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Amounts, sizes and time
Recipes for English comparisons, percentages, units and dates. Every form here is taught on a grammar page; each recipe links what it needs.
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Comparing
Sorted lists (oe)
Needs: Sequence oe · Comparatives
When English would say from least to most ADJ (easiest to hardest, a syllabus order), you are not naming a winner. You are listing items along the scale from its low end. Use sequence oe before the shared adjective: the first name is the start of the scale, the last is the far end.
zazawan zalahen zahaben zoel gamadam.[z-Azawan | z-Alahen | z-Ahaben | z-in-order | g-challenge]
"Azawan, Alahen, Ahaben, from least to most challenging."
Compare with: zazawan zalahen zahaben zel gamadam puts Azawan at the top (most challenging first). Rank e lists best-first; sequence oe lists start-first.
Distributive both are ADJ
English both are challenging (or Azawan and Alahen are challenging) says each has the quality. It does not rank them and does not say they match in height. Write the names, then set join a (zal), then a shared singular adjective (/ɡ/). Each name gets that adjective.
zazawan zalahen zal gamadam.[z-Azawan | z-Alahen | z-and | g-challenge]
"Azawan and Alahen are challenging."
Compare with: as challenging as uses equality ae (zael). More challenging than uses rank e.
Related form: ADJ as a unit uses shared /ɡ/…-x under a: plurality. Shared comparative and equative adjectives are singular.
Equality ae with a shared scale needs two or more names. ae with no shared scale is a tie among the names (equal rank).
| Example | Reading |
|---|---|
zazawan zalahen zahaben zael gamadam | Azawan, Alahen, and Ahaben are equally challenging |
zodogal zagadul zael gamadam | the dog is as challenging as the cat |
Measured differentials
Needs: Comparatives · Measure phrases
English two meters taller still ranks two people on one quality, and it also names how large the gap is. Keep the rank join and the shared scale adjective. After that adjective, write a measure noun (/b/): that noun is the unit (published abstract = SI name), and /ɡ/ on the unit is the amount (measure phrases).
zazawan zalahen zel gadavem bezezem gradul.[z-Azawan | z-Alahen | z-rank/more | [g-height | [b-meter | g-two]]]
"Azawan is two meters taller than Alahen."
Related form: vague much / slightly is shared /w/ immediately before the scale adjective (wohahal), not a counted /b/.
Snapshot on a shared scale
Needs: Comparatives · as-of
To score the shared adjective as of a dated now, write as-of on /w/ immediately before that /ɡ/ word, with /b/ between them. That snapshot does not retarget the verb; the clause still needs /h/ as-of if the event also scores against that now.
zazawan zalahen zel wuhum b_#22,7 gamadam.[z-Azawan | z-Alahen | z-rank/more | [[w-as-of.ledger | b-_22,7] | g-challenge]]
"As of 22 July, Azawan is more challenging than Alahen."
Amounts and percents
Scale the amount
Needs: Measure phrases · Exponents
Keep the base unit. Put the power of ten on the amount (e3 / e-3 / an exact count): bezezem g+5400 or bezezem g+5.4e3; babayum g+70e3.
For kilometers / milligrams, use: that scaled amount on the base unit. There is no kilo- / milli- / mega- stem.
For two meters taller, see measured differentials. Vague degree uses /w/ on the scale (zel wohahal gadavem …) with no unit. Duration and other clause measures use the same unit+amount habit in whatever slot the relation needs.
Denominator (portion “of what”)
Needs: Percent · Associative -x · Resume
| Agazan | Use | English |
|---|---|---|
zagadulx g+25% | percent grades the modified noun | 25% of the cats |
dudulx g+95% | same, object slot | 95% of the tests |
bobelx g+5% under a host relation | same, /b/ | 5% of the people |
For a count out of a group already named (three of them), resume the group and give the count.
zagadulx vehahel. zagadurx grarel varahal.z-cat-x | v-sit . [z-←cat-x-x | g-three] | v-run"The cats sit. Three of them run."
The noun names the reference class; yo grades how much of that class. Same endings on the percent word (-m ≈ about 25% of …).
Related form: 25% (…yo) and 0.25 (plain scalar) name the same magnitude; yo chooses the percent-scale reading. yu likewise names a ÷100 magnitude, framed as points.
Most
Most of the cats means more than half: the band from all of them down to half, with half left out. Write g+100%, then ul, then g+50%. The hook excludes the endpoint after it.
zagadulx g+100% ul g+50% vehahel.🔊 zagadulx grawozozoyol ul gravazoyol vehahel.
[z-cat-x | g-100yo] | through-excluding | g-50yo | v-sit
"Most of the cats sit."
One in three
Needs: Fractions
One in three cats is the same share as a third of the cats. Write the fraction g-N right after the noun.
zagadulx grurel vehahel.[z-cat-x | g-third-of] | v-sit
"One in three cats sits."
Compare with: /h/ h-3 is every third time: it counts repeats of the event, not members of a group.
Per hour and 3 to 1
Needs: Number as adverb · Measure phrases · Factor
Three times an hour is a count per unit. Write the count, then the divider hruwol (÷1), then the unit as /b/ right after it. The divider hosts the unit, so the /b/ is structural, not a recipient.
zazawan vowogal hrarel hruwol bagazem.z-Azawan | v-walk | h-three | [h-divided-by-one | b-hour]
"Azawan walks three times an hour."
A ratio (three cats to one dog) is a factor on the equative amount scale: zagadulx zodogalx zael gral hrarel is three times as many cats as dogs.
Percent points, factors, and other wholes
Needs: Percent · Number as adverb · Of relations
yu is a point-scale amount or delta (+2 percentage points; often /v/ ra / ru: increase or decrease by that point amount). from A% to B% uses ranges.
For +50% relative to baseline, use: a multiplicative /h/ factor (h+1.5, …) or ordinary relative-to wording.
When the whole is not the modified head, use a complex /ɡ/ or /h/ of relation (gobom part of) + /b/ whole, with the percent elsewhere in the clause as needed. Numbers take no /w/ and no open arguments.
…yu point amounts, factor change (/h/ h+…), top / bottom N% rank bands, and N% done take their “whole” from context or a separately named class.
A bare /z/ (or other freestanding) …yo percent with no named whole is grammatical; prefer an explicit whole (percent of what). Bare …yu point amounts are fine when the percent-scale quantity being moved is already clear. Rates outside everyday percent talk use a plain scalar (ye / e-N).
Unspecified value in the range (-r)
Needs: Ranges · Named and unknown ranges
A range hook with -r names one value in the band without saying which.
| Agazan | Use | English |
|---|---|---|
z+3 ar z+5 | some value in the inclusive band | some value from 3 to 5 |
z+3 ur z+5 | some value in the band, 5 left out | some value from 3 up to 5 |
zraval ar zrabal | some value on the ray | some value of 5 or more |
z+3 uer z+5 | some value outside the band | some value below 3 or above 5 |
Under question force, these are fill-asks (which value from 3 to 5?). The same shape works under /d/ /b/ /ɡ/ as the slot needs (d+10 ur d+20 = object some value from 10 up to 20).
Not the same job as: the resume hooks ar / ur with nothing on the right (in there / from there), and discrete something among two listed values (zrarel zraval zar).
Degree, manner and frequency words
How much: very, slightly, barely
Needs: Degree · Number as verb and adverb · Number as stance
English degree words (really, quite, barely) say how far a quality or an action goes. Agazan has stock degree words for the adjective or adverb that follows them, and a pair for barely and almost. A claim you are sure of takes the stance number th+e.
| English | Agazan |
|---|---|
| very / really / highly / truly | welavam before the adjective or adverb |
| extremely / greatly / dramatically / significantly / considerably | wohahal |
| slightly / somewhat | wamazam |
| completely / totally / entirely / fully / altogether | wahahom |
| quite / fairly / pretty / reasonably / relatively | wadeham |
| huge | wohahal gelavam (extremely big) |
| barely / hardly | hrabul on the verb, wrabul before an adjective |
| almost | hrubul on the verb, wrubul before an adjective |
| definitely / absolutely / certainly | stance number th+e |
zodogal wadeham gubuhel vowogal.[z-dog | [w-quite | g-blue]] | v-walk
"A fairly blue dog walks."
zazawan hrabul vehahel.z-Azawan | h-+-e- | v-sit
"Azawan barely sits."
How: carefully, properly, gently, hard to
Needs: Adverbs /h/ · Manner scale · Every bar · Can
English -ly adverbs say how an action is done. Write /h/, the root, and the abstract ending -m, as in hadehum hastily. When the quality is the root's everyday sense and the abstract sense is something else, use -l: egega is correct and its abstract sense is inclusion, so properly is hegegal.
| English | Agazan |
|---|---|
| quickly | havazom |
| carefully | heyayem |
| gently | hegehem |
| properly / correctly | hegegal |
| properly (up to standard) | the doer, then thumel zael hegegal (as correctly as the rules require) |
| precisely / accurately | hubuzam |
| neatly / in an orderly way | hebedom |
| seriously | hezedom |
| surprisingly / suddenly | hezum |
| successfully | hamedam |
| strongly | habezem |
| heavily | haragam |
| perfectly | hahahom |
| significantly (matters a lot) | hegazam |
| gradually / slowly | hezehom |
| widely / broadly | horodam |
| deeply | hebegem |
| easily (with less effort than usual) | thobam zuel hozewem before the verb |
| hard to / easy to + a verb (hard to ignore) | the doer, then thobam zel hozewem / thobam zuel hozewem, and the verb with can (-xal) |
zazawan heyayem vowogal.z-Azawan | h-caution | v-walk
"Azawan walks carefully."
The easy / hard pair on a quality ranks effort against a bar (vague amounts): zubugal thobam zuel gozewem is the book is easy (less effort than usual), and zel in place of zuel is hard.
Hard to + a verb puts the same effort scale on whoever would do it: they can, but only with more effort than usual. Write the doer as the ranked item, the bar, the rank word and hozewem, then the verb with can xa.
zazawan thobam zel hozewem dubugal varadaxal.[z-Azawan | th-PATTERN | z-rank/more | h-effort] | d-book | v-write-able
"The book is hard for Azawan to write."
Properly in the sense of up to standard names the standard as a bar (every bar): REQUIRE thumel is the rule, and a tie meets it. Use thumer for what is customary.
zazawan thumel zael hegegal varadal.[z-Azawan | th-REQUIRE-rule | z-equal-rank | h-correct] | v-write
"Azawan writes properly (as correctly as the rules require)."
How often
Needs: Always · Sometimes · Frequency scale
English always, usually, often and sometimes sit on a scale from every time to some time. Agazan uses the restrictor for the ends and the frequency scale for often. For every day, hang a unit on huwem while with bual (everything).
| English | Agazan |
|---|---|
| always / constantly | hual |
| usually / normally / generally / regularly (as a rule) | huam |
| often / frequently | thobam zel hral before the verb |
| sometimes / occasionally | har |
| never, as far as I know / as a rule, never | ham |
| never | hal |
| daily | huwem bual gazazam |
| weekly | huwem bual gagadam |
| monthly | huwem bual gumuham |
| annually | huwem bual gavawem |
zazawan huwem bual gazazam vowogal.z-Azawan | h-while | [b-everything | g-day] | v-walk
"Azawan walks daily."
How many and how big
Needs: Vague amounts · Bars · Place on a scale · Measure phrases · Rays · Fractions
| English | Agazan |
|---|---|
| numerous / considerable (many cats) | zagadulx thobam zel gral |
| enough / sufficient / adequate / full (as much as is needed) | zagadulx thegatham zael gral |
| too many / excess / extra / spare (more than needed) | zagadulx thegatham zel gral |
| quantity (how many) | the amount scale gral |
| normal / standard / ordinary / medium / average (normally big) | the PATTERN bar with zael: zodogal thobam zael gelavam |
| single (just one) | the plain number g+1 |
| secondary / second | the rank g#2 |
| whole / entire / complete / total / ideal (nothing lacking) | gahahom (perfection) |
| several | approximate number: zagadulx gram (about five cats) |
| multiple (more than one) | a ray: zagadulx g+2 al grabal |
| minority (fewer than half) | zagadulx g+0% ul g+50% |
| exactly / precisely / specific (exactly five) | the plain number g+5; gram is about five |
| literally (word for word) | an exact quote: bare brackets, no ~ (exact, paraphrase, proper) |
| a dozen | zegalx g+12 |
| a quarter of the cats | zagadulx g-4 (or g+25%) |
| two thirds of the cats, three quarters | zagadulx gradul grurel (count, then fraction) |
| a third of an hour | bagazem grawol grurel |
| the second biggest, the third tallest | zazawan zel wredul gelavam (place on a scale) |
| twice / double (two times) | h+2 before the verb |
| ratio (three cats to one dog) | zagadulx zodogalx zael gral hrarel (factor) |
| at least 5 / at most 5 (minimum / maximum) | zraval al zrabal / zrubal al zraval |
| decade / century | bavawem g+10 / bavawem g+100 |
| unit | the measure phrase: bezezem g+2 |
| estimate (I put it at 40) | stance number th+40 |
Expensive, cheap, weak, remarkable
Needs: Vague amounts · Every bar · Adjectives · Important
English expensive, cheap, weak and remarkable compare a quality with an unstated usual. Agazan always states the bar. Write the PATTERN bar thobam (than usual), then the rank word (zel for more than, zuel for less than), then the quality as an adjective. The quality is the root that names what is measured, in its abstract sense (-m): cost, strength, effort.
| English | Agazan |
|---|---|
| expensive / costly / pricey | thobam zel gadahum (costs more than usual) |
| cheap / inexpensive | thobam zuel gadahum |
| weak / feeble / frail | thobam zuel gabezem (less strength than usual) |
| busy / hard-working | thobam zel gozewem (more effort than usual) |
| far / distant / remote | thobam zel gazedam (farther than usual) |
| wide / broad | thobam zel gorodam |
| narrow | thobam zuel gorodam |
| deep | thobam zel gebegem |
| shallow | thobam zuel gebegem |
| thick | gabogul gul (not flat) |
| remarkable / special (unusual) / outstanding | thobam zel + the quality that stands out: thobam zel gelavam |
| major / significant (matters more than usual) | thobam zel gamethal (important) |
zubugal thobam zel gadahum.[z-book | th-PATTERN | z-rank/more | g-cost]
"The book is expensive."
zazawan thobam zuel gabezem.[z-Azawan | th-PATTERN | z-rank/less | g-strength]
"Azawan is weak."
Compare with: any stance that sets a value can be the bar (every bar). More expensive than I expected is FELT, thahom zel gadahum, and too expensive is a sake bar, thegatham zel gadahum. Bare good and bad have no root (wrong, ugly).
Just, only, also, especially
Needs: One item or none · Join vowels and endings · Stacked discourse hooks · Dated channel
English just, only, especially and also point at one item and say how it stands among the others. Agazan does that with a join that has one item in front of it. The vowel says what the item is worth among the rest: zal (the closed ending) says it is the whole story, zem (the open ending) says it comes first and others may follow, and zel says it is the only one that matters. For also, there is no word to hang on the item: open the next sentence with the discourse hook al, which adds a separate point.
| English | Agazan |
|---|---|
| just Azawan / only / merely / simply / alone / a mere / this particular one | zazawan zal, the join after the one item |
| especially Azawan / particularly / specifically / mainly / primarily / largely / in particular / main (the main one) | zazawan zem |
| only Azawan matters | zazawan zel |
| also / too / as well / besides / in addition | al … at the start of the next sentence |
| just now (a moment ago) | brubul on a channel |
| just about to | brabul on a channel |
zazawan zal vowogal.[z-Azawan | z-and] | v-walk
"Only Azawan walks."
zazawan zem vowogal.[z-Azawan | z-rank/more.open] | v-walk
"Azawan especially walks."
zazawan vowogal. al zalahen vowogal.z-Azawan | v-walk . additionally | z-Alahen | v-walk
"Azawan walks. Also, Alahen walks."
Compare with: just meaning only a moment ago is the hair before now (brubul, recently), not a join. Only when is the restrictor hal (restrictors), and only if is tholum (only if).
Units and dates
Group, crowd, bunch, pair, list, range, member
Needs: Associative group · Vague amounts · Unspecified member · Ranges · Of relations
English has many nouns for a set of things (group, crowd, bunch, pair). Agazan has no noun for the set itself. It marks the kind as a group in this situation with -x after the ending (-lx for everyday things), and a number or a vague amount says how big. A set of people, flowers or cats is the kind plus -x, not a separate word.
| English | Agazan | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| group / bunch | zodogalx | some dogs, as a set here |
| crowd | zobelx thobam zel gral | people, more than usual |
| pair (two of a kind) | zodogalx g+2 | two dogs |
| couple (two people who are together) | zagabal | the everyday sense of agaba |
| titled group (the group named Ahodon) | zahodonx | named, -nx |
| member (of a group) | gobom + /b/ group | part of the group |
| member (unspecified, of a menu or list) | zor | anything among the listed |
| list (a list of cats and dogs) | zagadul zodogal zal | an and-list |
| list (written) | zegabol | clipboard |
| range (of numbers) | zrarel al zraval | the band from 3 to 5 |
| range (of things: how far it reaches) | zagum | scope, the abstract sense of agu |
zodogalx vowogal.z-dog-x | v-walk
"A group of dogs walks."
zobelx thobam zel gral.[z-person-x | th-PATTERN | z-rank/more | g-amount]
"There is a crowd." — more people than the usual amount
zazawan gobom bahodonx vowogal.[z-Azawan | [g-part-of | b-Ahodon-x]] | v-walk
"Azawan, a member of the group Ahodon, walks."
Compare with: a named group needs its own name (-nx). A few or several is an approximate number (how many).
Named standards and derived units
Needs: Measure phrases · Proper name -n
Everyday measure uses the unit metaphor on the stock roots above (bezezem gradul). When you cite the conventional SI name as a titled standard (the meter, the pascal), use -n on that unit root (named handles). Resume a prior unit phrase with -r on the same root (bezezer gradul after bezezem gradul is on the table).
Common derived (optional) — unit metaphor on a dedicated root; related quantity stays on the original row:
| Unit | Unit root (metaphor) | Example | Quantity (unchanged) |
|---|---|---|---|
| newton | avava newton | bavavam g+10 | abahe force |
| pascal | edaze pascal | bedazem g+101325 | agabe pressure |
| joule | azahe joule | bazahem g+500 | abado energy |
| watt | omoda watt | bomodam g+60 | abage power |
| hertz | azuba hertz | bazubam g+50 | adavo rhythm |
| ohm | obodo ohm | bobodom g+100 | ageza blockage |
| coulomb | azoba coulomb | bazobam g+2 | araze charge |
| radian | adawe radian | badawem g+1 | eredu cycle |
Related form: general ROOTl+1 (primary / singleton of a kind) is numeric derivation, not an SI alias.
Until tomorrow, by tomorrow
Needs: Time poles · Signed count from now · Dated channel
English until tomorrow (also till tomorrow), by tomorrow, and before next week count from today. A command or a plan has no channel to count from, so the time pole takes the count itself: a signed measure in its /b/ runs from now.
yel zehodon vaheham homam bazazam grawol.y-command | z-listener | v-confidentiality | [h-until | [b-day | g-one]]
"Keep the secret until tomorrow."
Use homam for until / till, homal for by, habam for before, and henum for after. A negative count runs back from now.
Date as books vs event-when
Bare h_#… / h_… locates when the event sits. Whose “now” leftover, climate, plan, and forecast score against is as-of (huhum / huram plus /b/). Put the date on that pole (huhum b_#22,7); do not also write spare h_#22,7 for the same snapshot. Clock / before / after may sit beside as-of: books vs event-when are different jobs.
Brainstorming
Numbered alternatives (problem / solution / goal)
Needs: Ordinals
When you brainstorm, number the candidates (problem 1, solution 2, goal 3) so the first frame does not look unique. Use ordinary lexicon nouns plus a free ordinal (g#N) — not a closed overlay. Problem and solution take the published -m senses; goal is already the -l literal. Prefer at least grewol, and often name a second candidate, so ranking itself marks that more than one frame is in play.
zazawan zegehum gredul vezebel.z-Azawan | [z-solution | g-2nd] | v-tell"Azawan names solution 2."
| Agazan | Use | English | Same root as | Cue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
ehegom | numbered-alternative problem | problem (something to fit / solve) | ehegol puzzle-piece | 🧩: pieces must fit |
egehum | numbered-alternative solution | solution (what unlocks it) | egehul key | 🔑: opens what was locked |
ogol | numbered-alternative goal | goal (net you aim at) | 🥅: the net you shoot for | |
free g#N | rank in this numbered-alternative series | candidate N | # = ordinal place | |
soft g~#N | tentative ranking | maybe candidate N | -m leaves the order open |
Recipe: zehegom grewol / zegehum gredul / zogol grewol
Unnumbered zehegom is just a problem, not a candidate in a set — write g#N when brainstorming. -l on the first two roots is still the picture (zehegol a puzzle piece; zegehul a key; vegehul to unlock). Reframing the same situation is different wording of one frame, not a second digit.
Compare with: discourse point N: uses free x#N (number as discourse), a continue. Numbered alternatives are problem / solution / goal nouns plus g#N. Clause so that is hogom, not ogol.
Practice
Comparing
Short drills for these recipes. Try each item before opening Show answer.
Setting: a weighing room
Roots used here:
| English | Agazan | Same root as |
|---|---|---|
| Azawan | azawan | |
| Alahen | alahen | |
| Ahaben | ahaben | |
| heavy | aragam | aragal rock |
| exertion | elevam | eleval lift |
| gram | abayum | abayul pound |
English → Agazan
1. Azawan and Ahaben are heavy.
Show answer
zazawan zahaben zal garagam.
[z-Azawan | z-Ahaben | z-and | g-heavy]
2. Alahen is two grams heavier than Azawan.
Show answer
zalahen zazawan zel garagam babayum gradul.
[z-Alahen | z-Azawan | z-rank/more | [g-heavy | b-gram]] | g-two
3. Azawan, Alahen, and Ahaben, from lightest to heaviest.
Show answer
zazawan zalahen zahaben zoel garagam.
[z-Azawan | z-Alahen | z-Ahaben | z-in-order | g-heavy]
Agazan → English
1. zalahen zahaben zal gelevam.
Show answer
[z-Alahen | z-Ahaben | z-and | g-exertion]
Alahen and Ahaben are exerted.
2. zazawan zalahen zel garagam babayum graval.
Show answer
[z-Azawan | z-Alahen | z-rank/more | [g-heavy | b-gram]] | g-five
Azawan is five grams heavier than Alahen.
Comparing as of a date
Short drills for these recipes. Try each item before opening Show answer.
Setting: a talent contest
Roots used here:
| English | Agazan | Same root as |
|---|---|---|
| Azawan | azawan | |
| Alahen | alahen | |
| challenge | gamadam | |
| as-of.ledger | wuhum |
English → Agazan
1. As of 22 July, Azawan is more challenging than Alahen.
Show answer
zazawan zalahen zel wuhum b_#22,7 gamadam.
[z-Azawan | z-Alahen | z-rank/more | [[w-as-of.ledger | b-_22,7] | g-challenge]]
Agazan → English
1. zazawan zalahen zel wuhum b_#22,7 gamadam.
Show answer
[z-Azawan | z-Alahen | z-rank/more | [[w-as-of.ledger | b-_22,7] | g-challenge]]
As of 22 July, Azawan is more challenging than Alahen.