Numbers

1. Tang, erung, edei

   Tang, e-rung, e-dei

   One, two, three

   Usage

   Basic Palauan numbers for prices and quantities

   Grammar Note

   The final -ng / -i marks the stand-alone form; before a noun they become ta / eru / ede, e.g. "eru el sils" (two days)

2. Euang, eim, elolem

   E-uang, e-im, e-lo-lem

   Four, five, six

   Usage

   Palauan numbers 4 through 6, useful for quantities

   Grammar Note

   The stems are -ua (4), -im (5), -lolem (6); different prefixes on these stems give the series for different kinds of things

3. Euid, eai, etiu

   E-uid, e-ai, e-tiu

   Seven, eight, nine

   Usage

   Palauan numbers 7 through 9 for phone numbers and times

   Grammar Note

   Clock times use numeral + el + klok, e.g. "euid el klok" (seven o'clock)

4. Teruich

   Te-ru-ich

   Ten / 10

   Usage

   Palauan word for ten — a key number for price calculations

   Grammar Note

   "Teruich" is ten in the time/human series; the series for objects uses "tacher"

5. Ng tela a cheral?

   Ng te-la a che-ral?

   How much does it cost?

   Usage

   The standard way to ask a price, in markets and shops alike

   Grammar Note

   "Ng tela ...?" is the question frame for quantities and amounts. Palau uses US dollars

6. Teruich me a tang, teruich me a erung

   Te-ru-ich me a tang, te-ru-ich me a e-rung

   Eleven, twelve

   Usage

   Palauan numbers 11 and 12, useful for times and dates

   Grammar Note

   Teens are formed as "teruich me a" plus the numeral, e.g. teruich me a eim (15), teruich me a eai (18)

7. Okeim

   O-ke-im

   Fifty / 50

   Usage

   Palauan for fifty — useful for prices and ages

   Grammar Note

   Multiples of ten use the prefix ok- plus the stem: okede (30), okoua (40), okeim (50), okai (80). Twenty is the separate word "lluich"

8. Dart

   One hundred / 100

   Usage

   Palauan for one hundred — useful for calculating prices

   Grammar Note

   Hundreds are numeral + el + dart, e.g. "eru el dart" (200). "Ng kmal dart a sulem" is an idiom meaning "many thanks"

9. Mang

   Ten thousand / 10,000

   Usage

   Large numbers in Palauan — useful for calculating tourist expenses

   Grammar Note

   "Ta el mang" (10,000), "eru el mang" (20,000), "teruich el mang" (100,000); one thousand is "telael". Palau uses US dollars, so English numbers are understood too

10. Ng tela el klok?

    Ng te-la el klok?

    What time is it?

    Usage

    The basic way to ask what time it is

    Grammar Note

    Answers take the same shape: "eru el klok" (two o'clock), "eru el klok me a tedobech" (two thirty)

11. Ng lluich me a euid a rekik.

    Ng llu-ich me a e-uid a re-kik

    I'm 27 years old

    Usage

    How to answer with your age. Swap the number to give any other age

    Grammar Note

    Compound numbers are formed as tens + me a + unit (teruich me a tang = 11, lluich me a euid = 27). rak means year/age and its first-person possessive form is rekik. This follows the example sentence "Ng teruich me a elolem a rekik. > I'm sixteen years old."

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