Numbers cheat sheet

A quick look at numbers, digit-strings and time, digitless and exponents, and numbers in use. 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. gragel is three.

Digit	Syllable	Digit	Syllable
1	ba	6	vo
2	do	7	re
3	ge	8	lu
4	hu	9	na
5	za	0	mo

Job	Example	English	Stage
Count	zogozelx gragel.	There are three cats.	B
Count, many digits: one word	gradomol	twenty	B
Ordinal: re for ra	zanal grodol.	There is a second book.	B
More than one	zogozelx gral.	There is more than one cat.	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
o	#	rank from the start	g#2 the second page; z#2 second (as subject)	B
e	_	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	zragel vezuvel.	Three are sleeping.	I

The ending

Written	Spoken	Use	Stage
(none): g+3, g+, d_12	-l	exact, newly stated	B
~: g~+3, g~+, g~+12, 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 ba … mo	0–9	I
wa / wu	e / e-	I
group separator the	,	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 (gragel, grodol, gramol, 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
ro	…#	a rank from the start	I
re	…_	a digit-string or label	I

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

Job	Example	English	Stage
A few: open gram	zogozelx gram vehohel.	A few cats sit.	I
Some, on a mass noun	zedudal gral vehohel.	Some tea sits there.	I
Some amount	zazozon drar vayebel.	Azozon sees some number of them.	I
How many?	yel drar zazozon vayebel.	How many does Azozon see?	I
How many cats?	yel dogozelx grar zazozon vayebel.	How many cats does Azozon see?	I
Which place?	yel el bror zalazun vehohel.	Which place does Alazun sit in? (first, second, and so on)	I
How big?: blank on /w/	yel wrar gelazem zodozel.	How big is the dog?	I
How fast?	yel wrar hadurom zodozel veruvol.	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: wa positive, wu 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 grawagem 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	zuzohel g#2,3.	There is seat 2 in row 3.	I

Each comma is spoken as the separator the, on every marker.

Example	Use	English	Stage
g+5e3,860	count	5860	I
g-1e9,265e3,4	negative count	−1,000,265,004	I
g#2,3	rank	2nd within the 3rd	I
d_555,123,4567	code	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	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	zalazun vowurol hragel.	Alazun walks three times.	I
For the third time	hrogel	for the third time	I
Three more!	yragel	Three more!	I
Three!	y_3	Three! (a score)	I
First!	yrobal	First!	I
Point 2	xrodol	point 2:	I
Corroborating 2	xradol	corroborating 2:	I
Independent 2	xrudol	independent 2:	I
Likelihood: the digits are already a percent	zalazun vowurol th+70.	Alazun is probably walking. (I'd put it at 70%)	I
Place on a scale: w#N from 2; see comparatives	zazozon zol wrodol gelazem.	Azozon 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, with letters too. A comma marks a field, spoken the; no exponent or percent. -x on a label names a run (z_90x, the ’90s).

Job	Example	English	Stage
A code as object	zazozon d_555,123,4567 vayebel.	Azozon sees 555-123-4567.	B
Fields	d_2,1,3	version 2.1.3	B
Plural label	zazozon vowurol herom bl_90x.	Azozon walked in the ’90s.	B
Letter code	zazozon debebul g_b12 vagedal.	Azozon takes a B12 pill.	I
Initials	z@_nl	the NL (for zanaxalazun)	A

Say a code one character per syllable: a digit by its digit syllable, a consonant by its letter name, and a vowel after a break '.

Ageben	Use	English	Stage
z_b12 (🔊 zrebubadol)	letter, then digits	B12	I
z_4b (🔊 zrehubul)	digit, then letter	4B	I
z_vba (🔊 zrevebu'al)	vowel after a break	VBA	I
z_e1 (🔊 zre'ebal)	code that starts with a vowel	E1	I
z_thw (🔊 zrethowal)	th is one letter	THW	I
z_2,1 (🔊 zredothebal)	two fields	version 2.1	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)	B
Date	_ with oe (h_#22,7, h_#22,7,2026; modifier g_#22,7)	B
Day of the week	ordinal on olero, from Monday (zolerom grobal Monday)	B
Month or year	ordinal on amalo; label on ovuva (zovuvam g_1962)	B

Job	Example	English	Stage
At a time	h_15,30 zazozon vowurol.	At 15:30 Azozon walks.	B
March	zamalom grogel	March	B
A year	zovuvam g_1962	1962	B
From … to	zazozon ul b_9 oel b_17 vowurol.	Azozon walks from 9:00 to 17:00.	B

Digitless hrel is some clock or date; hrer asks when? Three times (hragel) 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	ezero	bezerom g+2	ezerol set-square	I
gram	ubere	buberem g+5	uberel pound (banknote)	I
second	azero	bazerom g+3	azerol stopwatch	I
minute	umuro	bumurom g+5	umurol three-o'clock	I
liter	ubuna	bubunam g+1	ubunal pool	I
ampere	ogava	bogavam g+2	ogaval cable-car	I
kelvin	uzule	buzulem g+300	uzulel ice	I
mole	omowe	bomowem g+1	omowel microscope	I
candela	owe	bowem g+100	owel lightbulb	I
hour	agoru	bagorum g+3	agorul hourglass	I
day	azuro	bazurom g+2	azurol sunrise	I
week	agoro	bagorom g+1	agorol calendar	I
month	amalo	bamalom g+6	amalol moon	I
year	ovuva	bovuvam g+10	ovuval fireworks	I
inch	ebuvu	bebuvum g+3	ebuvul pinch	I
foot	evobo	bevobom g+6	evobol foot	I
mile	unoba	bunobam g+2	unobal boot	I
pound	awoba	bawobam g+5	awobal shopping-bag	I
heat grade (not kelvin)	overo	boverom g+37	overol thermometer	I

Ageben	Use	English	Stage
bezerom g+2	extra noun (/b/)	two meters	I
zazerom g+3; duberem g+5	subject / object / …	three seconds; five grams	I
gezerom g+2 after a noun	modifier on a noun	rare	I

Job	Example	English	Stage
Two meters	zazozon bezerom gradol vowurol.	Azozon walks two meters.	I
A price: after heham	bagorum 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.

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

Job	Example	English	Stage
3 to 5	zragel al zrazal.	From 3 to 5. (both ends included)	I
Of a noun	zodozel gragel al grazal vowurol.	Three to five dogs walk.	I
Hours	zagorum gragel al grazal.	Three to five hours.	I

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

Ageben	Use	English	Stage
zrazal al zrawal	5 up to +∞	5 or more	A
zrawal ul zrazal	5 left out	more than 5	A
zruwal al zrazal	−∞ up to 5	5 or less	A
zruwal ul zrazal	5 left out	less than 5	A
zrazal am zrawal	soft	about 5 or more	A

Ranks take growal (last) and growul (first) as ends: zrodol al zrowal is 2nd through last. A named band uses -n, and -r stands for a value in it.

Ageben	Use	English	Stage
z+13 an z+19	a named band	the teens	A
zragel ar zrazal	some value in the band	some value from 3 to 5	A
zragel ur zrazal	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.

Ageben	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	zogozelx g+25%.	25% of the cats.	I
Half of	zogozelx grudol vehohel.	Half of the cats sit.	I
A third of	zedudal grugel vehohel.	A third of the tea sits there.	I
Two thirds: the count, then the fraction	zogozelx gradol grugel vehohel.	Two thirds of the cats sit.	I
A third of an hour	zazozon vowurol bagorum grabal grugel.	Azozon walks for a third of an hour.	I

After a measure unit a lone minus number is a negative amount (bezerom grudol minus 2 meters).

Special values

A digitless exponent (e speech wa, e- speech wu, 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	zogozelx grawal.	There are infinitely many cats.	A
Azozon barely sits	zazozon h+e- vehohel.	Azozon barely sits.	A
Azozon almost sits	zazozon h-e- vehohel.	Azozon almost sits.	A
Almost angry	zodozel wruwul gonumul vowurol.	An almost angry dog walks.	A
Finally:	xrowal	Finally:	A
Starting with:	xrowul	Starting with:	A

The same form on each slot: gruwul the amount, xruwul just before that:, thruwul virtually, vruwul nudge down, hruwul almost, yruwul so close! -l measures the margin (hrawul over by a hair, hruwul under); -m reports the felt effort (hrawum managed it, just; hruwum 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. gramol is plain zero, gramowal absolute zero, grawamol 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	zanal gruodol.	There is a second-to-last 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 (gruebal)	A
+-	r-u-a	a symmetric error bound ±N (gruagel)	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 a bl- word right after the number.

Job	Example	English	Stage
Parents	growubal	the layer above the focus	A
Siblings	zalazun growamol blazozon vowurol.	Alazun, Azozon's sibling, walks.	A
Siblings of each other	zazozon zalazun zal growamol.	Azozon and Alazun are siblings.	A
Eldest sibling	zalazun g#1e0 blazozon vowurol.	Alazun, Azozon's eldest sibling, walks.	A
Second child	zohoyol g#2e1 blazozon vowurol.	Azozon's second child walks.	A
Children	growabal	the focus's own children	A
Grandchildren	growadol	the focus's grandchildren	A
Aunt or uncle	zalazun growamol bleyel g#1e-1 blazozon vowurol.	Alazun, Azozon's aunt or uncle, walks. (a sibling of the first of Azozon's parents)	A

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

Don't mix up

This	vs	That
gragel three (a count)		grogel the third (a rank)
gral more than one (an amount)		zogozelx cats (a group, with -x)
gram a few (a soft count)		gral more than one (a firm one)
grar how many? (a blank)		drager those three again (a resume, needs a digit)
hragel three times (a factor)		h_15,30 at 15:30 (a clock time)
hragel three times (a count of times)		hrogel for the third time (which time)
grodol the second (from the start)		gruodol second from the end (from the end)
growal last place (the landmark)		grobal 1st (numbered first)
growul the start landmark (the onset)		grobal 1st (a counted first)
grawamol the ones band (bare OoM)		gramowal absolute zero (a strong zero)
gruwul just short (a hair under)		grawul 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)		thomam maybe (open, with no figure)
zragel al zrazal 3 to 5 (a band)		zragel zrazal zaol 3, then 5 (two values in order)