Numbers in Greek are a little different from other European countries, so it is essential to know how to do it before heading to Greece. In this guide, I’m going to explain everything you need to know for you to be a pro at counting in this incredible language! Keep reading below!
Knowing how to count in a new language is fundamental if you want to blend in easily with the locals and appreciate better their native language. Of course, having an understanding of how this goes will help you break down language barriers and ensure that you are giving a clear message. With a few numbers on the tip of your tongue, you can ask for prices, order food, or even tell your address.
Numbers in Greek have changed a lot over the years. While initially, the original Greek numbering system was based on ancient Greek and alphabet letters instead of numbers, as centuries passed, Greek started to use the Hindu-Arabic numeral system that is still being used today. So how do Greeks count and write cardinal numbers? Let’s find out!
Numbers From 0 To 9 In Greek
Let’s start with the most simple numbers and the Greek numerals you’ll most frequently use. In the following list are Greek numbers written from 0 to 10 for you to learn and practice.
- 0 – μηδέν (midén)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]μηδέν[/Speechword] - 1 – ένα (éna)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]ένα [/Speechword] - 2 – δύο (dío)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]δύο [/Speechword] - 3 – τρία (tría)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]τρία [/Speechword] - 4 – τέσσερα (tésera)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]τέσσερα [/Speechword] - 5 – πέντε (pénde)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]πέντε [/Speechword] - 6 – έξι (éxi)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]έξι [/Speechword] - 7 – επτά (eptá)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]επτά [/Speechword] - 8 – οκτώ (októ)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]οκτώ [/Speechword] - 9 – εννέα (enéa)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]εννέα [/Speechword]
Keep these numbers in mind as they will be used in addition to other prefixes and suffixes to form the remaining numbers in the Greek language.
Numbers From 10 To 99 In Greek
Next, let’s learn how to count from 10 to 19. All these numbers consist of one single word. To make this word, the rule in Greek is pretty straightforward: the prefix will indicate the first digit, and the suffix will denote the second digit. Sounds simple right?
Let’s look at some examples:
- 10 – δέκα (déka)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]δέκα [/Speechword] - 11 – έντεκα (éndeka)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]έντεκα [/Speechword] - 12 – δώδεκα (dódeka)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]δώδεκα [/Speechword] - 13 – δεκατρία (dekatría)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]δεκατρία [/Speechword] - 14 – δεκατέσσερα (dekatésera)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]δεκατέσσερα [/Speechword] - 15 – δεκαπέντε (dekapénde)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]δεκαπέντε [/Speechword] - 16 – δεκαέξι (dekaéxi)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]δεκαέξι [/Speechword] - 17 – δεκαεπτά (dekaeptá)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]δεκαεπτά [/Speechword] - 18 – δεκαοκτώ (dekaoktó)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]δεκαοκτώ [/Speechword] - 19 – δεκαεννέα (dekaenéa)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]δεκαεννέα [/Speechword]
Well, hold on, didn’t I say that they all followed the rule? As any rule has exceptions, the first exceptions appear right at the beginning with the έντεκα (éndeka) and δώδεκα (dódeka), which don’t follow the aforesaid rule.
After 19, one big change occurs: every number greater than 20 consists of two words instead of just one. The first word indicates the first digit and the second word, which will be the basis for the second digit. For example, the number 21 is είκοσι ένα (íkosi éna), and 22 is είκοσι δύο (íkosi dío). Do you see a pattern? Yes! Here, είκοσι (ikosi) is used to indicate numbers in the 20s, and the second word is simply the second digit. Pretty simple, right?
Let’s take a look at these words:
- 20 – είκοσι (íkosi)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]είκοσι [/Speechword] - 30 – τριάντα (triánda)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]τριάντα [/Speechword] - 40 – σαράντα (saránda)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]σαράντα [/Speechword] - 50 – πενήντα (penínda)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]πενήντα [/Speechword] - 60 – εξήντα (eksínda)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]εξήντα [/Speechword] - 70 – εβδομήντα (evdomínda)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]εβδομήντα [/Speechword] - 80 – ογδόντα (ogdónda)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]ογδόντα [/Speechword] - 90 – ενενήντα (enenínda)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]ενενήντα [/Speechword]
In these words, the second digit that is 0, or μηδέν (midén), isn’t pronounced in the Greek numbers. If, for example, you wanted to say the number 48, you would say σαρανταοκτώ (sarantaoktó) where you would add the prefix σαράντα (saránda) for 40 and οκτώ (októ) for 8.
Numbers Up To 1000 In Greek
Are you feeling confused already? Good news: for numbers from 100 to 1000, the rule is the same, you have to know how to pronounce the hundreds, and you’re ready to say the words.
- 100 – εκατό(ν) (ekató(n))
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]εκατό[/Speechword] - 200 – διακόσια (diakósia)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]διακόσια [/Speechword] - 300 – τριακόσια (triakósia)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]τριακόσια [/Speechword] - 400 – τετρακόσια (tetrakósia)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]τετρακόσια [/Speechword] - 500 – πεντακόσια (pendakósia)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]πεντακόσια [/Speechword] - 600 – εξακόσια (exakósia)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]εξακόσια [/Speechword] - 700 – επτακόσια (eptakósia)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]επτακόσια [/Speechword] - 800 – οκτακόσια (oktakósia)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]οκτακόσια [/Speechword] - 900 – εννιακόσια (eniakósia)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]εννιακόσια [/Speechword] - 1000 – χίλια (hília)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]χίλια [/Speechword]
Now, for numbers in the hundreds place, the only change you need to introduce to your numbers is the word indicating the correct hundred. Quick note: the number 100, or εκατό (ekató), is the only number where the small letter ν (n) is not included.
- 100 – εκατό (ekató)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]εκατό [/Speechword] - 101 – εκατόν ένα (ekatón éna)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]εκατόν ένα [/Speechword] - 102 – εκατόν δύο (ekatón dío)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline] εκατόν δύο[/Speechword] - 103 – εκατόν τρία (ekatón tría)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]εκατόν τρία[/Speechword] - 104 – εκατόν τέσσερα (ekatón tésera)
[Speechword voice=”Portuguese Female” isinline]εκατόν τέσσερα[/Speechword]
So, let’s now look at one example. Imagine you wanted to say the number 492. How would you say it? So let’s break it down, 400 is τετρακόσια (tetrakósia), 90 is ενενήντα (enenínda), and 2 is δύο (dío), so the final number would be:
τετρακόσια ενενήντα δύο (tetrakósia enenínta dío)
Other Number-Related Vocabulary
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
| Προσθήκη (Prosthíki) | Add | [Speechword voice=”Greek Female” isinline]Προσθήκη[/Speechword] |
| δισεκατομμύριο (disekatommýrio) | Billion | [Speechword voice=”Greek Female” isinline]δισεκατομμύριο[/Speechword] |
| διαιρέστε (diairéste) | Divide | [Speechword voice=”Greek Female” isinline]διαιρέστε[/Speechword] |
| Ντουζίνα (Ntouzína) | Dozen | [Speechword voice=”Greek Female” isinline]Ντουζίνα[/Speechword] |
| Εκατό (Ekató) | Hundred | [Speechword voice=”Greek Female” isinline]Εκατό[/Speechword] |
| Απειρος (Apeiros) | Infinite | [Speechword voice=”Greek Female” isinline]Απειρος[/Speechword] |
| Εκατομμύριο (Ekatommýrio) | Million | [Speechword voice=”Greek Female” isinline]Εκατομμύριο[/Speechword] |
| Πολλαπλασιάζω (Pollaplasiázo) | Multiply | [Speechword voice=”Greek Female” isinline]Πολλαπλασιάζω[/Speechword] |
| Αρνητικός (Arnitikós) | Negative | [Speechword voice=”Greek Female” isinline]Αρνητικός[/Speechword] |
| Τμήμα (Tmíma) | Portion | [Speechword voice=”Greek Female” isinline]Τμήμα[/Speechword] |
| Θετικός (Thetikós) | Positive | [Speechword voice=”Greek Female” isinline]Θετικός[/Speechword] |
| Αφαιρώ (Afairó) | Subtract | [Speechword voice=”Greek Female” isinline]Αφαιρώ[/Speechword] |
| δέκα (déka) | Ten | [Speechword voice=”Greek Female” isinline]δέκα[/Speechword] |
| Χίλια (Chília) | Thousand | [Speechword voice=”Greek Female” isinline]Χίλια[/Speechword] |
| Σύνολο (Sýnolo) | Total | [Speechword voice=”Greek Female” isinline]Σύνολο[/Speechword] |
| τρισεκατομμύριο (trisekatommýrio) | trillion | [Speechword voice=”Greek Female” isinline]τρισεκατομμύριο[/Speechword] |
| αξία (axía) | Value | [Speechword voice=”Greek Female” isinline]αξία[/Speechword] |
Ordinal Numbers In Greek
Ordinal numbers in Greek are said as following:
- 1st – πρώτος / -η / -ο (prótos / -i / -o)
- 2nd – δεύτερος (défteros)
- 3rd – τρίτος (trítos)
- 4th – τέταρτος (tétartos)
- 5th – πέμπτος (pémptos)
- 6th – έκτος (éktos)
- 7th – έβδομος (évdomos)
- 8th – όγδοος (ógdoos)
- 9th – ένατος (énatos)
- 10th – δέκατος (dékatos)
- 11th – ενδέκατος (endékatos)
- 12th – δωδέκατος (dodékatos)
- 20th – εικοστός (ekatostós)
- 22nd – εικοστός δεύτερος (ekatostós défteros)
- 30th – τριακοστός (triakostós)
- 40th – τεσσαρακοστός (tesarakostós)
- 50th – πεντηκοστός (pendikostós)
- 60th – εξηκοστός (exikostós)
- 70th – εβδομηκοστός (evdomikostós)
- 80th – ογδοηκοστός (ogdoikostós)
- 90th – ενενηκοστός (enenikostós)
- 100th – εκατοστός (ekatostós)
Let’s look at one example and write the ordinal number 136th. Following the rule mentioned above, this number in Greek would be Εκατόν τριάντα έκτο (Ekatón triánta éktó). Similar to ordinal numbers, the first word indicates the first digit, the second word indicates the second digit, and so on.
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