You might find cardinal (counting) numbers the most useful to know—you will need them to express time, record dates, do math, interpret recipe amounts, and, of course, count. In Italian, cardinal numbers are written as one word. Use the following table to memorize numbers from 1 to 100.

　　ITALIAN CARDINAL NUMBERS: 1-100

　　1

　　uno

　　OO-noh

　　2

　　due

　　DOO-eh

　　3

　　tre

　　TREH

　　4

　　quattro

　　KWAHT-troh

　　5

　　cinque

　　CHEEN-kweh

　　6

　　sei

　　SEH-ee

　　7

　　sette

　　SET-teh

　　8

　　otto

　　OHT-toh

　　9

　　nove

　　NOH-veh

　　10

　　dieci

　　dee-EH-chee

　　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

　　18

　　diciotto

　　dee-CHOHT-toh

　　19

　　diciannove

　　dee-chahn-NOH-veh

　　20

　　venti

　　VEN-tee

　　21

　　ventuno

　　ven-TOO-noh

　　22

　　ventidue

　　ven-tee-DOO-eh

　　23

　　ventitré

　　ven-tee-TREH

　　24

　　ventiquattro

　　ven-tee-KWAHT-troh

　　25

　　venticinque

　　ven-tee-CHEEN-kweh

　　26

　　ventisei

　　ven-tee-SEH-ee

　　27

　　ventisette

　　ven-tee-SET-teh

　　28

　　ventotto

　　ven-TOHT-toh

　　29

　　ventinove

　　ven-tee-NOH-veh

　　30

　　trenta

　　TREN-tah

　　40

　　quaranta

　　kwah-RAHN-tah

　　50

　　cinquanta

　　cheen-KWAHN-tah

　　60

　　sessanta

　　ses-SAHN-tah

　　70

　　settanta

　　set-TAHN-ta

　　80

　　ottanta

　　oht-TAHN-ta

　　90

　　novanta

　　noh-VAHN-tah

　　100

　　cento

　　CHEN-toh

　　The numbers venti, trenta, quaranta, cinquanta, and so on drop the final vowel when combined with uno and otto. Tre is written without an accent, but ventitré, trentatré, and so on are written with an accent.

　　Beyond 100

　　Do you remember those good old days before the euro's arrival in Italy when you would pay a few thousand lire for admission to a museum or a cappuccino and biscotti? Tourists needed more than just the numbers up to 100 to get around. Lire are history, but learning numbers greater than 100 might still prove useful. Though they might seem unwieldy, after a bit of practice you'll be rolling them off your tongue like a pro.

　　ITALIAN CARDINAL NUMBERS: 100 AND GREATER

　　100

　　cento

　　CHEN-toh

　　101

　　centouno/centuno

　　cheh-toh-OO-noh/chehn-TOO-noh

　　150

　　centocinquanta

　　cheh-toh-cheen-KWAHN-tah

　　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-the-CHEN-toh

　　800

　　ottocento

　　oht-toh-CHEN-toh

　　900

　　novecento

　　noh-veh-CHEN-toh

　　1.000

　　mille

　　MEEL-leh

　　1.001

　　milleuno

　　meel-leh-OO-noh

　　1.200

　　milleduecento

　　meel-leh-doo-eh-CHEN-toh

　　2.000

　　duemila

　　doo-eh-MEE-lah

　　10.000

　　diecimila

　　dee-eh-chee-MEE-lah

　　15.000

　　quindicimila

　　kween-dee-chee-MEE-lah

　　100.000

　　centomila

　　chen-toh-mee-leh

　　1.000.000

　　un milione

　　OON mee-lee-OH-neh

　　2.000.000

　　due milioni

　　DOO-eh mee-lee-OH-neh

　　1.000.000.000

　　un miliardo

　　OON mee-lee-ARE-doh

　　You can place items in "order" with ordinal numbers. For instance, il primo is the first course on a menu and il secondo is the second course. Vittorio Emanuele III, who ruled the unified Italian nation from 1900 to 1946, was the third king with that name. Pope Paul V (1605-1621) was the fifth pope with the name Paul. When used with the numerical succession of kings, popes, and emperors, the ordinal numbers are capitalized:

　　Vittorio Emanuele Secondo (Vittorio Emanuele II)

　　Leone Nono (Leone IX)

　　Carlo Quinto (Carlo V)

　　diciottesimo secolo (eighteenth century)

　　ITALIAN ORDINAL NUMBERS

　　first

　　primo

　　second

　　secondo

　　third

　　terzo

　　fourth

　　quarto

　　fifth

　　quinto

　　sixth

　　sesto

　　seventh

　　settimo

　　eighth

　　ottavo

　　ninth

　　nono

　　tenth

　　decimo

　　eleventh

　　undicesimo

　　twelfth

　　dodicesimo

　　thirteenth

　　tredicesimo

　　fourteenth

　　quattordicesimo

　　fifteenth

　　quindicesimo

　　sixteenth

　　sedicesimo

　　seventeenth

　　diciassettesimo

　　eighteenth

　　diciottesimo

　　nineteenth

　　diciannovesimo

　　twentieth

　　ventesimo

　　twenty-first

　　ventunesimo

　　twenty-third

　　ventitreesimo