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Cardinals 30 minLecture1.1
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Ordinals 15 minLecture1.2
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Indefinite numerals 30 minLecture1.3
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Numerals exercises 10 minLecture1.4
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Indefinite numerals
There is a small number of indefinite numerals.
Indefinite cardinals
Veel and weinig are the most common indefinite cardinals. Unlike definite numerals, they can be used with non-countable nouns like melk (‘milk’) or brood (‘bread’). To an extent they behave like adjectives, for example in that they form a comparative and superlative.
| comparative | superlative | |
| weinig | minder | minst |
| veel | meer | meest |
However, unlike adjectives they do not decline, except in certain circumstances.
| Er waren veel mensen op het feest, maar er was maar weinig eten. | There were many people at the party, but there was only a little food. |
The interrogative hoeveel (‘how much’) is also an indefinite numeral as is the demonstrative zoveel (‘so much’).
| Hoeveel eten was er op het feest? | How much food was there at the party? |
| Er was zoveel, dat ze het aan het einde moesten weggeven. | There was so much that in the end they had to give it away. |
Informally,tig (‘umpteen’) is sometimes used to indicate a large undisclosed or unknown quantiy:
| Ik ken wel tig mensen die in Griekenland op vakantie zijn geweest. | I know tons of people who have been on holiday to Greece. |
Indefinite ordinals
Indefinite ordinals are hoeveelste (interrogative), zoveelste and tigste, as well as middelste and laatste.
| De hoeveelste is het vandaag? | What dat is it today? |
| We hebben onze afspraak voor de film voor de zoveelste/tigste keer moeten verzetten, | We have had to change our arrangement for the film for the umpteenth time. |
| Ze was het middelste kind van de drie. | She was the middle child of three. |
| Dit is de laatste keer dat ik het zeg. | This is the last time I say it. |
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