Numbers in Latin



Learn numbers in Latin

Knowing numbers in Latin is probably one of the most useful things you can learn to say, write and understand in Latin. Learning to count in Latin may appeal to you just as a simple curiosity or be something you really need. Perhaps you have planned a trip to a country where Latin is the most widely spoken language, and you want to be able to shop and even bargain with a good knowledge of numbers in Latin.

It's also useful for guiding you through street numbers. You'll be able to better understand the directions to places and everything expressed in numbers, such as the times when public transportation leaves. Can you think of more reasons to learn numbers in Latin?

Latin (lingua Latina, sermo Latinus) is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome, from II BC to II AD, then through the Middle Ages. Extinct language to the extend it has no native speaker, Latin is still one of Vatican City co-official languages (alongside with French, German and Italian).Due to lack of data, we can only count accurately up to 9,999 in Latin. Please contact me if you can help me counting up from that limit.

List of numbers in Latin

Here is a list of numbers in Latin. We have made for you a list with all the numbers in Latin from 1 to 20. We have also included the tens up to the number 100, so that you know how to count up to 100 in Latin. We also close the list by showing you what the number 1000 looks like in Latin.

  • 1) unus
  • 2) duo
  • 3) tres
  • 4) quattuor
  • 5) quinque
  • 6) sex
  • 7) septem
  • 8) octo
  • 9) novem
  • 10) decem
  • 11) undecim
  • 12) duodecim
  • 13) tredecim
  • 14) quattuordecim
  • 15) quindecim
  • 16) sedecim
  • 17) septendecim
  • 18) duodeviginti
  • 19) undeviginti
  • 20) viginti
  • 30) triginta
  • 40) quadraginta
  • 50) quinquaginta
  • 60) sexaginta
  • 70) septuaginta
  • 80) octoginta
  • 90) nonaginta
  • 100) centum
  • 1,000) mille

Numbers in Latin: Latin numbering rules

Each culture has specific peculiarities that are expressed in its language and its way of counting. The Latin is no exception. If you want to learn numbers in Latin you will have to learn a series of rules that we will explain below. If you apply these rules you will soon find that you will be able to count in Latin with ease.

The way numbers are formed in Latin is easy to understand if you follow the rules explained here. Surprise everyone by counting in Latin. Also, learning how to number in Latin yourself from these simple rules is very beneficial for your brain, as it forces it to work and stay in shape. Working with numbers and a foreign language like Latin at the same time is one of the best ways to train our little gray cells, so let's see what rules you need to apply to number in Latin

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  • the Roman digits can only be repeated three times at most (VIII is valid, but VIIII is not)
  • the numbers D, L et V can only be repeated once (DD, LL and VV are not valid)
  • only one C can be placed before an M (CM, or 900, is valid, CCM is not) or a D (CD, or 400, is valid, CCD is not) and the following values cannot be greater than 99 (or we would jump to the next hundred)
  • only one X can be placed before a C (XC, or 90, is valid, XXC is not) or an L (XL, ou 40, is valid, XXL is not) and the following values cannot be greater than 9 (or we would jump to the next ten)
  • only one I can be placed before an X (IX, or 9, is valid, IIX is not) or a V (IV, ou 4, is valid, IIV is not)
  • Numbers from zero to ten are specific words, namely nulla [0], unus/una/unum (m/f/n) [1], duo/duae/duo (m/f/n) [2], tres/tres/tria (m/f/n) [3], quattuor [4], quinque [5], sex [6], septem [7], octo [8], novem [9], and decem [10].
  • From eleven to seventeen, numbers are formed from the root of the digit followed by ten: undecim [11], duodecim [12], tredecim [13], quattuordecim [14], quindecim [15], sedecim [16], and septendecim [17]. Eighteen and nineteen are formed on a subtracting manner: duodeviginti [18] (literally two from twenty), and undeviginti [19] (one from twenty).
  • The tens have specific names based on the matching digit root except for ten and twenty: decem [10], viginti [20], triginta [30], quadraginta [40], quinquaginta [50], sexaginta [60], septuaginta [70], octoginta [80], and nonaginta [90].
  • Compound numbers are formed by setting the ten, then the unit, separated with a space when the unit digit goes from one to seven, following the additive structure (e.g.: viginti unus [21], triginta duo [32]). When a compound number ends with eight or nine, the additive structure (ten plus unit) is replaced by the subtracting structure (next ten minus unit), with no space (e.g.: duodequinquaginta [48] (literally two from fifty), undesexaginta [59] (one from sixty), nonaginta octo [98] (which is an exception to the rule), undecentum [99] (one from one hundred)).
  • The hundreds are formed by prefixing the word hundred by the multiplier digit root, except for one hundred: centum [100], ducenti [200], trecenti [300], quadringenti [400], quingenti [500], sescenti [600], septingenti [700], octingenti [800], and nongenti [900].
  • Thousands are formed by prefixing the word thousand by the multiplier digit, except for one thousand: mille [1,000] (plural milia), duo milia [2,000], tria milia [3,000] (using the neuter from of three), quattuor milia [4,000], quinque milia [5,000]… In singular, the word mille is an indeclinable adjective, but in plural, this is a noun following the third declension neuter i-stem.
  • Numbers in different languages