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Tïjonïk 23 Jun Tz’i’, Keb’ Tz’i’, Oxib’ Tz’i’ (One tz’i’, two tz’i’, Three tz’i’)
Numbers

Introduction

K’iche’ numbers beyond three have been mostly replaced by Spanish numbers. Most people count to three in K’iche’ but for higher numbers they count in Spanish. Numbers up through 20 are generally understood but rarely used. The K’iche’ numerical system is vigesimal, base-20.

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One of the ways in which numbers in K’iche’ are predominantly used is in the sacred calendar (cholq’ij), as well as in traditional Mayan ceremonies. Here we can see an example of the counting that takes place during one of these ceremonies:

K’AK’A TAQ TZIJVocabulary

 

Jun		 1
Keb’		 2
Oxib’		 3
Kajib’		 4
Jo’ob’		 5
Waqib’		 6
Wuqub’		 7
Wajxaqib’		 8
B’elejeb’		 9
Lajuj		 10
Julajuj		 11
Kab’lajuj		 12
Oxlajuj		 13
Kajlajuj		 14
O’lajuj		 15
Waqlajuj		 16
Wuqlajuj		 17
Wajxaqlajuj		 18
B’elejlajuj		 19
Juk’al		 20
Juwinaq		 20

Winaq is generally used for counting up to 40, then it switches to k’al.

Juk’al jun		 21
Juwinaq jun		 21
Juwinaq kajlajuj		 34
Oxk’al jo’ob		 65
Jumuch’		 80
Kajk’al		 80
O’k’al		 100
Juq’o’		 400
Kaq’o’ lajk’al		 1000
Oq’o’		 2000

Ordinal numbers

Nab’e		 first
Ukab’		 second
Urox		 third
Ukaj		 fourth
Uro’		 fifth
Uwaqaq		 sixth
Uwuq		 seventh
Uwajxaq		 eighth
Ub’elej		 ninth
Ulaj/ulajuj		 tenth
Ujulaj		 eleventh
Ujuwinaq		 twentieth
Nab’e mul		 (for the) first time
Are le ukab’ wal.		 She is my second child.
Are le urox nuwuj.		 This is my third book.

Distributive Numbers

Jujun		 one by one
Kakab’		  two by two
 
Ox’ox		  three by three
 
Kajkaj		 four by four
 
Jo’taq		  five by five
 
Waqtaq		 six by six
 
Wuqtaq		 seven by seven
 
Wajxaqtaq		 eight by eight
 
B’elejtaq		 nine by nine
 
Lajtaq		 ten by ten
 
Jujun qech		 one for each one of us
Kaya jujun qech le wuj.		 You give each of us a piece of paper.
Jun chqe.		 One of us.
Jujun chqech.		 Some of us.
E keb’ chqech.		 Two of us.
Chi jujunal		 (as) one by one
Le tïjonik pa jujunal		 The individual lesson / One-on-one lesson
Kakab’ chi qajujunal		 two for each of us
chi kakab’il		 as two by two

Marking Time

Kamik		 today
Chanim		 right now
Miyer		 a little time ago/recently
Chwe’q		 tomorrow
-(ij)ir Time past
Iwir		 yesterday
Kab’ijir		 the day before yesterday
Oxjir		 three days ago
Junab’ir		 a year ago
Wuqub’xir		 a week ago
-ij Time to come
Kab’ij		 day after tomorrow
Oxij		 in three days
Kajij		 in four days
Wuqub’ix		 in a week
Pa jun junab’ aq’anoq		 a year from now
Pa keb’ ik’ aq’anoq		 two months from now
Pa le jun chi junab’		 next year
Pa jun uwuqq’ij kanoq		 a week ago
Pa oxib’ uwuqq’ij aq’anoq		 in three weeks
Junab’ir		 a year ago
Kab’ir		 two years ago
Oxb’ir		 three years ago
Pa kakab’ q’ij		 every two days
Pa ox’ox ik’		 every three months
Pa kajkaj junab’		 every four years
Pa oxib’ ik’		 in three months

Telling time

Ramaj		 hour/moment
Ch’utiq ramaj		 minute(s)
Nik’aj		 half
Jachike ramaj chanim?		 What time is it now?
Oxib’ ruk’ nik’aj.		 Half past three.
Jachike ramaj kumajij le qatijonik?		 When does our class start?
Pa julajuj ruk’ lajuj ch’utiq ramaj.		 ten after eleven.
Karaj na lajuj ch’utiq ramaj pa le wuqub’ ramaj.		 ten ’til seven / 6:50
Karaj diez minutos pa las diez.		 ten ’til ten / 9:50
Xq’ax lajuj ch’utiq ramaj chech le lajuj ramaj.		 ten past ten / 10:10
Xq’ax diez minutos chech a las diez.		 ten past ten / 10:10
Kumajij pa b’elejeb’ ramaj, katani’ pa kab’lajuj ramaj.		 It goes from nine to twelve. (lit: it begins at nine and ends at 12)

Times of the day

Saqirik		 Good morning!; sunrise
Xsaqir chanim		 It has dawned
Nimaq’ab		 Morning
Xpaqi’ le q’ij		 Mid-monring (10 am)
Tik’il le q’ij		 Noon
Pa q’ij		 Noon
Xb’e le q’ij		 Afternoon
B’enaq’ij		 Afternoon
 
Xulan q’ij		 Afternoon; sundown
Xulan q’ij kimb’e pa nutaqkil.		 In the afternoon I run my errands.
Xok aq’ab’		 Good evening! (It is night already)
Nik’aj aq’ab’		 Midnight
Aq’ab’il		 Early morning right before or at sunrise
Aq’ab’il ximb’e pa si’.		 Early in the morning I went to gather firewood.

Indefinite numbers and related words

Jun		 a/one
Jujun		 some
Keb’ oxib’		 a few
-onojel		 all; each
Ronojel le…		 all (of) the…
Le (e) nik’aj chik		 the rest; the others
K’o jujun k’o kichak, le e nik’aj chik ku’xlanik.		 There are some who have work, but the others are on vacation.
K’o e jujun Kechakunik, k’o e jujuj na kechakun taj.		 There are some who work and others who do not work.

Shopping/Money

Pwaq		 money
Ch’ich’apwaq		 (metal) coins
Wuj		 bills (money)
Real		 coins (antiquated)
Pajb’al		 measure (pound if referring to weight)
Nik’aj		 half
Ajlanik pa le k’ayb’al		 counting in the market
Kaya jun pajb’al nusaqwach.		 Give me a pound of potatoes.
Kaya keb’ pajb’al we le pix.		 Give me two pounds of these tomatoes.