Faleni Grammar Extras (numbers tail, comparison, time)

Everything here builds on the 10 core rules in the grammar using words already in the dictionary. No new rules, just patterns.

1. Yes / No

awe = yes · ohu = no (as an answer).
we ha luje ho?: "Are you hungry?" → awe (yes) or ohu (no).
You can also answer with the predicate: awe, wa ha luje = "Yes, I'm hungry."
Don't confuse ohu (the answer "no") with he (the grammatical "not"): ohu, wa ha he luje = "No, I'm not hungry."

2. Comparison

Using nelo (more), nela (most), newe (less), ame (than), ahu (as/like), nipi (same).

Idea	Pattern	Example
bigger	`[quality] nelo`	`le nelo` = bigger
bigger than X	`[quality] nelo ame X`	`wa ha le nelo ame we` = I'm bigger than you
biggest	`[quality] nela`	`wa ha le nela` = I'm the biggest
less big than X	`[quality] newe ame X`	`wa ha le newe ame we` = I'm less big than you
as big as X	`[quality] ahu X`	`wa ha le ahu we` = I'm as big as you
the same as X	`nipi X`	`wa ha nipi we` = I'm the same as you

3. Numbers, the rest of the system

Recap: digits so0 ta1 ne2 ki3 fo4 pe5 lu6 si7 mo8 ku9; tens/hundreds/thousands na to fu. Build big-part first: ne na ki = 23.

Decimals: integer, then nuse ("point"), then the digits one by one: - ki nuse pe = 3.5 · so nuse pe = 0.5 · ki nuse ta fo = 3.14

Fractions: [numerator] nemo [denominator] (nemo = "part"): - ta nemo ne = 1/2 · ki nemo fo = 3/4 · (nehu is also a ready-made word for "half")

Ordinals: number + nuki ("-th"), placed after the noun like any modifier: - ta nuki = first · ne nuki = second · ki nuki = third - tepa ki nuki = the third room

Negatives: noli ("opposite") before the number: - noli pe = −5 · noli ne = −2

Counting things: number follows the noun: sope ki = three dogs.

4. Dates

Months are numbered with nafa ("month"): nafa lu = the 6th month (June). Give a date as day → month → year (each a modifier of its time-word):

29 June 2026 → nita (ne na ku) · nafa (lu) · nalu (ne fu ne na lu)
nita ne na ku = day 29 · nafa lu = month 6 · nalu ne fu ne na lu = year 2026
Weekdays, for now, are numbered days of the week: nita te = day 1, etc. (Named weekdays are a fine future addition, coin them in the n-family.)

5. Clock time

[hour] nafi [minutes] naha: nafi = "hour", naha = "minute":

ki nafi = 3:00 · ki nafi ki na naha = 3:30 · ku nafi pe na pe naha = 9:55
Add a time-of-day word for AM/PM: ki nafi nami = 3 in the morning, ki nafi nana = 3 in the evening.
"Half past" can also use nehu: ki nafi nehu = half past three.

6. Aspect (optional, and kept out of the core on purpose)

Faleni is tenseless and aspectless by default; context carries it. When you really need to mark an action in progress, use ju before the verb:

wa ha kema = I eat / I'm eating (unmarked)
wa ha ju kema = I am (right now) eating
For start/finish, just use the verbs: wa ha kipa kema = I begin to eat; wa ha kine kema = I finish eating.

This is opt-in. A learner never has to use it, and nothing requires it.

7. Politeness & greetings (convention, not grammar)

These are set phrases taught in Lesson 2:

Greeting = la (good) + time of day: la nami (good morning), la nita (good day), la nana (good evening), la noti (good night).
Goodbye = la ka ("good go"). Thanks = fife (or wa ha fife we). "You're welcome" = he nu ("no reason"). Sorry = wa ha moli ("I'm sad").