Lesson 7

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Now you shall learn about numbers and other indeclinable parts of speech, such as adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions.

Numbers

The first numbers (one) is declinable, all others are indeclinable. One is declinable only in singular.

Here are the numbers from one to ten, in increasing order:
uno, duo, trei, quatro, cinche, sei, septe, octo, nove, dece

Eleven to nineteen:
undeci, dodeci, tredeci, quatordeci, chindeci, sedeci, septendeci, octodeci, novedeci

The "tens" (20-90):
vinta, trenta, quaranta, cinquanta, sessanta, septanta, octanta, nonanta

Others:
hundred = cento
thousand = mila
million = milione
billion = miliardo
trillion = trilione

Ordinal numbers (all are like adjectives):
primo = first (mnemonic: primary)
secundo = second (mnemonic: secondary)
terzo = third (mnemonic: tertiary)
quarto = fourth (mnemonic: quartenary)
chinto = fifth (mnemonic: quintuples)
sesto = sixth
septimo = seventh
octavo = eighth (mnemonic: octave)
nono = ninth
decimo = tenth
vicesimo = twentieth

For numbers above twenty, such as thirty, remove the final vowel, if any, and add 'imo'.

Numeral adjectives (given in masc. form):
simplice/simplo = simple
duplice/duplo = double
triplice/triplo = triple
quadruplice/quadruplo = quadruple
chintuplice/chintuplo = quintuple
sestuplice/sestuplo = sextuple
And so forth...

To form numbers above twenty and below one hundred, you do it exactly like in English. All numbers under one hundred are written in one word (with hyphens to separate the parts). With hundreds and above, when speaking of more than one, you must use the plural form. That is, for two thousand you would say "duo mile" (two thousands).

Examples:

  1. 385 = trei centi octanta-cinche
  2. 1436 = mile quatro centi trenta-sei
  3. 2182 = duo mile cento octanta duo
  4. 9338 = nove mile trei centi trenta-octo
  5. 2856th house = duo-mile-octo-centi-cinquanta-sesta casa

For the parts under one hundred, the numbers are hyphenated.

Adverbs

Adverbs are everywhere. They cannot be declined. Use the word list provided on this site to look up adverbs when you need them.

Here are some adverbs that are commonly used.

  1. gia = already
  2. presto = soon
  3. no = not, no
  4. alora = so..., now...
  5. actualmente = currently, presently
  6. giamai = never (think of French "jamais")
  7. quando = when
  8. si = yes, so (this way)
  9. unde = where
  10. achi = here
  11. achelo = there
  12. tun = then (at that time)
  13. nun = now (at this time)
  14. bene = well
  15. prossimo = next, nearly
  16. poia = then (afterwards)

Conjunctions and Prepositions

Here are the commonly used conjunctions and prepositions.

  1. a(d) = to, at
  2. verso = toward (towards)
  3. contra = against
  4. ante = before
  5. circa = around
  6. infra = below
  7. sub = under
  8. intre = between
  9. per = on
  10. tra = through, across
  11. pro = for
  12. poi = after
  13. salvo = except
  14. prope = near, nearly, almost
  15. secundo = according to
  16. supra = over, above
  17. de = from, by, of, about (about a subject)
  18. cata = distributive by ("one by one")
  19. intra = inside, within
  20. co = with
  21. giorso = down
  22. pro che = why / because
  23. sine = without
  24. in = in, into
  25. intro = into
  26. si = if
  27. ni = nor, neither
  28. or = or
  29. in alto = up
  30. alto = high
  31. e(d) = and
  32. pene = until
  33. teno = as far as, until
  34. tame = even
  35. pendante = while
  36. durante = during
  37. ita = so

Practice

Write these numbers in Romana.

  1. 142
  2. 225th
  3. 758
  4. 2003
  5. 3521
  6. 7444
  7. 11,256
  8. 32,808
  9. 73,919th
  10. 555,555,555

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