Klingon originally used a ternary (base-3) numbering system, counting like this: 1, 2, 3; 3+1, 3+2, 3+3; 2×3+1, 2×3+2, 2×3+3; and so forth. However, the Klingon Empire eventually adopted the decimal (base-10) system—likely to simplify understanding scientific information from other civilizations.

Basic Numbers (1–10)

Forming Numbers from 11–99

Klingon numbers beyond ten use maH ("ten") added to the single-digit numbers:

• wa'maH wa' – 11 (one ten and one)
• wa'maH cha' – 12 (one ten and two)
• cha'maH – 20 (two tens)
• wejmaH – 30 (three tens)
• wejmaH wa' – 31 (three tens and one)
• HutmaH Soch – 97 (nine tens and seven)

Hundreds, Thousands, and Beyond

Klingon uses special number-forming words to express larger numbers:

• vatlh – hundred (100)
• SaD or SanID – thousand (1,000) (both are correct and used interchangeably)
• netlh – ten thousand (10,000)
• bIp – hundred thousand (100,000)
• 'uy' – million (1,000,000)
• maH'uy' or vatlhbIp – ten million (10,000,000)
• vatlh'uy' or SanIDbIp or SaDbIp – hundred million (100,000,000)
• Saghan – billion (1,000,000,000)
• maHSaghan or netlh'uy' – ten billion (10,000,000,000) (both are correct and used interchangeably)
• vatlhSaghan or bIp'uy' – hundred billion (100,000,000,000) (both are correct and used interchangeably)
• SaDSaghan or SanIDSaghan – trillion (1,000,000,000,000) (both are correct and used interchangeably)

Examples:

• wa'vatlh – 100 (one hundred)
• cha'vatlh – 200 (two hundred)
• wa'SaD or wa'SanID – 1,000 (one thousand)
• cha'SaD or cha'SanID – 2,000 (two thousand)
• javvatlh loS – 604 (six hundred and four)
• vaghSaD wejvatlh loSmaH Soch – 5,347 (five thousand three hundred forty-seven)
• loS SaDSaghan vagh bIp'uy' cha' maHSaghan Soch Saghan wej vatlh'uy' wa' SaDbIp Hut 'uy' chorgh bIp wa' netlh jav SanID cha' vatlh Soch maH loS - 4,527,319,816,274  

Zero and Negative Numbers

The word for "zero" is pagh. To express negative numbers, Klingon uses Dop, meaning "opposite":

• wej Dop – negative three (-3)

Fractions

Fractions are formed using the word loch, meaning "be a fraction of":

• wej loch cha' 2/3 (two thirds)
• vagh loch wej 3/5 (three fifths)
• loS loch jav 6/4 (six quarters)

Fractions can be used in sentences as if they are numbers.

• wej loch cha' vIleghpu' I have seen two thirds
• vagh loch wej wISoptaH we are eating three fifths

Random Numbers

When talking about random numbers, such as dice rolls, use the verb 'al ("float") rather than Haw ("be random"):

• mI' 'al – random number
• 'al mI' – the number is random
• Du'Hom mI' – random number (slang meaning "garden number")

Number-like Words

There are a few words that can act like numbers do, but are normal nouns:

• Hoch - all, everything
• HochHom - most, nearly everything
• 'op - Some, an unknown amount

To-do: New content about how these words are used.