Master Italian Numbers
Italian teens have a quirky split: 11–16 end with -dici (undici, dodici...) but 17–19 flip the order and start with dici- (diciassette, diciotto, diciannove). Fun fact: 17 (diciassette) is considered unlucky in Italy because its Roman numeral XVII can be rearranged to spell VIXI — Latin for "I have lived," implying death.
Watch the videos below, then download the Foreign Numbers app and practice what you've learned!
Italian Numbers 1-100
A focused reference chart for the core numbers learners use most
Italian Phone Numbers
How phone numbers work in Italy & how locals say them
| Numeral | Cardinal | Ordinal |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | zero | |
| 1 | uno (m) una (f) | primo |
| 2 | due | secondo |
| 3 | tre | terzo |
| 4 | quattro | quarto |
| 5 | cinque | quinto |
| 6 | sei | sesto |
| 7 | sette | settimo |
| 8 | otto | ottavo |
| 9 | nove | nono |
| 10 | dieci | decimo |
| 11 | undici | undicesimo |
| 12 | dodici | dodicesimo |
| 13 | tredici | tredicesimo |
| 14 | quattordici | quattordicesimo |
| 15 | quindici | quindicesimo |
| 16 | sedici | sedicesimo |
| 17 | diciassette | diciassettesimo |
| 18 | diciotto | diciottesimo |
| 19 | diciannove | diciannovesimo |
| 20 | venti | ventesimo |
| 21 | ventuno | ventunesimo |
| 22 | ventidue | ventiduesimo |
| 23 | ventitré | ventitreesimo |
| 24 | ventiquattro | ventiquattresimo |
| 25 | venticinque | venticinquesimo |
| 26 | ventisei | ventiseiesimo |
| 27 | ventisette | ventisettesimo |
| 28 | ventotto | ventottesimo |
| 29 | ventinove | ventinovesimo |
| 30 | trenta | trentesimo |
| 40 | quaranta | quarantesimo |
| 50 | cinquanta | cinquantesimo |
| 60 | sessanta | sessantesimo |
| 70 | settanta | settantesimo |
| 80 | ottanta | ottantesimo |
| 90 | novanta | novantesimo |
| 100 | cento | centesimo |
| 200 | duecento | duecentesimo |
| 300 | trecento | trecentesimo |
| 400 | quattrocento | quattrocentesimo |
| 500 | cinquecento | cinquecentesimo |
| 600 | seicento | seicentesimo |
| 700 | settecento | settecentesimo |
| 800 | ottocento | ottocentesimo |
| 900 | novecento | novecentesimo |
| 1.000 | mille | millesimo |
| 10.000 | diecimila | diecimillesimo |
| 100.000 | centomila | centomillesimo |
| 1.000.000 | un milione | millionesimo |
| 1.000.000.000 | un miliardo | milliardesimo |
Number data and information courtesy of Omniglot.
What Makes Italian Numbers Challenging
Italian numbers are mostly regular but the teen split (11-16 vs 17-19) and the vowel-dropping in compounds (ventuno not ventiuno, ventotto not ventiotto) create small traps. Phone numbers can be read either digit-by-digit or as groups of hundreds, and you never know which style someone will use. The varying grouping style means a single number might be read as "trecentoquarantasette" (347 as one word) or "tre-quattro-sette" (3-4-7).
Tips for Learning Italian Numbers
Master the teen split first: 11-16 end with -dici, but 17-19 start with dici-. Learn which vowels drop in compounds (before uno and otto). Practice recognizing numbers both digit-by-digit and as spoken groups, since Italians switch between styles freely. Italian numbers have a musical quality — the rhythm and melody of the language helps with memorization. Prices, train platform numbers, and addresses make great real-world practice.
Practice Italian Numbers
Reading about numbers is one thing — understanding them spoken at natural speed is another. Test your Italian number skills with our free listening game.
Play the Number Game