Italian Numbers And Counting: Easy Guide #1 to 100!

Italian Numbers And Counting

Would you like to know about the Italian numbers and counting system? Knowing numbers in Italian is very useful in many circumstances, such as wxfhen going to a restaurant, or a shop, or to understand what you need to pay when you buy something.

Furthermore, numbers are used to say the time, cell phone numbers, read a wifi password, and dates. Fortunately, in Italian, it is easy to learn numbers and figure out how to say even the most complex numbers.

This article goes over the basic rules to count from 1 to 100.

What Is The Difference Between Cardinal And Ordinal Numbers?

Two types of numbers in Italian must be known: the cardinal and the ordinal numbers.

Cardinal numbers are those that indicate a precise quantity and correspond to the numbers we when learn math. For example:

  • Three friends
  • Twenty people
  • One hundred euros
  • Two thousand inhabitants

If the numbers indicate the order in a series, they are called ordinal numerals. For example:

  • First row
  • Second place
  • Fifth class

As we know, the numbers 1,2, and 3 allow us to count quantities. They allow us to answer questions such as:

  • How many peaches are there on the table?
  • There are two (2) peaches

Cardinal numbers are used to count and establish whole quantities, such as the number of objects, a person’s age, the children in a class, etc.

When we use numbers to establish or indicate an order, we use ordinal numbers.

They allow us to answer questions such as:

  • In what order
  • What place does it occupy
Italian numbers and counting zero to twenty

Italian Numbers And Counting: How To Count From Zero To Twenty

So how do you count from 0 to 10 in Italian? Typically new learners are familiar with this sequence: uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei, sette, otto, nove, dieci, undici, dodici, tredici, quattordici, quindici, sedici, diciassette, diciotto, diciannove, venti. The numbers 1 to 20 should be memorized so it becomes easy to figure out how to compose the numbers from 20 to 100.

Here are the Italian cardinal numbers from 1 to 20:

EnglishItalianSound
One1 – uno
Two2 – due
Three3 – tre
Four4 – quattro
Five5 – cinque
Six6 – sei
Seven7 – sette
Eight8 – otto
Nine9 – nove
Ten10 – dieci
Eleven11 – undici
Twelve12 – dodici
Thirteen13 – tredici
Fourteen14 – quattordici
Fifteen15 – quindici
Sixteen16 – sedici
Seventeen17 – diciassette
Eighteen18 – diciotto
Nineteen19 – diciannove
Twenty20 – venti

What Are The Italian Ordinal Numbers From 1 to 20?

The ordinal numbers in Italian follow a simple and predictable pattern. Here are the ordinal numbers from 1 to 20:

EnglishItalianSound
FirstPrimo
SecondSecondo
ThirdTerzo
FourthQuarto
FifthQuinto
SixthSesto
SeventhSettimo
EighthOttavo
NinthNono
TenthDecimo
EleventhUndicesimo
TwelfthDodicesimo
ThirteenthTredicesimo
FourteenthQuattordicesimo
FifteenthQuindicesimo
SixteenthSedicesimo
SeventeenthDiciassettesimo
EighteenthDiciottesimo
NineteenthDiciannovesimo
TwentiethVentesimo

In general, the numbers in Italian are not very difficult to learn because there are few irregular forms. For example, if you try to count to one hundred (100), you will find that the count almost always proceeds the same way for all tens and hundreds.

The most complex numbers are those from 0 to 19 and must be memorized as they are.

Italian numbers and counting twenty one to one hundred

Italian Numbers From 21 To 100

To tell any number from 20 to 29, it is necessary to compose the word using the root “venti” (twenty) and start counting again from one. For example, to say 21, you need to combine the word “venti” (twenty) and “uno” (one):

  • 21 – Ventuno (twenty-one)
  • 22 – Ventidue (twenty-two)
  • 23- Ventitre (twenty-three)
  • 24- Ventiquattro (twenty-four)
  • 25 – Venticinque (twenty-five)
  • 26 – Vetisei (twenty-six)
  • 27- Ventisette (twenty-seven)
  • 28 – Ventotto (twenty-eight)
  • 29 – Ventinove (twenty-nine)

If you want to count to 100, first, you have to learn the following fundamental numbers:

  • Trenta – Thirty
  • Quaranta – Forty
  • Cinquanta -Fifty
  • Sessanta – Sixty
  • Settanta – seventy
  • Ottanta – Eighty
  • Novanta – Ninety
  • Cento – Hundred

If you want to say the numbers between 30 and 39, you must follow the same pattern above. Use the word “trenta” (thirty) as the root and add “uno” (one), etc.

For example:

  • 31 – Trentuno (thirty-one)
  • 32- Trentadue (thirty-two)
  • 33- Trentatre (thirty-three)

There are some rules to keep in mind:

  • Numbers made up of several elements are written together
  • The tens lose the final vowel before the numbers “one” and “eight”
  • The numbers that contain “three” are written with an acute accent mark

How To Count Italian Numbers And The Gender

How do you count Italian numbers with the gender rule? Since ordinal numbers are real adjectives, the concordance with the noun both of gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) must be respected, preceded by the article or by the preposition.

The numbers used to say the years or the days are masculine. For example:

  • Il 1946 è un anno importante – 1946 is an important year

The numbers that are used for buses or trams are male. For example:

  • Il 32 è l’autobus per il centro – 32 is the bus to the center.

Millions and billions are male and have the male article. For example:

  • I miliardi di stelle – The Billions of Stars
  • I milioni di donne – Millions of women

Would you like to know more about the Italian language?

learn italian with the ling app

Learn Italian With Ling App

If you want to get an Italian lesson or video lessons aside from Italian numbers and counting to become fluent very fast, then you can use the Ling app. With this tool, you will learn more than an Italian number; but a completely new language.

With Ling, you can learn to pronounce Italian numbers and the pronunciation of every word, grammar, sentence structure, and more. The application is straightforward and allows one to learn more than one language simultaneously.

Users can choose between 60+ options and use the app with any mobile device.

Do you want to learn more about Italian culture? Check out how to Apologize In Italian and Italian birthday phrases.

What are you waiting for? Download it from App Store and Play Store for free!

Leave a Reply