In everyday speech we rarely use exact numbers. More often you hear "around ten," "roughly a hundred," "an hour and a half," "dozens of people." Kyrgyz has several ways to express this: suffixes, standalone words, and special patterns for fractions.
🧠 The Logic
Why do we need approximate numbers? They make speech natural and flexible. Instead of the precise "there were 47 people," we say "around fifty" or "dozens of people."
Kyrgyz has several tools for this:
- Fractions — for exact parts (half, quarter, third)
- Approximatives — suffix -дай/-дей or the word чамалуу
- Indefinite-quantitative — ондогон, жүздөгөн (dozens, hundreds)
- Distributive — how many each (бирден, экиден)
- Multiplicative — how many times (жолу) and by how many times (эсе)
🧮 Fractional Numerals (Бөлчөк сан атооч)
Basic Fractions
| Kyrgyz | Translation | Literally |
|---|---|---|
| жарым | half | — |
| чейрек | quarter | — |
| үчтөн бир | one third | from three — one |
| төрттөн бир | one quarter | from four — one |
| бештен бир | one fifth | from five — one |
The Fraction Formula
Formula: denominator + {ablative case} + numerator
Read as "Y out of X":
- 2/3 = үчтөн эки (out of three — two)
- 3/4 = төрттөн үч (out of four — three)
- 5/8 = сегизден беш (out of eight — five)
Mixed Numbers (Whole + Fraction)
| Kyrgyz | Translation |
|---|---|
| бир жарым | one and a half (1.5) |
| эки жарым | two and a half (2.5) |
| үч чейрек | three quarters (0.75) |
| бир жарым саат | an hour and a half |
Examples:
- Жарым саат күттүм. — I waited half an hour.
- Бир жарым жылдан бери иштейм. — I've been working for a year and a half.
- Чейрек саатта келем. — I'll be there in a quarter of an hour.
Percentages
Пайыз — percent:
- он пайыз — 10%
- элүү пайыз — 50%
- жүз пайыз — 100%
🧮 Approximate Numerals (Болжолдуу сан атооч)
Suffix -ДАЙ/-ДЕЙ/-ТАЙ/-ТЕЙ
Added to a numeral to mean "about, approximately":
| Number | With Suffix | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| он (10) | ондой | about ten |
| жыйырма (20) | жыйырмадай | about twenty |
| кырк (40) | кырктай | about forty |
| жүз (100) | жүздөй | about a hundred |
| миң (1000) | миңдей | about a thousand |
Choosing the variant — by vowel harmony and sound assimilation:
- After voiced consonants/vowels: -дай/-дей/-дой/-дөй
- After voiceless consonants: -тай/-тей/-той/-төй
Examples:
- Ондой адам келди. — About ten people came.
- Жүздөй сом керек. — I need about a hundred soms.
The Word ЧАМАЛУУ / ЧАМАСЫНДА
Чамалуу (approximately) follows the number — a more colloquial option:
- он чамалуу — approximately ten
- жүз чамалуу адам — about a hundred people
- Саат он чамасында келем. — I'll come at around ten.
The Phrase БОЛЖОЛ МЕНЕН
A more bookish variant meaning "approximately":
- Болжол менен жүз киши. — Approximately a hundred people.
- Болжол менен эки саат. — About two hours.
💡 Indefinite-Quantitative Numerals (ондогон, жүздөгөн)
When the exact number is unknown but the order of magnitude matters:
| Base | With Suffix | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| он (10) | ондогон | dozens |
| жүз (100) | жүздөгөн | hundreds |
| миң (1000) | миңдеген | thousands |
| миллион | миллиондогон | millions |
Examples:
- Ондогон адам күттү. — Dozens of people waited.
- Жүздөгөн китеп бар. — There are hundreds of books.
- Миңдеген жыл мурун. — Thousands of years ago.
💡 These forms emphasize an indefinitely large quantity: not "exactly ten," but "dozens" (could be 15, 30, 47...).
💡 Distributive Numerals (бирден, экиден)
The ablative case shows distribution: "how many each," "one by one":
| Form | Meaning |
|---|---|
| бирден | one at a time, one each |
| экиден | two each |
| үчтөн | three each |
| бештен | five each |
Examples:
- Бирден кириңиздер. — Come in one at a time.
- Экиден бөлүп алгыла. — Divide them into twos.
- Ар бирине бештен сом берди. — He gave five soms to each person.
Taking Turns
Бир-бирден — one by one, taking turns:
- Бир-бирден айтып бергиле. — Tell it one by one / take turns telling it.
- Бир-бирден текшерип чык. — Check them one by one.
💡 Multiplicative Numerals
"Times" — ЖОЛУ / ИРЕТ
| Kyrgyz | Translation |
|---|---|
| бир жолу | once |
| эки жолу | twice |
| үч жолу | three times |
| канча жолу? | how many times? |
| көп жолу | many times |
"By How Many Times" — ЭСЕ
| Kyrgyz | Translation |
|---|---|
| эки эсе | twice as much, twofold |
| үч эсе | three times as much |
| он эсе | ten times as much |
Examples:
- Бул эки эсе кымбат. — This is twice as expensive.
- Үч эсе көп иштеди. — He worked three times as hard.
⚠️ Important Nuances
1. Жарым and Чейрек for Telling Time
- Саат бештин жарымы — 5:30 (lit. "half of five")
- Саат бешке чейрек калды — 4:45 (a quarter to five)
- Саат бештен чейрек өттү — 5:15 (a quarter past five)
2. Word Order
Approximate numbers come before the noun:
- Ондой киши (about ten people)
- Жүздөй сом (about a hundred soms)
3. With Negation
For "not a single one" use бир да... + negation:
- Бир да адам келбеди. — Not a single person came.
- Бир да сом калган жок. — Not a single som was left.
See also:
- Numerals — cardinal, ordinal, collective
- Degrees of Comparison — constructions like "X times bigger/smaller"
- Vowel Harmony — choosing vowels in suffixes
- Sound Assimilation — choosing -дай/-тай