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

　　hundredth

　　centesimo

　　thousandth

　　millesimo

　　two thousandth

　　duemillesimo

　　three thousandth

　　tremillesimo

　　one millionth

　　milionesimo

　　Notice the regularity of ordinal numbers beginning with undicesimo—the suffix -esimo is added to the cardinal numbers by dropping the final vowel of the cardinal number. The one exception includes numbers ending in -tré. Those numbers drop their accent and are unchanged when -esimo is added. Since Italian ordinal numbers function as adjectives, they must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify: primo, prima, primi, prime.