Talbas uses a base 5 system, and only has numbers up to 24. The words for 6 through 9 are derived from bana (5) + the words for 1-4. Multiples of 5 above that are derived from the words for 2-4 + bana. Other numbers are formed from a multiple of five word followed by a digit. Thus the numbers are as follows:
1 mas | 2 te or san | 3 poli | 4 koni | |
5 bana | 6 bammas | 7 bande | 8 bambol | 9 bankon |
10 teban | 11 teban mas | 12 teban te | 13 teban poli | 14 teban koni |
15 polban | 16 polban mas | 17 polban te | 18 polban poli | 19 polban koni |
20 komban | 21 komban mas | 22 komban te | 23 komban poli | 24 komban koni |
Ordinal numbers: regular ordinals are formed with the -i (genitive) suffix on a number. Exceptions are 'ay (first) and sami (second). Other numbers ending in mas or te are still regular (e.g., 11 is teban masi, not teban 'ay).