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3.7 Numerals3.7.1 Cardinal numeralsThere 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 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 ]
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 men Kvin 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 numeralsOrdinal numerals (Ordaj numeraloj) are
formed by adding the adjective ending
a:
unua – first dua – second mil-kvincent-sesdek-tria – 1,563rd 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 numeralsAdverbial 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 numbersNames 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 numeralsMultiplication 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 CollectivesCollectives (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 FractionsFractions (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 DistributionDistribution[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 topicsI 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
[16] In special occasions
(counting things) it is possible to use
un’ instead of
unu. (PMEG –
http://purl.oclc.org/NET/pmeg/pmeg10/asqnor.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. [18] See (PMEG) –
http://purl.oclc.org/NET/pmeg/pmeg10/nvqbazun.htm
[19] See Kalocsay, Waringhien: Plena Analiza Gramatiko de Esperanto (PAG), 1985, §64 [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.
[21] See also PMEG –
http://purl.oclc.org/NET/pmeg/pmeg10/nvqmik.htm
[22] See also PAG §87A-F, PMEG http://purl.oclc.org/NET/pmeg/pmeg10/nvq.htm – Nomboroj [23] See also PMEG http://purl.oclc.org/NET/pmeg/pmeg10/rv_po.htm, PAG §87C |