Count in Italian

When you're learning a language, learning how to count is typically one of the first things you learn. Learning to count gives you a basic familiarity with the common sounds of the language and practicing counting can help you improve your pronunciation. If you want to learn to count in Italian, start by learning the first cardinal numbers from 1 to 20. From there, you can combine the number words you already know to count even further.[1]

Steps

Starting with 1 through 19

  1. Learn the numbers from 1 through 5. To memorize number words, start with small groups and repeat the group until you've committed the words to memory. Start with the numbers 1 through 5, which are:[2]
    • 1: Uno (OO-noh)
    • 2: Due (DOO-eh)
    • 3: Tre (treh)
    • 4: Quattro (KWAH-troh)
    • 5: Cinque (CHEEN-kweh){{greenbox:Tip: The Italian word for zero (0) is "zero," spelled exactly like the English word, but pronounced somewhat differently. Pronounce the first syllable as "zay," followed by "roh" with the Italian "R," which is trilled, rather than rolled, as in Spanish.}}
  2. Continue counting through 10. Once you have the first 5 numbers down, add the next 5. Repeat the numbers 6 through 10 until you've committed them to memory, then count from 1 to 10 to refresh your memory of the first 5. The words for numbers 6 through 10 are:[3]
    • 6: Sei (say)
    • 7: Sette (SEHT-teh)
    • 8: Otto (OH-toh)
    • 9: Nove (NOH-veh)
    • 10: Dieci (dee-EH-chee)
  3. Identify the roots of the number words. To count further, you'll combine the root of the word for the single digit with the number word for the 10s digit. For some numbers, such as "tre," the whole word is used. For others, you only use the root:[4]
    • "Uno" becomes "un" (oon).
    • "Due" becomes "do" (doo).
    • "Quattro" becomes "quattor" (KWAH-tohr).
    • "Cinque" becomes "quin" (kwehn).
    • "Sei" becomes "se" (say).
  4. Combine number words to count through 19. Once you get to 11, you create the words for the numbers by combining the root of the single digit and the word for 10. So if you know how to count to 10, you can count all the way through to 19.[5]
    • For 11 through 16, the single digit comes first, followed by "-dici" (DEE-chee), the root for 10. For example, 14 would be "quattordici" (kwah-tohr-DEE-chee).
    • When you get to 17, "dici" comes first, followed by the root of the word for the single digit. For example, 18 would be "diciotto" (dee-chee-OH-toh).
    • For the words for 17 and 19, a syllable is added. 17 is "diciassette" (dee-chee-ah-SET-teh) and 19 is "diciannove" (dee-chee-ah-NOH-veh).

Continuing to 100 and Beyond

  1. Learn the number words to count by 10s. Once you know how to count from 1 to 19, you know how to create all the other numbers. However, you still need to know the numbers for the 10s digits. Start with "venti" (VEHN-tee), which is the Italian word for 20. You may recognize this word as a word used for a large coffee drink, which is 20 ounces. Other 10s words are:[6]
    • 30: "Trenta" (TREHN-tah)
    • 40: "Quaranta" (kwah-RAHN-tah)
    • 50: "Cinquanta" (cheen-KWAHN-tah)
    • 60: "Sessanta" (seh-SAHN-tah)
    • 70: "Settanta" (seh-TAHN-tah)
    • 80: "Ottanta" (oh-TAHN-tah)
    • 90: "Novanta" (noh-VAHN-tah)
  2. Combine the name of the 10s and 1s unit to create compound numbers. From 21 onwards, Italian numbers are formed similarly to the numbers in English. Simply say the word for the number in the 10s spot, followed by the word for the number in the 1s spot. If the word for the number in the 1s spot starts with a vowel, drop the vowel at the end of the word for the number in the 10s spot.[7]
  3. Add "cento" (CHEHN-toh) as a prefix to count hundreds. To count into the hundreds, simply add "cento" to the word you already have. The word for multiple hundreds is formed by adding the word for the single digit (1 through 9) to the beginning of the word "cento."[8]
    • For example, the word for 200 is "duecento" (doo-eh-CHEHN-toh). The word for 247 would be "duecentoquarantasette" (doo-eh-chen-toh-kwah-rahn-tah-SEH-teh).
  4. Use the prefix "mille" (MEE-lay) for thousands. Form the words for thousands the same way you did for hundreds, by adding "mille" before the words for the other numbers. For multiple thousands, add the word for the single digit to the beginning. If you have multiple thousands, use the plural for "mille," which is "mila" (MEE-lah).[9]
    • For example, the word for the number 3,462 would be "tremilaquattrocentosessantadue" (treh-mee-lah-kwah-troh-chehn-toh-seh-sahn-tah-DOO-eh).
    • When you get into the hundred-thousands, you add a space after the thousand if it does not end in a double zero. For example, for 600,002, you would write "seicentomiladue." However, 765,200 would be "settecentosessantacinquemila duecento."
  5. Alternate between the suffixes "-ione" and "-iardo" for larger numbers. Millions, billions, and so on are created by adding these suffixes. For the plural of both suffixes, change the final vowel to an "i."[10]
    • Italian uses the long scale, which can be confusing for English speakers, who use the short scale. "Un milione" in Italian is the same as 1 million in English. However, "un miliardo," the next number word in the sequence, is used for numbers that equate to 1 billion in English. Then you have "un bilione," which is the equivalent to the English "trillion," followed by "un biliardo," which is an English "quadrillion."
    • To avoid getting confused, try not to associate the Italian words with the similar English words.

Using Ordinal Numbers

  1. Start with the ordinals for first through fifth. Just as you did with the cardinal numbers, learn the ordinals by repeating the words until you've committed them to memory. The ordinals for first through fifth are:[11]
    • First: "Primo" (PREE-moh)
    • Second: "Secondo" (seh-COHN-doh)
    • Third: "Terzo" (TEHRT-soh)
    • Fourth: "Quarto" (KWAHR-toh)
    • Fifth: "Quinto" (KWEEN-toh)
  2. Continue with the ordinals for sixth through tenth. [12]
  3. Add the suffix "-esimo" to form ordinals beyond the tenth. In regular speech, you're unlikely to need ordinals past the tenth. However, if you do need to create larger ordinals, simply drop the final vowel of the word for the cardinal number and add the suffix "-esimo."[13]
    • For example, 30th (30º, if writing in Italian) would be "ventesimo" (vehn-TEH-see-moh). Note that when pronouncing the word, the stress falls on the first syllable of the suffix. If you ever had any reason to mention the 642nd, you would write "seicentoquarantaduesimo."
  4. Avoid using ordinal numbers for dates. In English, you might refer to the "first of April" or "September eleventh." However, ordinals are never used this way in Italian. When speaking of a date, use the regular cardinal number, regardless of whether you say the day of the month before or after the name of the month.[14]
    • For example, if you were discussing April Fools' Day, and wanted to tell an Italian friend that it occurred on the first of April every year, you would say "uno Aprile," not "primo Aprile."

Tips

  • In Italian words, the stress almost always goes on the next-to-last syllable (or the first syllable, in a two-syllable word). However, when a number word ends with a 3, the "tre" becomes "tré" and takes the stress. For example, the word for the number 53, cinquantatré, is pronounced "cheen-kwan-tah-TRAY."[15]

Warnings

  • The pronunciation guides in this article are approximate. To pronounce Italian words correctly, listen to a native speaker and try to mimic them.

Related WikiHows

References

  1. Jump up ↑ https://www.omniglot.com/language/numbers/italian.htm
  2. Jump up ↑ https://www.theitalianexperiment.com/learn-italian/numbers
  3. Jump up ↑ https://www.theitalianexperiment.com/learn-italian/numbers
  4. Jump up ↑ https://www.languagesandnumbers.com/how-to-count-in-italian/en/ita/
  5. Jump up ↑ https://www.languagesandnumbers.com/how-to-count-in-italian/en/ita/
  6. Jump up ↑ https://www.omniglot.com/language/numbers/italian.htm
  7. Jump up ↑ https://www.omniglot.com/language/numbers/italian.htm
  8. Jump up ↑ https://www.languagesandnumbers.com/how-to-count-in-italian/en/ita/
  9. Jump up ↑ https://www.languagesandnumbers.com/how-to-count-in-italian/en/ita/
  10. Jump up ↑ https://www.languagesandnumbers.com/how-to-count-in-italian/en/ita/
  11. Jump up ↑ https://www.omniglot.com/language/numbers/italian.htm
  12. Jump up ↑ https://onlineitalianclub.com/free-italian-exercises-and-resources/italian-vocabulary/italian-vocabulary-ordinal-numbers/
  13. Jump up ↑ https://onlineitalianclub.com/free-italian-exercises-and-resources/italian-vocabulary/italian-vocabulary-ordinal-numbers/
  14. Jump up ↑ https://onlineitalianclub.com/free-italian-exercises-and-resources/italian-vocabulary/italian-vocabulary-ordinal-numbers/
  15. Jump up ↑ https://www.languagesandnumbers.com/how-to-count-in-italian/en/ita/
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