Numbers become useful when you can hear a price, confirm a train time and write a date. This guide connects counting to those everyday tasks.
Which Italian numbers should you learn first?
Start with zero through ten, then eleven through twenty. These forms appear in phone numbers, prices and clock times. Say them aloud and listen to them in random order.
- zero, uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque
- sei, sette, otto, nove, dieci
How do numbers from eleven to twenty work?
These frequent forms need individual practice; they are not all transparent from one through ten. Notice the spelling of diciassette, diciotto and diciannove.
- undici, dodici, tredici, quattordici, quindici
- sedici, diciassette, diciotto, diciannove, venti
How do you build numbers from twenty onward?
Combine a tens word with a unit. The final vowel of the tens word drops before uno and otto, giving forms such as ventuno and ventotto.
- venti + tre → ventitré
- venti + uno → ventuno; trenta + otto → trentotto
What are the tens and one hundred?
Learn the decade words as landmarks. Once you know them, most two-digit numbers are combinations. Cento means one hundred; mille means one thousand.
- venti, trenta, quaranta, cinquanta, sessanta
- settanta, ottanta, novanta, cento
How do you ask and tell the time?
Ask Che ore sono? For most times use Sono le plus the hour; for one o’clock use È l’una. Italian commonly names the next hour after thirty minutes.
- Sono le due. = It is two o’clock.
- È l’una. = It is one o’clock.
How do you add minutes to the hour?
Use e for minutes after the hour. Mezzo means half past and un quarto means a quarter past. Both a numeric and a spoken form can be useful.
- Sono le tre e dieci. = It is 3:10.
- Sono le quattro e mezza. = It is 4:30.
How do you say “quarter to”?
Use meno to count back from the next hour. Before “one,” the construction changes to È l’una meno un quarto. In schedules, a 24-hour time may be clearer.
- Sono le cinque meno un quarto. = It is 4:45.
- È l’una meno dieci. = It is 12:50.
How does the 24-hour clock work?
Train, flight and appointment schedules often use 24-hour times. Read 18:30 as le diciotto e trenta, even if casual conversation would call it six thirty in the evening.
- Il treno parte alle 18:30. = The train leaves at 6:30 p.m.
- La visita è alle 09:15. = The appointment is at 9:15 a.m.
How do you say a date in Italian?
Use the day number, di, the month and the year when needed. The first day of a month normally uses primo; other days use cardinal numbers.
- il primo maggio = May 1
- il ventisei settembre 2026 = September 26, 2026
What are the Italian months?
Months are normally lowercase in Italian. Group them by seasons and put each into a real date rather than memorizing a bare list.
- gennaio, febbraio, marzo, aprile, maggio, giugno
- luglio, agosto, settembre, ottobre, novembre, dicembre
How do you discuss prices and quantities?
Ask Quanto costa? for a price and Quanti or Quante for a count that agrees with the noun. Practise hearing numbers as well as saying them.
- Costa ventotto euro. = It costs twenty-eight euros.
- Quanti biglietti? Due, per favore. = How many tickets? Two, please.
What is an effective numbers drill?
Make short real-world prompts: read a date, write a price, ask for a departure time. Vary the digits so you are retrieving Italian words, not reciting a sequence.
- Write 14:45, then say sono le quindici meno un quarto.
- Write 31 October, then say il trentuno ottobre.
Practise schedules and platform questions with Italian phrases for train travel.
Use Italian question words to ask when a train leaves or how much a ticket costs.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to common questions about learning Italian online.
This guide is published by Dolce Vita Italian School, an online Italian school for English speakers. Learn more about the school and its founder, Denise Di Luzio.
Have a question about an example? Contact the school. For guided practice, explore live Italian courses.
