Unit 15 – More Numerals
✨Updated Dec 2025
15.1 Dialogue
| A. | ni’ ch ’a’lu wulh kw’in sil’anum, ’u te’? | ‘How old are you, Mom? |
| B. | ni’ tsun wulh luxwulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ lhq’etsus sil’anum kwunus ’i ’u tun’a tumuhw. | ‘I have been thirty-five years on this earth.’ |
| A. | ni’ wulh kw’in sil’anum kwun’s ’ulup sme’luyi? | ‘How long have you been married?’ |
| B. | ni’ tst mulyitul ’u kwthu ’apun ’i’ kw’ toohw nets’uwuts ’i’ kw’ te’tssulhshe’. | ‘We got married in 1980.’ |
| ni’ kwu’elh wulh ’apun ’i’ kw’ t’xum sil’anum kwutst sme’luyi. | ‘We have been married 16 years.’ | |
| A. | ni’ wulh hith! | ‘That’s a long time!’ |
15.2 Vocabulary: higher numbers
| twenty | tskw’ush | |
| thirty | lhuhwulhshe’ | |
| forty | xuthunlhshe’ | |
| fifty | lhq’utssulhshe’ | |
| sixty | t’xumulhshe’ | |
| seventy | tth’ukwsulhshe’ | |
| eighty | te’tssulhshe’ | |
| ninety | toohwulhshe’ | |
| one hundred | nets’uwuts | |
| two hundred | the’muts or yuse’lu nets’uwuts | |
| three hundred | lhihw nets’uwuts | |
| four hundred | xu’a thun nets’uwuts | |
| five hundred | lhq’etsus nets’uwuts | |
| six hundred | txum nets’uwuts | |
| seven hundred | tth’a’kwus nets’uwuts | |
| eight hundred | te’tsus nets’uwuts | |
| nine hundred | toohw nets’uwuts | |
| one thousand | tawsun, ’upenuts, ’upnuts, ’apun nets’uwuts |
15.3 Forming higher numbers.
15.3a Most “tens” numbers are formed by adding the suffix=ulh ‘times’ and the suffix =she’ ‘tens’.
15.3b Complex numbers are formed with ’i’ kw’ which means ‘and a’.
| thirty-five | lhuhwulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ lhq’etsus |
| sixty-three | t’xumulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ lhihw |
15.3c To form hundreds, just say the number and nets’uwuts ‘hundred’.
15.3d Complex numbers are formed in the same order as in English. Add ’i’ kw’ ‘and’ between the hundreds and tens place, and between the tens and ones place.
| one hundred and fifteen | nets’uwuts ’i’ kw’ ’apun ’i’ kw’ lhq’etsus |
| three hundred and forty-six | lhihw nets’uwuts ’i’ kw’ xuthunlhshe’ ’i’ kw’ t’xum |
15.4 Translation.
- tskw’ush ’i’ kw’ lhq’etsus
25 - lhuxwulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ tth’a’kwus
- te’tssulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ yuse’lu
- toohwulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ t’xum
- t’xumulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ lhihw
- the’muts ’i’ kw’ xuthunlhshe’ ’i’ kw’ nuts’a’
- xu’athun nets’uwuts ’i’ kw’ tth’ukwsulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ yuse’lu
- t’xum nets’uwuts ’i’ kw’ lhq’utssulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ ttth’a’kwus
- lhihw nets’uwuts ’i’ kw’ lhuxwulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ t’xum
- ’apun ’i’ kw’ xu’athun nets’uwuts ’i’ kw’ tskw’ush ’i’ kw’ te’tsus
- thirty-eight
- forty-six
- fifty-three
- seventy-four
- eighty-nine
- one hundred and thirty-two
- three hundred and sixty-one
- five hundred and forty-five
- seven hundred and sixty-eight
- nine hundred and twenty-five
15.5 Pattern practice
| Q: How old are you? A: I’m forty years old. | Q: ni’ ch wulh kw’in sil’anum? A: ni’ tsun wulh xuthunlhshe’ sil’anum. |
| 15 | |
| 27 | |
| 81 | |
| 55 | |
| 64 | |
| 32 |
15.6 Substitution drill.
Give the next number.
| ’apun ’i’ kw’ te’tsus | ’apun ’i’ kw’ toohw |
| tskw’ush ’i’ kw’ xu’athun | |
| lhxwulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ toohw | |
| t’xumulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ lhq’etsus | |
| tth’ukwsulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ lhihw | |
| te’tsulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ yuse’lu | |
| toohwulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ t’xum |
15.7 Substitution drill.
Add ten to the number.
| tskw’ush | lhuxwulhshe’ |
| xuthunlhshe’ | |
| t’xumulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ t’xum | |
| te’tssulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ lhq’etsus | |
| lhq’utssulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ lhihw | |
| ’apun ’i’ kw’ t’xum |
15.8 Substitution drill.
Add one hundred to the number.
| nets’uwuts | the’muts or yuse ‘lu nets’uwuts |
| t’xum nets’uwuts | |
| xu’a thun nets’uwuts ’i’ kw lhuhwulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ xu’athun | |
| t’xum nets’uwuts ’i’ kw’ ’apun ’i’ kw’ yuse’lu | |
| te’tsus nets’uwuts ’i’ kw’ t’xumulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ ttth’a’kwus | |
| toohw nets’uwuts ’i’ kw’ xuthunlhshe’ ’i’ kw’ nuts’a’ |
15.9 Vocabulary: months.
| January | tth’ul’xwumutsun (‘shining’, ‘covered with ice’) | |
| February | yuse’luqinum (‘second boxof food’) | |
| March | wulhxus (wuxus ‘tree frog’) | |
| April | liimus (sliim ‘sandhill crane’) | |
| May | punhwemun ~ punhwem ~ tum’peenhw (speenhw ‘camas’) | |
| June | qw’i’lus (‘ripening berries’) | |
| July | tum’qw’i’lus (‘ripening berries’) | |
| August | tum’qwe’unhw (‘mosquito’) | |
| September | p’uq’ulenuhw (‘changing colors’) | |
| October | hwusulenuhw (‘leaves falling’) | |
| November | tum’kw’a’luhw (‘dog salmon’) | |
| December | tum’xuy’tl’ (‘cold time’) |
15.10 Giving dates.
| April 5th | lhq’etsus skweyul ’u tu liimus (literally ‘the fifth day of April’) |
| 1980 | ’apun ’i’ kw’ toohw nets’uwuts ’i’ kw’ te’tssulhshe’ |
| April 5, 1980 | ’apun ’i’ kw’ toohw nets’uwuts ’i’ kw’ te’tssulhshe’ sil’anum ’u thu liimus lhqelts’ ’u tu lhq’etsus skweyul. |
| Today is the year 2025, the month of March, the twenty fourth day. | ’u tun’a kweyul tskw’ush nets’uwuts ’i’ kw’ tskw’ush ’i’ kw’ lhq’etsus sil’anum ’u thu wulhxus lhqelts’ ’u tu tskw’ush ’i’ kw’ xu’athun skweyul. |
15.11 Translation.
- January 1
nuts’a’ skweyul ’u tu tth’ul’xwumutsun - June 25
- March 16
- October 31
- February 14
- December 25
- lhuhwulhshe’ skweyul ’u tu liimus
- toohw skweyul ’u tu p’uq’ulenuhw
- xu’athun skweyul ’u tu tum’peenhw
- tskw’ush skweyul ’u tu tum’kw’a’luhw
- nuts’a’ skweyul ’u tu tum’qw’i’lus
- ttth’a’kwus skweyul ’u tu tum’qwe’unhw
15.12 Translation.
- 1995
’apun ’i’ kw’ toohw nets’uwuts ’i’ kw’ toohwulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ lhq’etsus sil’anum - 1492
- 2001
- 1776
- 2026
- 1978
- 1882
- 2030
15.13 Pattern practice.
| Q: What year were you born? A: I was born in 1982. | Q: kw’in sil’anum ’i’ ’i ch kwan? A: ’apun ’i’ kw’ toohw nets’uwuts ’i’ kw’ te’tssulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ yuse’lu sil’anum kw’unus ’i’ kwan. |
| 1980 | |
| 1985 | |
| 1987 | |
| 1988 |
15.14 Counting money.
15.14a Recall from Unit 14 that when you count money, you use =as, the lexical suffix for face and round things.
| one dollar | nuts’us | |
| two dollars | yusa’lus |
Here are the “tens” for money.
| thirty dollars | lhuhwulhsha’us | |
| forty dollars | xuthunlhsha’us | |
| fifty dollars | lhq’utssulhsha’us | |
| sixty dollars | t’xumulhsha’us | |
| seventy dollars | tth’ukwsulhsha’us | |
| eighty dollars | te’tsulhsha’us or tutsulhsha’us | |
| ninety dollars | toohwulhsha’us |
15.14b Here are some more examples:
| $75 | tth’ukwsulhsha’us ’i’ kw’ lhq’atssus | |
| $56 | lhq’utssulhsha’us ’i’ kw’ t’xumus |
15.14c Note that hundreds and thousands do not use the suffix.
| $150 | nets’uwuts ’i’ kw’lhq’utssulhsha’us | |
| $3000 | lhihw tawsun telu |
15.14d Here are words for coins.
| sens | ‘cent, penny’ | |
| lhsuq’mit | ‘nickel’ | |
| mit | ‘dime’ | |
| kwatu | ‘quarter’ | |
| lhsuq’ | ‘half dollar’ |
15.14e Combine the dollars and the coins to make a price.
| $3.10 | lhihwus ’i’ kw’ mit | |
| $82.30 | te’tssulhsha’us ’i’ kw’ yusa’lus ’i’ kw’ lhihw mit | |
| $75.70 | tth’ukwsulhsha’us ’i’ kw’ lhq’a’tsus ’i’ kw’ ttth’a’kwus mit | |
| $43.50 | xuthunlhsha’us ’i’ kw’ lhihwus ’i’ kw’ lhsuq’ | |
| $35.38 | lhuhwulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ lhq’atssus ’i’ kw’ lhuhwulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ te’tsus sens |
15.15 Pattern practice.
| Q: How much (does it cost)? A: Thirty dollars. | Q: kw’inus ’a’lu? A: lhuxwulhsha’us. |
| fifty dollars | |
| eighty dollars | |
| forty dollars | |
| sixty dollars | |
| ninety dollars |
15.16 Answer and translate.
Answer ten dollars less.
- lhq’utssulhsha’us ’u kwthun’ telu?
‘Do you have fifty dollars?’
’uwu, ’uw’ xxuthunlhsha’us ’ul’ .
‘No, just forty dollars.’ - tth’ukwsulhsha’us ’u kwthun’ telu?
- toohwulhsha’us ’u kwthun’ telu?
- tth’ukwsulhsha’us ’i’ kw’ lhq’atssus ’u kwthun’ telu?
- lhq’utssulhsha’us ’i’ kw’ toohwus ’u kwthun’ telu?
15.17 Counting containers.
The suffix =qun can also be used with higher numbers.
| thirty containers | lhuhwulhshi’uqun | |
| forty containers | xuthunlhushi’uq’un | |
| fifty containers | lhq’utssulhshi’uqun | |
| sixty containers | t’xumulhshi’uqun | |
| seventy containers | tth’ukwsulhshi’uqun | |
| eighty containers | tu’tssulhshi’uqun | |
| ninety containers | toohwulhshi’uqun |
15.18 Counting conveyances.
In addition to the suffixes discussed in Unit 14, other lexical suffixes can be used with numerals. For example, the lexical suffix =wulh is added to the number when conveyances such as canoes or cars are being counted.
| nets’uhwulh | ‘one conveyance’ | |
| themuhwulh | ‘two conveyances’ | |
| lhhwuwulh | ‘three conveyances’ | |
| xuthinuwulh | ‘four conveyances’ | |
| lhq’etssuwulh | ‘five conveyances’ | |
| t’xumuwulh | ‘six conveyances’ | |
| tth’a’kwsuwulh | ‘seven conveyances’ | |
| te’tssuwulh | ‘eight conveyances’ | |
| toohwuwulh | ‘nine conveyances’ | |
| ’upenuwulh | ‘ten conveyances’ | |
| tskw’ushuwulh | ‘twenty conveyances’ | |
| kw’inuwulh? | ‘how many conveyances?’ |
15.19 Pattern practice.
| Q: How many canoes do you all have? A: We have three canoes. | Q: kw’inuwulh kwthun’ snuhwulh ’ulup? A: lhxwuwulh kwthu snuhwulh tst. |
| five canoes | |
| four canoes | |
| six canoes | |
| just two canoes |
15.20 Pattern practice.
| Twenty canoes arrived here. | tskw’ushuwulh ’i’ tetsul. |
| eight canoes | |
| seven canoes | |
| one canoe | |
| How many? |
15.21 Counting circular objects
Another suffixis =alus, which is used for counting circular objects such as stitches in knitting, meshes in a fishing net, apples or other fruits, and pencils.
| nuts’alus | ‘one circular object’ | |
| yusul’alus | ‘two circular objects’ | |
| lhhwalus | ‘three circular objects’ | |
| xuthinalus or xuthunalus | ‘four circular objects’ | |
| lhq’etssalus | ‘five circular objects’ | |
| t’xumalus | ‘six circular objects’ | |
| ttth’ukwsalus | ‘seven circular objects’ | |
| te’tsusalus | ‘eight circular objects’ | |
| toohwalus | ‘nine circular objects’ | |
| ’apunalus or ’upunalus | ‘ten circular objects’ | |
| tskw’shalus | ‘twenty circular objects’ | |
| kw’inulus? | ‘how many circular objects?’ |
15.22 Iteration numbers
Use the suffix =elh on the number to express how many times something happened.
Note that ‘once’ and ‘twice’ are exceptions.
| nuts’ehw | ‘once’ | |
| thume | ‘twice’ | |
| lhhwelh | ‘three times’ | |
| xuthunelh | ‘four times’ | |
| lhq’utsselh | ‘five times’ | |
| t’xumelh | ‘six times’ | |
| tth’a’kwselh | ‘seven times’ | |
| te’tsselh | ‘eight times’ | |
| toohwelh | ‘nine times’ | |
| ’upenelh | ‘ten times’ | |
| tskw’ushelh | ‘twenty times’ | |
| kw’unelh | ‘how many times?’ |
15.23 Practice sentences.
- ni’ wulh kw’in sil’anum kw’un’s ’i ’u tun’a ?
‘How many years have you lived here?’ - ni’ wulh kw’in sil’anum kw’un’s ’i ya’yus ’i ’u tun’a?
‘How long have you been working here? - ni’ wulh kw’in sil’anum kw’un’s ’i t’it’um’athut ’u tun’a hul’q’umi’num’?
‘How long have you been studying the Hul’q’umi’num’ language?’ - ni’ wulh kw’unelh kw’un’s ’i ’ewu ’u tun’a?
‘How many times have you been here?’ - ni’ ts’twa’ wulh xuthunelh kw’unus ni’ nem’.
‘I must have gone four times.’ - kw’inuwulh snuhwulh ni’ ’un’nehw ni’ ’u kwthu lelum’ ’utl’ John?
‘How many cars were parked in front of John’s place?’ - ni’ ts’twa’ xuthinuwulh ’uw’ ni’us lhq’utsuwulh.
‘There were four or five vehicles.’ - ni’ wulh kw’unelh ’i mulyitul?
‘How many times have you been married?’ - nuts’uhw ’ul’ p’e’!
‘Just once!’ - kw’unelh kw’un’s ni’ nem’ tl’mutooliye’?
‘How many times have you gone to Victoria?’
15.24 Reading lesson
qux kwthu ’i sq’uq’ip ’u kwun’a snet. ni’ ts’twa’ the’muts mustimuxw kwthu ni’ q’up. ni’ q’putum lhu telu xwte’ ’u kwthu stl’ul’iqulh. xuthunelh kwus q’pels. ni’ tahw ’uw’ lhq’etsus nets’uwuts lhu telu ni’ q’up. t-hwyuse’lu tawsun telu ’i’ ’tl’am.