Double, a third, even: how Tamil counts fractions and multiples
Wave 5 taught to put a number with a measure: ரெண்டு மீற்றர் துணி. The fifty-second unit goes further — to fractions, multiples and comparing quantities, and here Tamil has three separate mechanisms. For example: “சம்பளத்தில மூண்டில ஒரு பங்கு வாடகைக்கு போகுது” — A third of the salary goes to rent. A rule from the Tamil course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Wave 5 taught to put a number with a measure: ரெண்டு மீற்றர் துணி (reṇḍu mīṟṟar tuṇi). The fifty-second unit goes further — to fractions, multiples and comparing quantities, and here Tamil has three separate mechanisms.
A fraction is built through 'of so many — so much'. There are no separate words 'a third', 'a quarter': மூண்டில ஒரு பங்கு (mūṇḍila oru paṅgu) — 'of three, one part', நாலில ஒரு பங்கு (nālila oru paṅgu) — a quarter, ஐஞ்சில ரெண்டு பங்கு — two fifths. The first number stands in the locative -இல, the second simply before பங்கு (paṅgu). Percentages are said differently: நூத்துக்கு இருபது — twenty per hundred.
A multiple is built through மடங்கு (maḍaṅgu). ரெண்டு மடங்கு (reṇḍu maḍaṅgu) double, மூண்டு மடங்கு (mūṇḍu maḍaṅgu) triple, பத்து மடங்கு (pattu maḍaṅgu) tenfold. There are also fused forms — இரட்டியா (iraṭṭiyā), மும்மடங்கா (mummaḍaṅgā) — they are bookier and rarer in speech. Importantly: மடங்கு works for decrease too — பல மடங்கு குறைவு (pala maḍaṅgu kuṟaivu), many times less.
Comparison is built through விட (viḍa). The particle விட 'than' from wave 1 demands the object form before itself: போன வருஷத்தை விட குறைஞ்சது (pōṉa varuṣattai viḍa kuṟaiñcadu) — lower than last year. Add மடங்கு, and you get 'so many times more': ரெண்டு மடங்கு கூட (reṇḍu maḍaṅgu kūḍa).
And two words that are confused. சமமா (samamā) — equally, about dividing: சமமா பிரிச்சுக் குடுங்க (samamā piriccuk kuḍuṅga). சரிசமமா (sarisamamā) — on equal terms, about strength: ரெண்டு அணியும் சரிசமமா விளையாடுது (reṇḍu aṇiyum sarisamamā viḷaiyāḍudu). Tamil tells them apart precisely by whether something is being divided or someone is being measured. In speech, however, சமமா is heard in both — and that is not a mistake.
Table
| What we count | How it is built | Example | In English |
|---|---|---|---|
| a fraction | number + -இல + number + பங்கு | மூண்டில ஒரு பங்கு | a third |
| percentages | நூத்துக்கு + number | நூத்துக்கு இருபது | twenty percent |
| multiple up | number + மடங்கு | மூண்டு மடங்கு | threefold |
| multiple down | number + மடங்கு + குறைவு | பல மடங்கு குறைவு | many times less |
| comparison | object + விட | இதை விட கூட | more than this |
| dividing | சமமா | சமமா பிரி | divide equally |
| strength | சரிசமமா | சரிசமமா நிக்கினம் | they stand even |
By example
- சம்பளத்தில மூண்டில ஒரு பங்கு வாடகைக்கு போகுதுsambaḷattila mūṇḍila oru paṅgu vāḍagaikku pōguduA third of the salary goes to rent
- இந்த வருஷ மழை போன வருஷத்தை விட ரெண்டு மடங்கு குறைவுinda varuṣa maḻai pōṉa varuṣattai viḍa reṇḍu maḍaṅgu kuṟaivuThis year the rains are half as many as last year
- மிட்டாயை சமமா பிரிச்சுக் குடுங்க, ரெண்டு பேரும் சரிசமமா ஓடினாங்கmiṭṭāyai samamā piriccuk kuḍuṅga, reṇḍu pērum sarisamamā ōḍiṉāṅgaDivide the sweets equally, and both ran neck and neck
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Double, a third, even: how does it work in Tamil?
Wave 5 taught to put a number with a measure: ரெண்டு மீற்றர் துணி. The fifty-second unit goes further — to fractions, multiples and comparing quantities, and here Tamil has three separate mechanisms.
What does it look like in an example sentence Tamil?
“சம்பளத்தில மூண்டில ஒரு பங்கு வாடகைக்கு போகுது” (sambaḷattila mūṇḍila oru paṅgu vāḍagaikku pōgudu) — A third of the salary goes to rent. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.