Initially, no. They are a mechanism for counting, or a way of recording measurements. Many young people, when trying to learn mathematics, do not take the necessary step beyond these ideas.

They are not helped by educators insisting on presenting "word problems" when teaching maths. To get to the next level, you need to break the connection between numbers and the "real world". I've always felt that the number zero represented the first step that humanity took in this journey - and it's a step that every human also needs to individually take if they want to learn maths.