Lesson 9: Verb Stacking, Numbers 6–10, and NE Gradation

Grammar

Verb stacking

When one verb leads into another, repeat i before the next verb:

i [first verb] i [second verb]

For several very common verbs, the first verb normally appears as its short form. This is simply the root of the verb, without the initial word cluster:

Full word	Short form in a stack	Meaning
anidai	dai	want
anifou	fou	need
ando	do	can

i dai i boemo

Click to Reveal Translation

*I want to cook.*

i fou i anefene

Click to Reveal Translation

*I need to rest.*

i do i anvu

Click to Reveal Translation

*I can go.*

Numbers 6–10

teva — 6
peri — 7
auta — 8
tenda — 9
das — 10

Did you know oito, which sounds a bit like auta, is eight in Portuguese? And dez, which sounds a bit like das, is ten?

Larger numbers put the larger unit first:

das tam = 11
das alui = 15
tor das = 20
par das bale = 34

NE gradation: rate it from 0 to 10

NE turns a number into a degree scale, always with 10 as reference. Put ne + number before something that can naturally vary by degree. For example, let's use ne gradation with the adjective difficult:

nealui yudur — 5/10 difficult → moderately difficult
neauta yudur — 8/10 difficult → very difficult
nedas yudur — 10/10 difficult → extremely difficult

The scale can include zero as sunya:

nesunya — 0/10, not at all

And it can go beyond ten when you want an “over the scale” reading:

nedastam yudur — 11/10 difficult → too difficult / excessively difficult

The same scale gives you a little, halfway, very, completely, and every point in between.

Notice that this can be used for frequency, likelihood, and many others. This system gives precision while avoiding adding dozens of words (such as rather, often and certain) to the core vocabulary.

Try it

yaltan = big, large. If auta = 8, what does neauta yaltan suggest?

Reveal

8/10 big, roughly very big.

Vocabulary

Building blocks

WIL — human-made geography: settlements and built connections. Mnemonic: village / villa.
VIS — organs. Mnemonic: viscera.
WOL — wide. Mnemonic: wall-to-wall.
NE — quantity and degree. Mnemonic: number.

Words

Oravia	Meaning	Breakdown
ando	can, be able	AN action + DO regulations (permission/possibility)
wiltan	city	WIL human-made geography + TAN big
vismo	stomach	VIS organs + MO eating
yalwol	wide	YAL size/dimension + WOL wide

Look at wiltan and visomo:

wiltan = built geography + big → city
visomo = organ + eating → stomach

Put it together

From earlier lessons

dai / anidai = want
fou / anifou = need
boemo = cook
anefene = rest
beivu = car

i dai i boemo, mai i fou i anefene

Click to Reveal Translation

*I want to cook, but I need to rest.*

a nim i ando i anvu

Click to Reveal Translation

*I can go. (full form)*

i do i anvu en beivu

Click to Reveal Translation

*I can go by car.*

a wiltan a neauta yalwol

Click to Reveal Translation

*The city is very wide.*

nim visomo i anifou e mo, eta nim i mo

Click to Reveal Translation

*My stomach needs food, so I eat.*

Your turn

Write one want / need / can verb stack and one sentence with ne + number.

Mini Review

Quick review:

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