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Ordinal numbers
Ordinal numbers are "first", "second", "third", etc.. In Esperanto, ordinal numbers are formed by tacking on the adjective ending -a onto the cardinal numbers and, if, necessary to combine the words using hyphens. If written with numerals, the ending is tacked on with a hyphen (1-a, 2-a, 11-a, etc.)
| Examples | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinal number | Ordinal number | Meaning | Audio | |
| unu | unua | first | ||
| du | dua | second | ||
| sep | sepa | seventh | ||
| dek unu | dek-unua | eleventh | ||
| tridek kvar | tridek-kvara | thirty-fourth | ||
| ducent kvindek naŭ | ducent-kvindek-naŭa | 259th | ||
Affixes
Several suffixes are most commonly used with numbers, although they can be used with other words, too.
-obl-
The suffix "-obla"/"-oble" indicates a multiple of the number, e.g. "double"/"twice", "five times", etc.
| Examples | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derived word | Meaning | Audio | ||
| duobla duoble | double twice | |||
| kvinobla kvinoble | five times | |||
| dek-duobla dek-duoble | twelve times | |||
-on-
The suffix "-ono" indicates a fraction of the number, e.g. "half", "fifth", etc.
| Examples | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derived word | Meaning | Audio | ||
| duono duona | a half half of | |||
| kvinono | a fifth | |||
| dek-duono | one twelfth | |||
-op-
The suffix "-ope" indicates a group of the size of the number, e.g. "duo", "quartet", etc.
| Examples | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derived word | Meaning | Audio | ||
| duopo duope | a duo by twos | |||
| kvinopo | a quintet | |||
| dek-duope | every twelve, in groups of twelve | |||
| gutope | drop-by-drop | |||
po
po is a preposition that roughly means "each". It is, however, placed near what is divided, unlike English "each", which is placed near the word over which it is divided.
| Examples | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentence | Meaning | Audio | ||
| Mi donis po tri pomojn al la knabinoj. | I gave the girls each three apples. But the English need not parallel Esperanto po: I gave each of the girls three apples. | |||
| Mi aĉetos po kvar librojn jare. | I will buy four books each year. | |||
| Tiuj floroj kostas po kvin eŭrojn. | Those flowers cost five euros each. | |||
| Ĉirkaŭ iliaj tabloj sidas po naŭ personoj, sed ĉirkaŭ miaj (tabloj) sidas neniu, sed po du personoj staris en tiuj. | Nine people each sit around their tables, around mine (my tables), however, no one sits, but two people each stand on them. | |||
| Ni manĝos po kvarono de la kuko. | We will each eat a quarter of the pie. | |||
po can also be used with a phrase:
| Examples | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentence | Meaning | Audio | ||
| Mi donis al ŝi pomojn po skatolo. | I gave her apples per box. | |||
| Li portos al ni la akvon po granda botelo. | He will carry the water to us in big bottles. | |||
Like other prepositions, po can be used in compounds, especially in adverbials:
| Examples | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compound | Meaning | Audio | ||
| popece | per piece | |||
| pogute | drop-wise | |||
| poskatole | box-wise | |||
Vocabulary
| Word | Audio | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| guto | drop (of a liquid) | |
| nombro | number (seen abstractly) | |
| cifero | figure, a number expressed in digits | |
| numero | number identifying one object from another | |
| kvanto | quantity | |
| jaro | year | |
| kosti | to cost | |
| eŭro | euro | |
| persono | person | |
| neniu | no one | |
| kuko | pie, cake | |
| skatolo | box | |
| peco | piece | |
Exercises
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