Numbers are a fundamental part of any language, and they play a crucial role in everyday life. Whether you’re shopping, telling time, giving your age, or discussing quantities, understanding numbers is essential. In the Italian language, numbers are relatively straightforward to learn once you grasp the basics. Let’s explore cardinal numbers, ordinal numbers, fractions, and decimals in Italian.
Cardinal Numbers in Italian
1. Uno – One
2. Due – Two
3. Tre – Three
4. Quattro – Four
5. Cinque – Five
6. Sei – Six
7. Sette – Seven
8. Otto – Eight
9. Nove – Nine
10. Dieci – Ten
Numbers from 11 to 16 in Italian have unique forms:
11. Undici – Eleven
12. Dodici – Twelve
13. Tredici – Thirteen
14. Quattordici – Fourteen
15. Quindici – Fifteen
16. Sedici – Sixteen
For numbers from 17 to 19, you can use a similar construction:
17. Diciassette – Seventeen
18. Diciotto – Eighteen
19. Diciannove – Nineteen
For 20 and beyond, Italian numbers are constructed similarly to English:
20. Venti – Twenty
21. Ventuno – Twenty-one
22. Ventidue – Twenty-two
30. Trenta – Thirty
40. Quaranta – Forty
50. Cinquanta – Fifty
60. Sessanta – Sixty
70. Settanta – Seventy
80. Ottanta – Eighty
90. Novanta – Ninety
For hundreds, Italian uses “cento”:
100. Cento – One hundred
200. Duecento – Two hundred
300. Trecento – Three hundred
400. Quattrocento – Four hundred
500. Cinquecento – Five hundred
600. Seicento – Six hundred
700. Settecento – Seven hundred
800. Ottocento – Eight hundred
900. Novecento – Nine hundred
When counting from 101 to 199, use “cento” followed by the regular numbers:
101. Cento uno – One hundred and one
115. Cento quindici – One hundred and fifteen
For thousands and beyond, Italian uses “mille” for a thousand, “un milione” for a million, and so on:
1,000. Mille – One thousand
1,000,000. Un milione – One million
Ordinal Numbers in Italian
Ordinal numbers in Italian are quite similar to cardinal numbers. You typically add the suffix “-esimo” to the cardinal number:
1st – Primo (masculine) / Prima (feminine)
2nd – Secondo
3rd – Terzo
4th – Quarto
5th – Quinto
6th – Sesto
7th – Settimo
8th – Ottavo
9th – Nono
10th – Decimo
Fractions in Italian
To express fractions in Italian, you use the cardinal number followed by “su” (over) and then the denominator:
1/2 – Un mezzo
1/3 – Un terzo
2/3 – Due terzi
1/4 – Un quarto
3/4 – Tre quarti
Decimals in Italian
In Italian, decimals are indicated by a comma (,). For example, 2.5 is “due virgola cinque.”
Now that you have a foundation for understanding and using numbers in Italian, practice will help you become more comfortable with them. Buona fortuna! (Good luck!)