Numerals - an integral part of any language, without which quantitative descriptions, indications of numbers, time and many other phenomena are impossible. Numerals in the Italian language obey certain simple rules, memorization of which is not difficult, will significantly enrich the colloquial speech of language learners.
Cardinal numbers
Quantitative numbers are those that answer the question “how much?”, Indicating the number, number of persons, objects or phenomena.
The table shows the quantitative numerals with pronunciation in Italian:
| Numeral | Pronunciation | Transfer |
zero un (una) due tre quattro cinque sei sette otto nove dieci | jero uno (una) duet tre quattro chinkue Say sette otto nove diechi | zero one two three four five six seven eight nine ten |
undici dodici quattordici quindici sedici diciassette diciotto diciannove | undichi dodichi quattordici quindici sadichi dicasette dicotto dichanove | eleven twelve fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen nineteen |
venti ventuno ventidue ventitre ventotto | venti ventuno ventedue ventitre ventotto | twenty twenty-one twenty two twenty three twenty eight |
trenta quaranta cinquanta sessanta | trenta quarantine chinquant sessanta | thirty forty fifty sixty |
cento centuno centoventi | cento centuno centoventi | one hundred one hundred one one hundred and twenty |
duecento mille | duento millet | two hundred one thousand |
millione milliardo | Millone milliardo | million billion |
According to Italian grammar, numerals related to quantitative are subject to the following rules:
- Compound numerals when writing letters have a single spelling.
For example, 1000 - mille, 900 - novecento, 61 - sessantuno, 1963 - millenovecentosessantuno.
- When writing two-digit numbers that are in the range from 21 to 99 and are not multiples of 10, the rule applies: if the digit tens when writing letters ends with a vowel, and the digit category begins with a vowel, then these vowels merge and the last vowel of the tens digit is ignored by writing and pronunciation. If, ceteris paribus, the discharge of units begins in a consonant, then the spelling and pronunciation of the digits of tens and units are simply combined.
For example, 28 - ventotto (venti + otto), 23 - ventitre (venti + tre).
This rule is valid both in the case of two-digit and when writing three-digit numbers. It turns out 108 - centotto (cento + otto) or 130 - centotrenta (cento + trenta).
- The number cento is not plural. What can not be said about thousands, millions and billions. The numeral mille when used in the plural changes the form to the wrong mila.
So, cento - duecento - quattrocento (100 - 200 - 400), mille (thousand) - duemila (two thousand), millione (million) - tremillioni (three million), milliardo (billion) - duemilliardi (two billion).
- The article before quantitative numbers is not used. But there are exceptions.
- An indication of all or all that is. Gli otto fratelli (All eight brothers.)
I dodici ragazzi (All twelve boys.)
- Indication of the date (except for the first days of each month).
Il quattro ottobre. (Fourth of October.) L'otto dicembre. (December 8th.) But: Il primo settembre. (First of September.)
- Indication of time periods.
Gli anni ottanta. (Eighties.)
- Indication of time in hours.
Sono le sette. (It’s seven o’clock now.)
- Quantitative numerals in the Italian language do not have differences by birth. But there is an exception - the numeral uno, which has a special form for both the masculine (un or uno) and the feminine (una).
Un orso (one bear) - m.
Uno zio (one uncle) - m.
Una forchetta (single fork) - w. R.
The structure of quantitative numerals in the Italian language also includes multipliers and fractional numerals.
Multiplication
Numerals, called multipliers, include such multiple numerals as doppio, quadruplo (double, quadruple), etc. Multiple numerals in the Italian language are designed to perform two types of functions:
- Perform the role of an adjective.
Il triplo lavoro (Triple work.)
- They act as a noun formed from a numeral.
Il (un) doppio (Double.)
Fractional numeration
Fractional numerals in Italian vary in spelling and pronunciation depending on their relationship to simple or decimal fractions.
When it comes to simple fractional numerals, the numerator is used to express the numerator, and the ordinal is used for the denominator. The parts of the fraction should be consistent in number.
un sesto - 1/6
tre ottavi - 3/8
Decimals can be expressed in two ways:
- Similar to simple fractional numbers, using ordinals decimo, centecimo, etc.
un centesimo - 0.01
sette decimi - 0.7
- Two quantitative numerals, separated by a comma.
0.7 - zero, virgola, sette
0,02 - zero, virgola, zero, due
Ordinal education
Ordinary numerals in Italian are those that answer the question “which?”, Sequentially listing objects, persons or phenomena.
| Numeral | Transfer |
primo secondo terzo quarto quinto sesto settimo ottavo nono decimo | first second third fourth fifth sixth seventh eighth ninth tenth |
undicesimo dodicesimo tredicesimo quattordicesimo quindicesimo sedicesimo diciasettesimo diciottesimo diciannovesimo | 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th The 18th The 19th |
ventesimo ventunesimo ventiduesimo ventitreesimo ventiquattresimo venticinquesimo ventiseiesimo ventottesimo | The 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th 26th 28th |
trentesimo quarantesimo cinquatesimo sessantesimo settantesimo ottantesimo novantesimo centesimo | 30th 40th 50th 60th 70th 80th 90th 100th |
When constructing sentences, ordinal numbers have the characteristics of a qualitative adjective. They change their gender and number in order to agree with the noun to which they belong.
Il primo esame (First Exam.)
La seconda lezione (Second lesson.)