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Zese numbers are written in base 10 with the most significant digit on the left side. (This is the same as in English.) Examples:
ZOTO ZOTU PEPI
Ten fish
ZOSA ZOTE ZOTI PEPI
Seven hundred thirty four fish
To express plurality, use KUKO.
KUKO PEBE
Birds
KUKO PUTA
Rocks
Zese features several numerical operators: KUDE, KUSA, KUPI, and KUDI. Applying these to a noun will modify the quantity of the noun according to the operation.
ZOTA PEPI KUDE ZOTO
Two fish plus one (three fish)
ZOTI PEPI KUPI ZOSA
Four fish times seven (twenty eight fish)
ZEKU represents an ordinal number (position in a sequence). Ordinal numbers begin at one.
ZEKU DIDE PAZU DIZA ZOTO.
The ordinal number of the tree is one. (The tree is the first tree.)
ZEKU DIDE PEKA DIZA ZOTA ZOSI.
The ordinal number of the person is twenty nine. (The person is the twenty ninth person.)
KUKA can refer to a variety of units. The type of unit depends on context.
SUBU KUKA
Mass unit (gram)
[GEGU] KUKA
Length unit (meter)
KIKE and KIKU are the only two pronouns in Zese. (A pronoun is a word which represents another noun.) There are several ways to say "we/us":
KIKE DIKU KIKU
Me and you (we/us)
KIKE DIKU PEKA ZEGU
Me and a group of people (we/us)
KIKE DIKU KIKU DIKU PEKA ZEGU
Me and you and a group of people (we/us)
KUKO KIKE
We/us
KISO and KISI behave as articles. (An article describes the identity of a noun.) KISO and KISI are not required for every noun in a sentence. Instead, use them as necessary to remove ambiguity. KISO and KISI may be preceded by an identifying number when speech becomes complicated.
KIKE BIKI KISO PEBE. KISI PEBE BISA.
I see a bird. The bird is red.
KIKE BIKI ZOTO KISO PEBE. KIKU BIKI ZOTA KISO PEBE. ZOTO KISI PEBE BISA. ZOTA KISI PEBE BIDO.
I see a bird. You see another bird. The bird (which I see) is red. The bird (which you see) is blue.
KITU is useful for optimizing long bodies of text. KITU may represent any action which the author desires. The action is determined inductively. (This means you show examples of KITU so you can recall the action later.) Furthermore, KITU may be combined with KISO and KISI to define many actions in the same text.
KISO SUSU DIZA TEPO DOPU PUPE. KISI SUSU KITU. PEBE KITU.
A thing is moving through the air. The thing is performing the proverb. A bird is performing the proverb (a bird is moving through the air).
ZOTO KISO SUSU TUKO [ZOTA KISO SUSU DIPA GOGI KAKU]. ZOTO KISI SUSU ZOTE KISO KITU ZOTA KISI SUSU. KIKE ZOTE KISI KITU KIKU.
A (#1) thing is causing a (#2) thing to be happy. The (#1) thing is performing a (#3) proverb onto the (#2) thing. I am performing the (#3) proverb onto you (I am causing you to be happy).
During speech, one may pronounce open and close brackets as KIDA and KIDU respectively. This is optional.
KIKE GOPA KIDA DIPA PIDI KIDU.
KIKE GOPA [DIPA PIDI].
I want to have food.