Bright Hub Education

Bright Hub Education

  • Teaching Tools
    • Teaching Tools
    • Classroom Management
    • Education Industry
    • Student Assessment Tools
    • Teaching Methods
  • Preschool and Early Ed
    • Preschool and Early Ed
    • Infant Development
    • Parenting Tips and Advice
    • Preschool Crafts and Activities
    • Preschool Lesson Plans and Theme
    • Preschool Teaching Strategies
    • Toddler Activities and Ideas
  • Elementary School
    • Elementary School
    • Grade School Activities
    • Lesson Plans for Pre-K and K
    • Lesson Plans: Grades 1 - 2
    • Lesson Plans: Grades 3 - 5
    • Parenting Grade Schoolers
    • Teaching Younger Students
  • Middle School
    • Middle School
    • English Lessons: Grades 6-8
    • History Lessons: Grades 6-8
    • Math Lessons: Grades 6-8
    • Parenting Preteens and Tweens
    • Science Lessons: Grades 6-8
    • Social Studies: Grades 6-8
    • Teaching Middle Schoolers
    • The Arts: Grades 6-8
  • More
    • High School(7)
    • Homework Help(20)
    • Special Ed(11)
    • More Areas(4)
More
High School (7)
Homework Help (20)
Special Ed (11)
More Areas (4)
English Lessons: Grades 9-12
High School Teaching Tips
History Lessons: Grades 9-12
Math Lessons: Grades 9-12
Parenting Teens
Science Lessons: Grades 9-12
The Arts: Grades 9-12
English Help
Geography Facts
Help with German
Help with Latin
Help with Writing
History Help
Language Learning Strategies
Learning Chinese
Learning French
Learning Italian
Learning Japanese
Learning Spanish
Literature Study Guides
Math Facts
Miscellaneous Languages
Science Homework Help
Science Projects
Social Studies Help
Study and Learning Tips
Test Preparation
Behavioral Disorders
Gifted and Exceptional St...
Hearing Impairments
IDEA, IEPs and The Law
Inclusion Strategies
Learning Disorders
Neurological Disorders
Physical Disabilities
Special Ed: Parent Perspe...
Speech Disorders
Visual Impairments
Homeschooling Advice
Summer Learning
Teaching a Second Language
Teaching ESL Learners
    Skip to content
    768

    Learn the Difference Between Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers in Italian and When to Use Them

    Italian Language Study Guides / By Elizabeth Stannard Gromisch / Homework Help & Study Guides

    Italian Cardinal Numbers

    Cardinal numbers are the basic numbers that we use in counting, money and math. Cardinal numbers can also be used as adjectives to quantify the amount of an object. Let's go over first the numbers 0 to 100 in Italian:

    0: zero

    1: uno (the feminine form is una)

    2: due

    3: tre

    4: quattro

    5: cinque

    6: sei

    7: sette

    8: otto

    9: nove

    10: dieci

    11: undici

    12: dodici

    13: tredici

    14: quattordici

    15: quindici

    16: sedici

    17: diciassette

    18: diciotto

    19: diciannove

    20: venti

    21: ventuno

    22: ventidue

    23: ventitré

    24: ventiquattro

    25: venticinque

    26: ventisei

    27: ventisette

    28: venotto

    29: ventinove

    30: trenta

    40: quaranta

    50: cinquanta

    60: sessanta

    70: settanta

    80: ottanta

    90: novanta

    100: cento

    For numbers 31 and over, they follow the same pattern as lower numbers: if the second number begins with a vowel, the final letter of the first number is dropped; if the second number begins with a consonant, the final letter of the first number is kept. If the number is being used as an adjective, it goes before the noun it is modifying.

    Now, let's go over numbers 102 and above:

    102: centodue

    200: duecento

    1.000: mille

    2.000: duemila

    10.000: diecimila

    100.000: centomila

    1.000.000: un milione

    1.000.000.000: un miliardo

    Notice that for 102, the format is similar to forming double digit numbers. If we have multiple thousands, we use the plural form mila. Once numbers break into the thousands, the numeral numbers in Italian use a “." as a separator, comparable to the “," in English.

    Most numbers are written as one word, except for numbers with milione and miliardo. The numbers are separated with e (and). For example:

    un milione e duecento (1.000.200)

    Also, if milione and miliardo are quantifying a noun, the number and noun are separated with di (of):

    due milioni di abitanti (two million inhabitants)

    In addition, numbers in Italian are masculine.

    Italian Ordinal Numbers

    Ordinal numbers are different from cardinal numbers: they are used to rate objects, such as first, second and third. In addition, when preceded by the word circa (about), ordinal numbers can be used to give an approximate quantity. Let's go over some of the ordinal numbers in Italian:

    1º: primo

    2º: secondo

    3º: terzo

    4º: quarto

    5º: quinto

    6º: sesto

    7º: settimo

    8º: ottavo

    9º: nono

    10º: decimo

    11º: undicesimo

    12º: dodicesimo

    13º: tredicesimo

    20º: ventesimo

    21º: ventunesimo

    22º: ventiduesimo

    23º: ventitreesimo

    100º: centesimo

    1.000º: millesimo

    1.000.000º: milionesimo

    To form an ordinal number above 10º, we take the cardinal number, remove the final vowel and add -esimo. The exception to this rule are numbers that end with -tre; in those cases, the final vowel is kept. Let's use the number 20 as an example: the cardinal number for 20 is venti. Now to make it an ordinal number, we remove the -i and add the -esimo. Now it becomes ventesimo. Now if we want to change the number 23, it starts as ventitré in cardinal form and we add -esimo: ventritreesimo. We drop the accent for an easier pronunciation.

    Most of the time, an ordinal number comes before the noun it qualifies, like cardinal numbers. However, ordinal numbers go after the names of important people, such as royalty. For example, if we wanted to talk about Queen Elizabeth II of England, we would say regina Elisabetta secondo; in print, it would be regina Elisabetta II.

    In addition, the endings of ordinal numbers change, depending on the gender and amount of the noun.

    When making fractions, the cardinal number is the numerator and the ordinal number is the denominator. For example:

    2/3 = due terzi

    Reference

    Mezzadri, Marco. Essential Italian. Guerra Edizioni, 2004

    Post navigation

    ← Previous Post
    Next Post →
    Copyright © 2019 Bright Hub Education. All Rights Reserved.
    About | Copyright Policy | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

    Search

    More Info

    Recent

    • Learn the Third Past Tense in Italian: Passato Remoto
    • Learn the Italian Imperfect Tense
    • Learn the Passato Prossimo Tense, the First Past Tense Form in Italian
    • Learn the Basic Italian Prepositions and How to Form Combined Prepositions
    • Learn How to Ask Questions in Italian: Vocabulary for Different Question Words & How to Put Them Together
    • How to Form and Use Definite and Indefinite Articles in Italian

    Popular Pages

    • Home
    © brighthubeducation.com. All rights reserved.
    • Privacy Policy