ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Dzongkha numerals

Dzongkha numerals are a special type of numbers used in Bhutan. They look a little bit different than the numbers you may be used to seeing, but they actually work in the same way!

Just like how you count with numbers from 1 to 10, Dzongkha numerals also have special symbols for each number from 1 to 9. But instead of using a zero like we do in English, they use a symbol that looks like a small circle.

When you want to write a number that's bigger than 9, you combine the symbols together. So if you wanted to write the number 10, you would write the symbol for 1 and then the symbol for 0.

One cool thing about Dzongkha numerals is that they have special symbols for numbers that are multiples of 10. So if you wanted to write the number 20, you would use the symbol for 2 and then the symbol for 10.

Dzongkha numerals can even be used to write really big numbers! Instead of having to write out all the digits like we do in English, you can just combine the symbols together in the right order. For example, to write the number 100, you would use the symbol for 1, the symbol for 0 (to show there are no 10s), and then the symbol for 10 twice (since 10 x 10 = 100).

So even though Dzongkha numerals may look a little strange at first, they're actually pretty simple to use once you get the hang of it!