Numbers

1. Один, два, три, четыре, пять

   O-din, dva, tri, che-ty-re, pyat'

   One, two, three, four, five

   Usage

   Basic numbers 1 to 5

   Grammar Note

   Russian numbers govern noun cases: "один" (1) takes nominative, "два/три/четыре" take singular genitive, "пять+" take plural genitive.

2. Шесть, семь, восемь, девять, десять

   Shest', sem', vo-sem', de-vyat', de-syat'

   Six, seven, eight, nine, ten

   Usage

   Basic numbers 6 to 10

   Grammar Note

   Numbers 6–10 all end in "ь" (soft sign). Numbers 11–20 also end in "ь": "одиннадцать" (11), "двадцать" (20).

3. Сто, тысяча, миллион

   Sto, ty-sya-cha, mil-li-on

   Hundred, thousand, million

   Usage

   Units for large numbers

   Grammar Note

   "сто" has case forms. "тысяча" is a feminine noun with forms "тысячи/тысяч" in certain cases.

4. Ноль

   Nol'

   Zero

   Usage

   The number zero, used in phone numbers and temperatures

   Grammar Note

   "ноль" and "нуль" are interchangeable. "0 degrees" = "ноль градусов".

5. Какой номер?

   Ka-koy no-mer?

   What number is it?

   Usage

   Used to ask for a number such as a room or phone number

   Grammar Note

   "номер" means both "number" and "hotel room". It's masculine, hence "какой" (not "какое").

6. Первый, второй, третий

   Per-vyy, vto-roy, tre-tiy

   First, second, third

   Usage

   Ordinal numbers for floors, turns, or order

   Grammar Note

   Russian ordinals decline like adjectives, agreeing in gender, case, number. "Первый этаж" (1st floor/ground floor) vs "второй этаж" (2nd floor).

7. Сто рублей

   Sto rub-ley

   One hundred rubles

   Usage

   Stating a price in Russian currency

   Grammar Note

   After numerals 5+, Russian nouns take genitive plural. "Рубль" → "рублей" (gen. pl.). 1 ruble = 100 kopecks (копейка).

8. Половина, четверть

   Po-lo-vi-na, chet-vert'

   Half, a quarter

   Usage

   Expressing fractions when ordering or measuring

   Grammar Note

   "Половина" (half) also appears in time: "половина второго" (half past one = 1:30). "Полтора" (1.5) is a special Russian numeral.

9. Сколько вам лет?

   Skol'-ko vam let?

   How old are you? (formal)

   Usage

   Politely asking someone's age

   Grammar Note

   "сколько + genitive plural" asks quantities. Age: "мне 25 лет" (I am 25). "Лет" is the suppletive genitive plural of "год" (year).

10. Тысяча, миллион

    Ty-sya-cha, mil-li-on

    Thousand, million

    Usage

    Expressing large numbers

    Grammar Note

    "Тысяча" (thousand) is feminine; "миллион" (million) is masculine. Both take genitive plural of currency nouns ("рублей", "долларов") afterwards.

11. Мне двадцать семь лет

    Mne dva-dtsat' sem' let

    I'm 27 years old

    Usage

    Answering "Сколько вам лет?" (How old are you?)

    Grammar Note

    Age takes a dative subject ("мне 25 лет"). A numeral ending in 1 takes "год", in 2–4 "года", and in 5–9 or 0 the genitive plural "лет". 27 ends in "семь", so "лет".

12. В этом году мне будет двадцать восемь лет

    V e-tom go-du mne bu-det dva-dtsat' vo-sem' let

    I turn 28 this year

    Usage

    Saying what age you will reach this year

    Grammar Note

    The same dative age frame as "Мне двадцать семь лет", with the future of "быть" ("будет") added. 28 also ends in "восемь", so the genitive plural "лет" is kept.

Browse all TravelPhrases languages