Vague amounts
On this page
Vague amounts (many / few)
English many, few, often, and late rank against an unstated baseline, and too much and too late against an unstated need or limit. Ageben always names the bar: put it in the fence and rank on amount, the frequency scale, or the time scale.
zogozelx thubom zol gral.[z-cat-x | th-PATTERN | z-rank/more | g-amount]
"There are many cats." (more than usual)
zazozon thubom zol hral vowurol.[z-Azozon | th-PATTERN | z-rank/more | h-how-often] | v-walk
"Azozon often walks." (more often than usual)
| English | Bar and rank |
|---|---|
| many / few | PATTERN thubom, zol / zuol with gral |
| often / rarely | PATTERN thubom, zol / zuol with hral |
| late / early | PATTERN thubom, zol / zuol with bral |
| than usual (the same person or thing) | PATTERN thubom with no /b/ |
| too much / enough / not enough | a met sake bar (thudatham), zol / zoel / zuol |
| too late / too soon | a met sake bar (thudatham), zol / zuol with bral |
The bar is never dropped. A single-item zogozelx zol gral already means the most cats (a superlative).
Practice
Short drills for Intermediate. Try each item before opening Show answer.
Setting: an open mic
Review:
| English | Ageben |
|---|---|
| Azozon | azozon |
| Alazun | alazun |
| Ahelan | ahelan |
| PATTERN | thubom |
| trumpet | adorol |
| sing | vozuyel |
| walk | vowurol |
English → Ageben
1. There are many trumpets. (more than usual)
Show answer
zadorolx thubom zol gral.
[z-trumpet-x | th-PATTERN | z-rank/more | g-amount]
2. Alazun often sings. (more often than usual)
Show answer
zalazun thubom zol hral vozuyel.
[z-Alazun | th-PATTERN | z-rank/more | h-how-often] | v-sing
3. Azozon sings better than usual.
Show answer
zazozon thubom zol gozuyel.
[z-Azozon | th-PATTERN | z-rank/more | g-sing]
Ageben → English
1. zahelan thubom zuol hral vozuyel.
Show answer
[z-Ahelan | th-PATTERN | z-rank/less | h-how-often] | v-sing
Ahelan rarely sings. (less often than usual)
2. zadorolx thubom zuol gral.
Show answer
[z-trumpet-x | th-PATTERN | z-rank/less | g-amount]
There are few trumpets. (fewer than usual)
3. zazozon thubom zuol gozuyel.
Show answer
[z-Azozon | th-PATTERN | z-rank/less | g-sing]
Azozon sings worse than usual.
Pick one
1. Azozon walks the most often, going by the pattern. zazozon zol hral vowurol thubom. or zazozon thubom zol hral vowurol.
Show answer
zazozon zol hral vowurol thubom.
[z-Azozon | z-rank/more | h-how-often] | v-walk | th-PATTERN
After the fence, PATTERN is a stance on the whole superlative; before the rank join it is the bar, more often than usual.
Fix it
1. Alazun often walks. zalazun zol hral vowurol.
Show answer
zalazun thubom zol hral vowurol.
[z-Alazun | th-PATTERN | z-rank/more | h-how-often] | v-walk
Vague often names the PATTERN bar; without it the fence is a superlative.