Numbers and Counting

Italian numbers
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Numeri e conteggio

Learn the Italian numbers and how to count from 0 to 99.

Italian Numbers: 0-19

The numbers 0 to 19 are pretty easy in Italian; you just need to memorize them like any other vocabulary:

0 zero   10 dieci
1 uno, una    11 undici
2 due 12 dodici
3 tre 13 tredici
4 quattro 14 quattordici
5 cinque 15 quindici
6 sei 16 sedici
7 sette 17 diciassette
8 otto 18 diciotto
9 nove 19 diciannove

  Note that with the exception of tre, all the single digit numbers have two syllables, the first of which is always stressed: Uno, DUe, QUAttro, etc.

For 11 through 19, the spelling of the Italian word for "ten," dieci, is modified slightly, as are many of the single digit words it’s attached to. For 11-16, dici follows the single digit, while for 17-19, it precedes it.

Italian Numbers: 20-39

20  venti   30 trenta
21 ventuno    31 trentuno
22  ventidue 32 trentadue
23 ventitré 33 trentatré
24 ventiquattro 34 trentaquattro
25 venticinque 35 trentacinque
26 ventisei 36 trentasei
27 ventisette 37 trentasette
28 ventotto 38 trentotto
29 ventinove 39 trentanove

 Spelling and pronunciation notes

Venti and trenta lose their final vowel when followed by numbers that begin with a vowel (uno and otto).

As the only single syllable digit, tre takes on an acute accent to show that it’s the stressed syllable in 23, 33, etc.

Italian Numbers: 40-99

40 quaranta   50 cinquanta
41 quarantuno   51 cinquantuno
42 quarantadue   52 cinquantadue
43 quarantatré   53 cinquantatré
44 quarantaquattro   54 cinquantaquattro
45 quarantacinque   55 cinquantacinque
46 quarantasei   56 cinquantasei
47 quarantasette   57 cinquantasette
48 quarantotto   58 cinquantotto
49 quarantanove   59 cinquantanove
       
60 sessanta   70 settanta
61 sessantuno   71 settantuno
62 sessantadue   72 settantadue
63 sessantatré   73 settantatré
64 sessantaquattro   74 settantaquattro
65 sessantacinque   75 settantacinque
66 sessantasei   76 settantasei
67 sessantasette   77 settantasette
68 sessantotto   78 settantotto
69 sessantanove   79 sessantanove
       
80 ottanta   90 novanta
81 ottantuno   91 novantuno
82 ottantadue   92 novantadue
83 ottantatré   93 novantatré
84 ottantaquattro   94 novantaquattro
85 ottantacinque   95 novantacinque
86 ottantasei   96 novantasei
87 ottantasette   97 novantasette
88 ottantotto   98 novantotto
89 ottantanove   99 novantanove

 Spelling and a bonus Italian idiom

The numbers 40+ have the same spelling changes as the 20s and 30s.

They also lend themselves to an expression related to a milestone birthday. Since the "tens" numbers all end in –anta, when turning quaranta, it’s common to say entrare negli anta, meaning "to turn 40" (literally, "to enter the ‘-antas’ ").

 Tricky number notes

Uno is used only when counting (uno, due, tre) or when it refers to a masculine noun but does not precede that noun:

– Quanti ragazzi ci sono? – Uno.
– How many boys are there? – One.

Uno changes to un when used in front of a masculine noun:*

un ragazzo
one boy

* Except when it’s followed by certain letters and letter combinations – learn more.

When it’s attached to a "tens" number, this shortening is optional – and is less common than the longer number:

ventuno ragazzi / ventun ragazzi
twenty-one boys

Una is used for a single feminine noun:

una ragazza
one girl

When the noun begins with a vowel, una contracts to un’:

un’idea
one idea

When it comes to "tens" numbers, una reverts back to the masculine or shortened form – again, the latter is less common:

ventuno ragazze / ventun ragazze
twenty-one girls

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Counting in Italian