groups	g+5e3,860	5860	I
Seat in a row	zezedal g#2,3.	Seat 2 in row 3.	I

Each comma is spoken as the separator, which matches the marker.

Marker	Separator	Example	Stage
ra (+)	tha	g+5e3,860	I
ru (-)	thu	g-1e9,265e3,4	I
re (#)	the	g#2,3	I
ro (_)	tho	d_555,123,4567	I

On a rank, each comma opens a place within the one before. A large ordinal is one group (g#1005).

In casual talk a stretch may set an ambient order of magnitude, so bare numbers are heard at that size until cancelled. Write Ne0 to insist on ones (ambient).

The number in another slot

The role letter picks the use; the marker still says amount, rank, or code. Only the markers and writing are listed here, because every row is the same shape: v, h, y, x, w, th + the number.

Slot	ra +	ru -	re #	ro _	Stage
/v/ verb	add N	remove N	take place N	enter / dial the code	I
/h/ adverb	N times	÷N, every Nth	for the Nth time	clock time (h_15,30)	I
/y/ shout	N more!	N short!	First!	Three! (a score)	I
/x/ list point	corroborating N	independent N	point N	cite label N	I
/th/ stance	N% likely	unlikely	N-th hand	per source N	I

Job	Example	English	Stage
Three times	zalahen vowogal hrarel.	Alahen walks three times.	I
For the third time	hrerel	for the third time	I
Three more!	yrarel	Three more!	I
Three!	y_3	Three! (a score)	I
First!	yrewol	First!	I
Point 2	xredul	point 2:	I
Corroborating 2	xradul	corroborating 2:	I
Independent 2	xrudul	independent 2:	I
Likelihood: the digits are already a percent	zalahen vowogal th+70.	Alahen is probably walking (I'd put it at 70%).	I
Place on a scale: w#N from 2; see comparatives	zazawan zel wredul gelavam.	Azawan is the second biggest.	I

th+ / th- is likely / unlikely with no figure; th_N is per source N; th#N is N-th hand from 2. A factor goes on /h/, never /w/. Likelihood -m hedges (th~+70), -n names a level (th@+95), -r repeats it (th=+70).

Numbers in use

Codes and labels

The digit-string marker _ holds a phone, room, channel, or serial number. Group digits in threes, no exponent. -x on a label names a run (z_90x, the ’90s).

Job	Example	English	Stage
A code as object	zazawan d_555,123,4567 vahahal.	Azawan sees 555-123-4567.	I
Plural label	zazawan vowogal huwem b_90x.	Azawan walks in the ’90s.	I

Time and date

A digit string under /h/ with no relation word before it. Clock is h_…; a date is h_#…, read day, month, optional year.

Job	How	Stage
Clock	digit-string ro as bare /h/, 24-hour, fields left to right (h_15,30, h_15,30,00)	I
Date	_ with oe (h_#22,7, h_#22,7,2026; modifier g_#22,7)	I
Day of the week	ordinal on elaga, from Monday (zelagam grewol Monday)	I
Month or year	ordinal on umuha; label on avawe (zavawem g_1962)	I

Job	Example	English	Stage
At a time	h_15,30 zazawan vowogal.	At 15:30 Azawan walks.	I
In March	zazawan vowogal huwem bumuham grerel.	Azawan walks in March.	I
In 1962	zazawan vowogal huwem bavawem g_1962.	Azawan walks in 1962.	I
From … to	zazawan ul b_9 vowogal oel b_17.	Azawan walks from 9:00 to 17:00.	I

Digitless hrol is some clock or date; hror asks when? Three times (hrarel) is not a clock time.

Units

Put the amount on the unit's noun as /ɡ/. Each unit is the abstract -m of a published root. Say the word, never m or kg.

Unit	Root	Example	Literal on same root	Stage
meter	ezeze	bezezem g+2	ezezel set-square	I
gram	abayu	babayum g+5	abayul pound (banknote)	I
second	azade	bazadem g+3	azadel stopwatch	I
minute	avega	bavegam g+5	avegal three-o'clock	I
liter	ubuho	bubuhom g+1	ubuhol pool	I
ampere	agude	bagudem g+2	agudel cable-car	I
kelvin	azaho	bazahom g+300	azahol ice	I
mole	amagu	bamagum g+1	amagul microscope	I
candela	ado	badom g+100	adol lightbulb	I
hour	agaze	bagazem g+3	agazel hourglass	I
day	azaza	bazazam g+2	azazal sunrise	I
week	agada	bagadam g+1	agadal calendar	I
month	umuha	bumuham g+6	umuhal moon	I
year	avawe	bavawem g+10	avawel fireworks	I
inch	ebewu	bebewum g+3	ebewul pinch	I
foot	uvuda	buvudam g+6	uvudal foot	I
mile	ubuda	bubudam g+2	ubudal boot	I
pound	ahabu	bahabum g+5	ahabul shopping-bag	I
heat grade (not kelvin)	evede	bevedem g+37	evedel thermometer	I

Agazan	Use	English	Stage
bezezem g+2	extra noun (/b/)	two meters	I
zazadem g+3, dabayum g+5	subject / object / …	three seconds, five grams	I
gezezem g+2 after a noun	modifier on a noun	rare	I

Job	Example	English	Stage
Two meters	zazawan bezezem gradul vowogal.	Azawan walks two meters.	I
A price: after hehem	bagazem g+3	for three hours	I

Quantities themselves (heavy, duration) are ordinary roots, not units.

Ranges

Write both ends with the hook al: A al B. It reads as through when both ends are the same kind of number with digits. ul excludes the end after it.

Agazan	Use	English	Stage
zrarel al zraval	both ends in	3 to 5	I
zrarel ul zraval	5 left out	3 up to but not including 5	I
zraval ul zrarel	3 left out	more than 3, up to 5	I
zrarel am zraval	soft ends	roughly 3 to 5	I
zrarel um zraval	soft exclusion	3 up to about 5, not quite 5	I
zrarel ual zraval	both ends out	strictly between 3 and 5	I
zrarel uel zraval	outside the band	below 3 or above 5	I

Job	Example	English	Stage
3 to 5	zrarel al zraval.	From 3 to 5.	I
Of a noun	zodogal grarel al graval vowogal.	Three to five dogs walk.	I
Hours	zagazem grarel al graval.	Three to five hours.	I

To limit to one end, make the other end infinity:

Agazan	Use	English	Stage
zraval al zrabal	5 up to +∞	5 or more	A
zrabal ul zraval	5 left out	more than 5	A
zrubal al zraval	−∞ up to 5	5 or less	A
zrubal ul zraval	5 left out	less than 5	A
zraval am zrabal	soft	about 5 or more	A

Ranks take grebal (last) and grebul (first) as ends: zredul al zrebal is 2nd through last. A named band uses -n, and -r stands for a value in it.

Agazan	Use	English	Stage
z+13 an z+19	a named band	the teens	A
zrarel ar zraval	some value in the band	some value from 3 to 5	A
zrarel ur zraval	some value, 5 left out	some value from 3 up to 5	A

Percent, parts, and kin

End a count with yo for a percent, yu for percentage points. A minus number right after a plain noun is a fraction.

Agazan	Use	English	Stage
yo	percent of a whole	25 in 25%; those digits ÷ 100	I
yu	percentage points	2 in +2%*; those digits ÷ 100	I

Job	Example	English	Stage
A percent	zagadulx g+25%.	25% of the cats.	I
Half of	zagadulx grudul vehahel.	Half of the cats sit.	I
A third of	zedehel grurel vehahel.	A third of the tea sits there.	I
Two thirds: the count, then the fraction	zagadulx gradul grurel vehahel.	Two thirds of the cats sit.	I
A third of an hour	zazawan vowogal bagazem grawol grurel.	Azawan walks for a third of an hour.	I

After a measure unit a lone minus number is a negative amount (bezezem grudul minus 2 meters).

Special values

A digitless exponent (e speech ba, e- speech bu, no digits after it) makes a special value. What comes before it decides which kind.

Form	Reading	Stage
g+e	+∞	A
g~+e	arbitrarily large but finite	A
g+e-	arbitrarily small but finite	A
g-e	−∞	A
g#e	last place	A
g~#e	near last place	A
g#e-	start place (the onset); numbered 1st is g#1	A
g~#e-	near first place	A
g-e-	just short: a hair under; almost	A
g~-e-	nearly	A

Job	Example	English	Stage
Infinitely many	zagadulx grabal.	Cats, infinitely many.	A
Azawan barely sits	zazawan h+e- vehahel.	Azawan barely sits.	A
Azawan almost sits	zazawan h-e- vehahel.	Azawan almost sits.	A
Almost blue	zodogal wrubul gubuhel vowogal.	An almost blue dog walks.	A
Finally:	xrebal	Finally:	A
Starting with:	xrebul	Starting with:	A

The same form on each slot: grubul the amount, xrubul just before that:, thrubul virtually, vrubul nudge down, hrubul almost, yrubul so close! -l measures the margin (hrabul over by a hair, hrubul under); -m reports the felt effort (hrabum managed it, just; hrubum tried hard and didn't quite).

Zero and hyperbole

Mantissa 0 with a digitless exponent is a strong zero. A nonzero mantissa with a digitless exponent is a joke size.

Form	Reading	Stage
g+0e	absolute zero	A
g+0e-	sterile: empty at the seed	A
g-0e	absolute residue: will not wipe	A
g-0e-	micro-residue	A
g+0e-1	engineering null at 10⁻¹	A
g-0e-1	engineering residue at 10⁻¹	A
g#0e	rank annihilated: disqualified	A

Form	Reading	Stage
g+1e	one gazillion	A
g+3e	three gazillion	A
g+1e-	one gazillionth, vanishingly small	A
g-1e	minus one gazillion	A

Plain zero is g+0 and the bare band at 10⁻¹ is g+e-1. grazol is plain zero, grazobal absolute zero, grabazol the ones band. A gazillionth is g#1e (late) and g#1e- (early): finite jokes. Other slots: y+e To infinity!, y#e Finally!, y#0e Disqualified!, v+e increase without bound, v+0e annihilate, h+1e a gazillion times, and on stance th+e certain, th+0e no chance at all.

From the end, stacked, and generations

Marker ue (written #-, spoken rue) counts from the last place within the same generation.

Form	Reading	Stage
g#-1	1st from the end: the last, framed as counting back	A
g#-2	penultimate	A
g#-3	antepenultimate	A
g~#-2	about 2nd from the end	A
g@#-2	titled penultimate	A
g=#-2	resume that end-relative place	A
g#-	some end-relative rank	A

Job	Example	English	Stage
Penultimate	zugul gruedul.	The penultimate book.	A
Penultimate time	h#-2	the penultimate time	A

Two marker vowels in one word: speak u first.

Stack	Spoken	Use	Stage
#_	r-u-o	a label whose value is negative: a basement floor (gruowol)	A
+-	r-u-a	a symmetric error bound ±N (gruarel)	A
#-	r-u-e	count from the end	A
_#	r-o-e	a calendar date	A

Those four are the whole set.

Generations and kin

On a rank, an exponent with digits is a generation, not a power of ten: eK goes K deeper, e-K K up. The mantissa picks the member of that cohort.

Form	Reading	Stage
g#3	3rd of the focus's own generation, from the start	A
g#-3	3rd of the own generation, from the end	A
g#3e0	3rd of the current generation, asserted	A
g#e0	the current generation as a whole	A
g#3e2	3rd in generation +2	A
g#3e-2	3rd in generation −2	A
g#-1e2	last of generation +2	A
g#e2	generation +2 as a whole	A
g#e-1	generation −1: the parent layer	A
g#1e-1	1st of generation −1	A

On a family tree, put the anchor person in /b/ right after the number.

Job	Example	English	Stage
Parents	grebuwol	the layer above the focus	A
Siblings	zalahen grebazol bazawan vowogal.	Alahen, Azawan's sibling, walks.	A
Siblings of each other	zazawan zalahen zal grebazol.	Azawan and Alahen are siblings.	A
Eldest sibling	zalahen g#1e0 bazawan vowogal.	Alahen, Azawan's eldest sibling, walks.	A
Second child	zahadol g#2e1 bazawan vowogal.	Azawan's second child walks.	A
Children	grebawol	the focus's own children	A
Grandchildren	grebadul	the focus's grandchildren	A
Aunt or uncle	zalahen grebazol bobel g#1e-1 bazawan vowogal.	Alahen, a sibling of Azawan's first parent, walks.	A

Only kin make generations: friends and bosses are social relations.

Don't mix up

This	vs	That
grarel three (a count)		grerel the third (a rank)
gral more than one (an amount)		zagadulx cats (a group, with -x)
gram a few (a soft count)		gral more than one (a firm one)
grar how many? (a blank)		drarer those three again (a resume, needs a digit)
hrarel three times (a factor)		h_15,30 at 15:30 (a clock time)
hrarel three times (a count of times)		hrerel for the third time (which time)
gredul the second (from the start)		gruedul second from the end (from the end)
grebal last place (the landmark)		grewol 1st (numbered first)
grebul the start landmark (the onset)		grewol 1st (a counted first)
grabazol the ones band (bare OoM)		grazobal absolute zero (a strong zero)
grubul just short (a hair under)		grabul a hair over (a hair above zero)
x#2 point 2: (a numbered step)		x#-2 2nd from the end: (counting back)
x-2 independent item 2: (a new line of support)		x#-2 2nd from the end: (counting back)
th+70 70% likely (a stance)		thovum maybe (open, with no figure)
zrarel al zraval 3 to 5 (a band)		zrarel zraval zael 3, then 5 (two values in order)