numerals: counting

Russian Cardinal Numerals

Cardinal numerals (количественные числительные) are the foundation of counting in Russian. They range from basic units to complex compound structures and have unique rules regarding stress and usage.

1. Basic Numerals (0–10)

The core numbers are the building blocks for all other numerals:

• ноль / нуль (nol' / nul') — 0
• один, одна, одно; одни (odin, odna, odno; odni) — 1 (masculine, feminine, neuter; plural)
• два / две (dva / dve) — 2 (masculine and neuter / feminine)
• три (tri) — 3
• четыре (chetyre) — 4
• пять (pyat') — 5
• шесть (shest') — 6
• семь (sem') — 7
• восемь (vosem') — 8
• девять (devyat') — 9
• десять (desyat') — 10

Note: Numerals from 5 to 20, as well as 30, end in a soft sign (ь).

2. The Teens (11–19)

These are formed using the historical model "one-on-ten" (на-дцать / na-dtsat').

• одиннадцать (odinnadtsat') — 11
• двенадцать (dvenadtsat') — 12
• тринадцать (trinadtsat') — 13
• четырнадцать (chetyrnadtsat') — 14
• пятнадцать (pyatnadtsat') — 15
• шестнадцать (shestnadtsat') — 16
• семнадцать (semnadtsat') — 17
• восемнадцать (vosemnadtsat') — 18
• девятнадцать (devyatnadtsat') — 19

Stress Pattern: Most teens have the stress on the penultimate syllable (the на). However, одиннадцать and четырнадцать are exceptions where the stress falls earlier.

3. Tens and Hundreds

Tens are formed in various ways:

• двадцать (dvadtsat') — 20
• тридцать (tridtsat') — 30
• сорок (sorok) — 40
• пятьдесят (pyat'desyat) — 50 (Final stress)
• шестьдесят (shest'desyat) — 60 (Final stress)
• семьдесят (sem'desyat) — 70 (Initial stress)
• восемьдесят (vosem'desyat) — 80 (Initial stress)
• девяносто (devyanosto) — 90

Hundreds often show their divisible roots:

• сто (sto) — 100
• двести (dvesti) — 200 (Contains a trace of the old dual form)
• триста (trista) — 300
• четыреста (chetyresta) — 400
• пятьсот (pyat'sot) — 500 (and so on up to 900)

Large numbers include тысяча (tysyacha — 1,000), миллион (million — 1,000,000), миллиард/биллион (milliard/billion), and триллион (trillion).

4. Compound Numerals

Compound numerals are formed by simply placing the numbers in sequence from largest to smallest:

• двадцать четыре (dvadtsat' chetyre) — 24
• шестьсот пятьдесят два (shest'sot pyat'desyat dva) — 652
• сорок четыре тысячи семьсот девяносто один (sorok chetyre tysyachi sem'sot devyanosto odin) — 44,791

5. Practical Usage and Stylistics

• Approximation: By inverting the numeral and the noun, you indicate "about."
  • лет пять (let pyat') — about five years
  • лет через пять (let cherez pyat') — in about five years’ time
• Numerical Labels (Addresses & Transportation): Cardinals are used as labels for houses, flats, and flights.
  • в квартире номер двадцать семь (v kvartire nomer dvadtsat' sem') — in flat number 27
  • Мичурина, двадцать семь, квартира восемнадцать (Michurina, dvadtsat' sem', kvartira vosemnadtsat') — 27 Michurin Street, flat 18
  • рейс сто тридцать семь (reys sto tridtsat' sem') — flight 137
  • билет номер 24170 (bilet nomer dvadtsat' chetyre tysyachi sto sem'desyat) — ticket number 24170
  • Шереметьево-1 (Sheremetyevo-odin) — Sheremetyevo-1 airport
• Phone Numbers: Usually read in groups.
  • сто пятьдесят восемь двенадцать ноль четыре (sto pyat'desyat vosem' dvenadtsat' nol' chetyre) — 158-12-04
• Cardinals vs. Ordinals: In some cases, ordinals are preferred (e.g., train cars: восьмой вагон / vos'moy vagon — eighth carriage), while rooms can use either: комната пять (komnata pyat') or пятая комната (pyataya komnata).