Learning to count in Italian is one of the first and most rewarding steps in mastering the language. Whether you are planning a trip to Rome, preparing for an exam, or simply expanding your linguistic skills, numbers are essential for everyday tasks like shopping, telling time, and understanding addresses. Italian numbers may seem tricky at first because of their unique patterns, but once you break them down, they follow clear and logical rules. In this guide, you will learn how to write Italian numbers from zero to one million, plus how to pronounce them correctly with natural, native-like clarity.
Many learners get stuck because they try to memorize numbers without understanding the structure. Italian numbers are built on a base-ten system, just like English, but with a few twists. For example, numbers from 11 to 16 have irregular forms, while numbers from 17 to 19 follow a predictable pattern. Once you know the first twenty numbers, you can easily form any number up to 99. Beyond that, hundreds and thousands are straightforward, though you must pay attention to agreement with nouns. By the end of this post, you will be able to write and say any Italian number with confidence.
Pronunciation is equally important. Italian is a phonetic language, meaning words are pronounced exactly as they are written. However, some letter combinations, like “gli” or “gn,” can trip up beginners. I will guide you through each sound using simple English equivalents, so you can practice aloud. Let us start with the basics and build up step by step.
Italian Numbers 0 to 10
These are the building blocks for all other numbers. Memorize them well, as they appear in compound numbers later. Here is the list with pronunciation guides:
- 0 – zero (pronounced DZEH-roh; the “z” is voiced like in “zebra”)
- 1 – uno (OO-noh)
- 2 – due (DOO-eh)
- 3 – tre (TREH)
- 4 – quattro (KWAHT-troh; double “t” is held slightly longer)
- 5 – cinque (CHEEN-kweh; “c” is soft like “ch” in “chip”)
- 6 – sei (SEH-ee; rhyme with “say”)
- 7 – sette (SEHT-teh)
- 8 – otto (OHT-toh)
- 9 – nove (NOH-veh; “v” is soft like in “vase”)
- 10 – dieci (dee-EH-chee; “c” is soft again)
A quick tip: Italians often drop the final vowel when saying “uno” before a masculine noun that starts with a consonant, like “un libro” (one book). But when counting alone, always say the full “uno.”
Numbers 11 to 20
This range is where things get interesting. Notice that 11 to 16 have irregular forms, while 17 to 19 follow a clear pattern: the number 10 (dieci) plus the unit, but with the first part shortened.
- 11 – undici (OON-dee-chee)
- 12 – dodici (DOH-dee-chee)
- 13 – tredici (TREH-dee-chee)
- 14 – quattordici (kwaht-TOR-dee-chee)
- 15 – quindici (KWEEN-dee-chee)
- 16 – sedici (SEH-dee-chee)
- 17 – diciassette (dee-chahs-SET-teh; from “dieci” + “sette,” with the “ci” shortened)
- 18 – diciotto (dee-CHOHT-toh; “dieci” + “otto”)
- 19 – diciannove (dee-chahn-NOH-veh; “dieci” + “nove”)
- 20 – venti (VEN-tee)
Notice that 17, 18, and 19 drop the last vowel of “dieci” (making it “dici”) and then add the unit number. This pattern also appears in larger numbers like 70, 80, and 90, but we will get to those later.
Numbers 21 to 99
Once you know 1–20, forming numbers up to 99 is easy. Simply take the tens word (20, 30, 40, etc.) and add the unit number. But there is one important spelling rule: when the tens word ends with a vowel (which they all do), and the unit number starts with a vowel (like “otto” or “uno”), you drop the final vowel of the tens word. For example:
- 21 – ventuno (venti + uno → venti drops the “i” → ventuno; pronounced ven-TOO-noh)
- 22 – ventidue (ven-tee-DOO-eh; no vowel drop because “due” starts with a consonant)
- 28 – ventotto (venti + otto → venti drops the “i” → ventotto; pronounced ven-TOHT-toh)
- 33 – trentatré (trenta + tre → trenta drops the “a” → trentatré; pronounced tren-tah-TREH)
- 46 – quarantasei (quaranta + sei → quaranta drops the “a” → quarantasei; pronounced kwah-ran-tah-SEH-ee)
- 99 – novantanove (novanta + nove → novanta drops the “a” → novantanove; pronounced noh-van-tah-NOH-veh)
Here is a table of the tens words from 20 to 90. Notice that 20 (venti), 30 (trenta), 40 (quaranta), 50 (cinquanta), 60 (sessanta), 70 (settanta), 80 (ottanta), and 90 (novanta) all end with “a” except “venti,” which ends with “i.” This matters for the vowel-drop rule.
| Tens | Italian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | venti | VEN-tee |
| 30 | trenta | TREN-tah |
| 40 | quaranta | kwah-RAN-tah |
| 50 | cinquanta | cheen-KWAN-tah |
| 60 | sessanta | ses-SAN-tah |
| 70 | settanta | set-TAN-tah |
| 80 | ottanta | ot-TAN-tah |
| 90 | novanta | noh-VAN-tah |
When saying compound numbers like 31 (trentuno), remember to drop the “a” from trenta before “uno.” Similarly, 38 (trentotto) drops the “a.” But 37 (trentasette) keeps the “a” because “sette” starts with a consonant.
Hundreds: 100 to 900
The word for 100 is “cento.” Unlike English, “cento” does not change for singular or plural. “One hundred” is simply “cento,” not “un cento.” For numbers like 200, you use “duecento,” and so on. However, “cento” becomes “cento” in compound numbers like 101 (centouno), where the final “o” of “cento” is dropped before “uno.” Let us see the pattern:
- 100 – cento (CHEN-toh)
- 101 – centouno (chen-TOO-noh; cento + uno → cento drops “o”)
- 102 – centodue (chen-toh-DOO-eh; no drop because “due” starts with consonant)
- 110 – centodieci (chen-toh-dee-EH-chee)
- 200 – duecento (doo-eh-CHEN-toh)
- 300 – trecento (treh-CHEN-toh)
- 400 – quattrocento (kwaht-troh-CHEN-toh)
- 500 – cinquecento (cheen-kweh-CHEN-toh)
- 600 – seicento (seh-ee-CHEN-toh)
- 700 – settecento (set-teh-CHEN-toh)
- 800 – ottocento (ot-toh-CHEN-toh)
- 900 – novecento (noh-veh-CHEN-toh)
For numbers like 250, you say “duecentocinquanta” (200 + 50). For 999, it is “novecentonovantanove.” Notice that all hundreds are written as one word in Italian. There are no spaces or hyphens.
Thousands: 1,000 to 1,000,000
The word for 1,000 is “mille” (pronounced MEE-leh). For 2,000 and above, it becomes “mila” (pronounced MEE-lah). For example:
- 1,000 – mille
- 2,000 – duemila
- 3,000 – tremila
- 10,000 – diecimila
- 50,000 – cinquantamila
- 100,000 – centomila
- 500,000 – cinquecentomila
- 1,000,000 – un milione (pronounced oon mee-LYOH-neh; note that “milione” is a masculine noun)
When you combine thousands with hundreds, you simply string them together. For example, 1,500 is “millecinquecento.” 2,345 is “duemilatrecentoquarantacinque.” 99,999 is “novantanovemilanovecentonovantanove.” This might look intimidating, but just break it down: 99,000 + 999. Practice with small numbers first.
One important rule: In Italian, you use a period (.) as a thousands separator and a comma (,) as a decimal point. So 1,500 in English is written as 1.500 in Italian. Likewise, 0.5 in English is written as 0,5 in Italian. Keep this in mind if you read prices or data in Italy.
Also, note that “mille” and “mila” are invariable (they do not change for gender), but “milione” is a masculine noun and has a plural: “milioni” (millions). For example, 2,000,000 is “due milioni.”
Large Numbers and Special Cases
Beyond one million, Italian uses “miliardo” for billion (1,000,000,000). The word “bilione” exists but is less common in everyday use; most Italians use “miliardo” for one billion. For example, 2,000,000,000 is “due miliardi.”
When writing large numbers in full, Italians often use “e” (and) for clarity, but it is optional. For instance, 1,234 can be written as “milleduecentotrentaquattro” or “mille duecento trentaquattro.” Both are acceptable.
One more special case: the number 1 (uno) changes form depending on the noun it accompanies. If the noun is masculine and starts with a consonant, “uno” becomes “un.” For example, “un cane” (one dog). If the noun is feminine, “uno” becomes “una” (e.g., “una mela,” one apple). But when counting or saying the number alone, always use “uno.”
Practical Usage: Dates, Prices, and Phone Numbers
Now that you can write and pronounce Italian numbers, here is how to use them in real life:
Dates
In Italian, dates are written with the day first, then the month. For example, March 5, 2025, is written as “5 marzo 2025” and said as “cinque marzo duemilaventicinque.” Note that the year is read as a full number, not split like in English. So 2025 is “duemilaventicinque,” not “twenty twenty-five.”
Prices
When you see a price like €12,50 (twelve euros and fifty cents), you say “dodici euro e cinquanta centesimi.” The comma is pronounced as “e” (and). For €100, you say “cento euro.” For €1.000,50, you say “mille euro e cinquanta centesimi.”
Phone Numbers
Italians usually read phone numbers digit by digit. For example, 345 678 9012 would be “tre quattro cinque, sei sette otto, nove zero uno due.” The word “zero” is used for 0. If a number repeats, you can say “doppio” (double), like “doppio tre” for 33.
Time
For telling time, Italian uses the 24-hour clock in formal settings. 2:30 PM is “le quattordici e trenta” (14:30). In casual conversation, you can use “le due e mezza” (half past two).
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting vowel drops: Many learners say “ventiuno” instead of “ventuno.” Always drop the final vowel of the tens word before a vowel-starting unit (e.g., “uno,” “otto,” “undici”).
- Mixing up “mille” and “mila”: “Mille” is only for 1,000. For 2,000 or more, always use “mila.” Saying “duemille” is incorrect.
- Using “un cento” for 100: The correct form is simply “cento.” “Un cento” is wrong, though “un centinaio” means “about a hundred.”
- Mispronouncing “c” and “g”: In Italian, “c” before “e” or “i” is soft (like “ch” in “church”), and before “a,” “o,” or “u” it is hard (like “k”). So “cento” is “CHEN-toh,” not “KEN-toh.” Similarly, “cinque” is “CHEEN-kweh.”
- Writing numbers with spaces: In Italian, compound numbers are written as one word: “ventitré” (not “venti tre”).
FAQ: Common Questions About Italian Numbers
1. Why is 17 “diciassette” and not “diecisette”?
This is a historical language change. In Latin, 17 was “decem et septem” (ten and seven), which evolved into “diciassette” in Italian. The pattern of dropping the “e” from “dieci” before adding the unit became standard for 17, 18, and 19. It is simply a rule you need to memorize.
2. Do Italian numbers change for masculine and feminine nouns?
Only the number 1 (uno) changes to “un” (masculine) or “una” (feminine) before nouns. For example, “un libro” (one book) and “una casa” (one house). All other numbers (2, 3, etc.) do not change for gender. However, “mille” and “mila” are also invariable. “Milione” is a masculine noun, so you might say “un milione di persone” (one million people), but the number itself does not change.
3. How do I say “zero” in a phone number or temperature?
“Zero” is always pronounced the same way. In phone numbers, you say “zero” for 0. In temperatures, “zero gradi” (zero degrees) is common. Note that Italians use Celsius, so 0°C is freezing point. There is no special form for zero in different contexts.
Practice reading numbers aloud every day for a week. Start with small numbers like prices on a menu, then move to dates and phone numbers. You can also try writing out the current year in Italian. With consistent practice, numbers will become second nature. Buona fortuna (good luck)!