Every complement rule the soroban uses, on one page you can print and put on the wall. Small friends make five, big friends make ten.
When there are not enough earth beads free, add the heaven bead and take the friend away.
| You want | So you do | Because |
|---|---|---|
| +1 | +5 − 4 | 1 + 4 = 5 |
| +2 | +5 − 3 | 2 + 3 = 5 |
| +3 | +5 − 2 | 3 + 2 = 5 |
| +4 | +5 − 1 | 4 + 1 = 5 |
The same pairs in reverse: take the heaven bead off and put the friend back.
| You want | So you do | Because |
|---|---|---|
| −1 | −5 + 4 | 1 + 4 = 5 |
| −2 | −5 + 3 | 2 + 3 = 5 |
| −3 | −5 + 2 | 3 + 2 = 5 |
| −4 | −5 + 1 | 4 + 1 = 5 |
When the rod itself is full, add one to the next rod and take the friend off this one.
| You want | So you do | Because |
|---|---|---|
| +1 | +10 − 9 | 1 + 9 = 10 |
| +2 | +10 − 8 | 2 + 8 = 10 |
| +3 | +10 − 7 | 3 + 7 = 10 |
| +4 | +10 − 6 | 4 + 6 = 10 |
| +5 | +10 − 5 | 5 + 5 = 10 |
| +6 | +10 − 4 | 6 + 4 = 10 |
| +7 | +10 − 3 | 7 + 3 = 10 |
| +8 | +10 − 2 | 8 + 2 = 10 |
| +9 | +10 − 1 | 9 + 1 = 10 |
Borrow one from the next rod, then add the friend back on this one.
| You want | So you do | Because |
|---|---|---|
| −1 | −10 + 9 | 1 + 9 = 10 |
| −2 | −10 + 8 | 2 + 8 = 10 |
| −3 | −10 + 7 | 3 + 7 = 10 |
| −4 | −10 + 6 | 4 + 6 = 10 |
| −5 | −10 + 5 | 5 + 5 = 10 |
| −6 | −10 + 4 | 6 + 4 = 10 |
| −7 | −10 + 3 | 7 + 3 = 10 |
| −8 | −10 + 2 | 8 + 2 = 10 |
| −9 | −10 + 1 | 9 + 1 = 10 |
Print it and keep it beside the abacus for the first few weeks. A child looks up a rule two or three times, then stops needing it — the point is to make the substitution automatic in the fingers, not to memorise a table.
Every rule here is the same idea: the bead you want is not free, so you use a bigger bead and give back the difference. That single substitution is what turns the abacus from a counting device into a calculating one, and it is why abacus training transfers to mental arithmetic at all.