Learn Numbers in Italian: Counting From 1-100

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Meglio contare fino a dieci! (Better counting to ten!) If you hear this phrase in Italy, it’s not about numbers in Italian. It means you should take a little break before speaking to calm down. Common Italian phrases like this show how important numbers are. And depending on how you use them, they’ll help you communicate effectively in every part of your conversation, from counting to telling the time. 

If you want to learn Italian and use it confidently, this list of numbers with pronunciations will be your ally. And remember: Mastery comes through practice. Try out Rosetta Stone’s tutoring sessions to engage in conversations with native speakers and practice forming and saying different numbers.

Numbers in Italian from 1 to 10

Can you imagine a world without numbers? It would be impossible to specify anything. For example, how would you order food in Italian if you couldn’t say the number of guests or how many Italian coffees you would like?

The first contact beginners have with numbers is learning to count da uno a dieci (from 1 to 10). These 10 numbers have unique names and are essential to building other numbers with two or more digits in Italian.

Pronouncing Italian numbers is quite easy. Italian is a phonetic language, so you pronounce every letter. However, some sounds may be more challenging for beginner learners. For example:

• The “qu” in quattro (four) and cinque (five) sounds similar to “kw” in English.
• The “ci” in dieci sounds like “chee” in English.

Numbers in Italian from 11 to 19

Italian numbers from 11 to 19 are also unique. But there is a pattern you can follow to make them easier to memorize:

• Numbers from 11 to 16 are created with the root number + -dici.
  • uno (one) – “o” + -dici = undici (11)
  • tre (three) +  -dici =  tredici (13)
• Numbers from 17 to 19 are created with dici- + the root number.
  • dici- + sette (seven) = diciassette (17)
  • dici- + otto (eight) = diciotto (18)

Do you know that the number diciassette (seventeen) is considered bad luck in Italy? So don’t organize something important on a Friday the 17th: It’s like Friday the 13th in the US.

If you want to invite guests for lunch or dinner, watch out for the number of guests. Having 13 people around the table is also bad luck. So, if some of your guests are superstitious, add one more place for an imaginary guest or put something on the table to represent them symbolically. It will also be a fun topic to talk about at the table.

Numbers 20-90 in Italian with 0 as the second digit

To count beyond 19, you’ll need to know that all Italian numbers with a zero as the second digit have unique names. Learning them is very important because they will help you build higher numbers.

Numbers in Italian from 21 to 50

Once you get here, forming the remaining numbers in Italian is simple. 

Just like in English, you add the name of the one-digit numbers to the word venti (twenty), trenta (thirty), etc.  For example:

• venti (20) + due (two) = ventidue (22)
• trenta (30) + quattro (four) = trentaquattro (34)

Using this method, you can build all numbers up to 99.

Essential rules for Italian numbers from 21 to 98

Remember these two rules, and you will get the numbers 21-98 right every time:

• All numbers with uno (one) or otto (eight) as the second digit drop the preceding letter.
  • venti (20) – “i” + uno (one) = ventuno (21)
  • venti (20) – “i” + otto (eight) = ventotto (28)
• Numbers ending with tre (three) have an accent on the last “e.”
  • ventitré = twenty-three
  • trentatré = thirty-three

Numbers in Italian from 51 to 100

Higher numbers are also “regular” up to 100. They follow the same rules and structure outlined in the previous chart. 

Italian numbers 100 and above

If you have mastered the Italian numbers up to 100, counting higher is a piece of cake.

Cento (one hundred) is a unique name. But when two zeros follow a number, it behaves like the hundreds in English: Use numbers from 1 to 9 followed by the word cento.

• due (two) + cento (100) = duecento (200)

The numbers with two zeros are the root numbers you will use to create all the other three-digit numbers up to mille (one thousand). To form these numbers, take the root number (cento, duecento, etc.) and add numbers from 1 to 99 with no hyphens or spaces.

The only irregularities are three-digit numbers starting with cento followed by a number beginning with a vowel that doesn’t follow the same rule.

• The number 180 drops the vowel “o”:
  • cento (100) – “o” + ottanta (80) = centottanta
• All the numbers keep the double vowels:

• cento (100) + uno (one) = centouno (101)
• cento (100) + otto (eight) = centootto (108)
• cento (100) + undici (eight) = centoundici (111)

Adding the conjunction e (and) to pronounce these numbers is also common. You can say cento e ottanta instead of centottanta (180).

Forming ordinal Italian numbers

Italians use ordinal numbers (numbers that define a position) often while speaking and writing.

Ordinal numbers can be written in three ways in Italian:

• Number + the symbol “º” = 2º
• ordinal number words like secondo/seconda, depending if the noun is masculine or feminine
• Roman numerals like II

From 11 to 1,000, there is a simple rule to apply. Add the suffix -esimo (th) to the root of all numbers, except for numbers ending in -tré or -sei. These numbers require the addition of a vowel in front of the suffix:

• 23º: ventitré (23) + -esimo = ventitreesimo
• 26º: ventisei (26) + -esimo = ventiseiesimo

Using these options in a sentence could like this: 

• il XXI (ventunesimo) secolo = the 21st century
• Abito al 3º (terzo) piano. = I live on the third floor.

Remember, ordinal numbers act as adjectives and must coincide in gender and number with the nouns they describe.

• Ho vinto il primo premio. = I won the first prize.
  • primo ends with “o” because it is masculine
• Sono arrivata per prima.I arrived first.
  • prima ends with “a” because it is feminine

Telling time with Italian numbers

When Italians use numbers to tell the time, the structure varies with a few unique twists.

Italians count the hours of the day from 1 to 24. You will use sono le/è + the number like this:

• Sono le tre. = It’s three o’clock.
• È l’una. = It’s one o’clock.
• Sono tornata alle ventitré. = I came back at 11 p.m.

The hours from 1 to 12 are a.m. The hours from 13 to 24 are the English hours 1 to 12 p.m.

You can use numbers 1 to 12 to indicate p.m. hours when speaking informally. If it’s clear from the context, Italians don’t specify if it is a.m. or p.m.

• Si è svegliata alle sette. = She woke up at seven (a.m.).

If you need to clarify whether it’s  a.m. or  p.m., Italians use specific phrases:

• number + di mattina = morning time; used till 11 a.m.
• number + del pomeriggio = afternoon time, which is used for hours from 1 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m.
• number + di sera = in the evening

There’s a particularity, though. Italians use di mattina “in the morning” or di notte “in the night” interchangeably when referring to the wee hours of the morning.

So from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m., you can use:

• number + di notte = during nighttime
• number + di mattina = during early morning

12 Italian expressions with numbers

Numbers aren’t just for counting! Here are some common Italian phrases and Italian idioms that use numbers, adding a cultural twist to your language learning:

• Abbiamo fatto trenta, facciamo trentuno. (We did thirty, let’s do thirty-one.): When you’ve made significant progress, go the extra mile and complete the task.
• Non c’è due senza tre. (There’s no two without three.): If something has happened twice, expect it to happen a third time.
• A due passi. (Two steps away.): Indicates something that’s very close or nearby.
• In quattro e quattr’otto. (In four and eight.): This means doing something very quickly in a flash.
• Fare quattro chiacchiere. (To have a chat.): This means to engage in light conversation.
• Essere in quattro gatti. (To be four cats.): This describes a situation where there are very few people present.
• Dirne quattro. (To tell someone four things.): This means to give someone a piece of your mind.
• Farsi in quattro per qualcuno. (To make yourself into four for someone.): This means to go out of your way or make a great effort to help someone.
• Grazie mille. (A thousand thanks.): Maybe the most popular way to express profound gratitude.
• Cento di questi giorni. (A hundred of these days.): It’s a common way to wish someone many more happy days like this one.
• Essere al settimo cielo. (To be in the seventh heaven.): It means to be extremely happy.
• Essere una persona a 360 gradi. (To be a 360-degree person.): This describes someone versatile and well-rounded.