Cardinals are the numerals that indicate the precise amount of something.
They are invariable except for:
- Uno (one) which varies in gender (but not in number as the plural forms gli uni, le une are indefinite pronouns / adjectives not numerals)
- Mille (a thousand) which varies in number [plur. -mila (thousands) – you attach this suffix to any number to create the total: for example due-mila —> duemila (2000)]
- Milione, miliardo, etc. (million, billion) that have regular plural forms
Cardinals can be written both in digits (Arabic numerals) and letters.
1 = uno
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
23 = ventitré
28 = ventotto
30 = trenta
40 = quaranta
50 = cinquanta
60 = sessanta
70 = settanta
80 = ottanta
90 = novanta
100 = cento
500 = cinquecento
1000 = mille
1.000.000 = un milione
1.000.000.000 = un miliardo
Cardinals are generally adjectives.
They come before the noun when expressing a quantity and after the noun when expressing position or location (book page and chapter).
Examples:
- A Londra ho incontrato i tuoi due amici / In London I have met your two friends
- Il capitolo sei parla della poesia di Dante / Chapter six tackles Dante’s poetry
- Vai a pagina nove / Go to page nine
Cardinals can function as nouns when indicating:
- Objects carrying a certain number (transport)
- Money (you omit the currency)
- The time of the day, the day of a month, or a certain year
- The size of something
- A school grade
- A playing card
Examples:
- A che ora passa l’1? / When does the tram number 1 stops by?
- Mi daresti i cinque che mi devi / Can I have back the five (euros) that you owe me?
- Sono già le quattro / It’s already four o’clock
- Il dieci è il mio compleanno / My birthday is on the tenth (of this month)
- Mia nonna era del venticinque / My grandmother was born in ’25 (the year 1925)
- La mia fidanzata porta il (numero) 38 / My girlfriend wears a five shoe
- Anna ha un due di picche / Anna holds a two of clubs
