Language/Italian/Vocabulary/Count-to-10

Italian Vocabulary - Count to 10

Hi Italian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to count to 10 in Italian. Knowing the numbers is essential not only for communication but also for day to day activities. Let's get started!

Finish this lesson and explore these related pages: Family Vocabulary in Italian, Dinner Table, Jobs & Food.

Italian Numbers

Italian numbers are relatively easy to learn. They are pronounced the same way they are written.

Let's start by looking at the numbers from 0 to 10:

Italian	Pronunciation	English
zero	'tseːro	zero
uno	'u:no	one
due	'dwe	two
tre	'tre	three
quattro	'kwattro	four
cinque	'tʃiŋkwe	five
sei	'sɛi	six
sette	'sɛtte	seven
otto	'ɔtto	eight
nove	'nɔve	nine
dieci	'djɛːtʃi	ten

Notice how the pronunciation of "zero" is different from English. Keep in mind that in Italian, the letter "z" is pronounced "ts".

Using numbers in Italian

Let's now see how we use the numbers in Italian with a practical example:

• Person 1: Quanti anni hai? (How old are you?)
• Person 2: Ho venti anni. (I am 20 years old.)

Here we can see that "venti" means 20. Let's see how we can form other numbers in Italian:

• To form numbers from 11 to 16, we take the stem of the corresponding number (e.g., "dieci" for 10), and add "uno" to "sei" (e.g., "undici" for 11, "dodici" for 12, etc.).
• To form numbers from 17 to 19, we take the stem of the corresponding number and add "dici" to "nove" (e.g., "diciassette" for 17, "diciotto" for 18, "diciannove" for 19).
• To form numbers from 20 to 99, we use the following rule: take the number in the ones column, add "un(o)" to the stem, and optionally add the conjunction "e" (and) followed by the number in the tens column (e.g., "ventuno" for 21, "ventuno e cinque" for 25, "sessantuno" for 61, etc.).
• To form numbers from 100 to 999, we use the following rule: take the number in the hundreds column, add "cento" (hundred), optionally add "e" (and) followed by the number in the tens column, followed by the number in the ones column (e.g., "centoventi" for 120, "duecento" for 200, "quattrocento e cinquanta" for 450, etc.).
• To form numbers from 1000 onwards, we use the same pattern as above with "mille" (thousand) and "milioni" (millions) added (e.g., "mille duecento" for 1200, "un milione" for 1 million, "due milioni e ventimila" for 2 million and 20,000).

Fun Facts

Did you know that Italian numbers have a special meaning in the game of lotto? Each number has an associated proverb or phrase:

• 1 - L'unità (unity)
• 2 - La Sposa (the bride)
• 3 - La Santa (the saint)
• 4 - Il morto (the dead man)
• 5 - La mano (the hand)
• 6 - Il diavolo (the devil)
• 7 - La fortuna (the fortune)
• 8 - Il soldato (the soldier)
• 9 - L'uovo (the egg)
• 10 - La festa (the party)

Dialogue

Here's a dialogue to help you practice:

• Person 1: Quanti anni ha tuo fratello? (How old is your brother?)
• Person 2: Mio fratello ha cinque anni. (My brother is five years old.)
• Person 1: Che ora è? (What time is it?)
• Person 2: Sono le sei. (It's six o'clock.)

Practice

Practice counting from 0 to 10, then quiz yourself by counting backwards from 10 to 0. Once you have mastered this set of numbers, you can move on to larger numbers. Use the resources provided below to help you.

Remember, practice makes perfect! 🤗

Resources

• Find native speakers and ask them any questions on Polyglot Club
• Italian Language on Wikipedia
• Numbers in Italian on Wikipedia

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➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Other Lessons

• Vegetables
• Asking Directions
• Animal Sounds
• Adjectives in İtalian
• Dinner Table
• People in Italian
• How to Say Hello and Greetings
• Seasons
• Health

Sources

• How to count to 20 in Italian (5 Minute Italian Podcast)
• Learn the Italian numbers 1-10