Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers in Russian

Russian cardinal numbers tell you how many; ordinal numbers tell you which one in a sequence. Compare три урока — “three lessons” and третий урок — “the third lesson”. To use numbers correctly, learn both the number word and the form of the noun after it: один билет — два билета — пять билетов.

Russian numbers from 0 to 20

The accent marks below show stress for learning; ordinary Russian writing usually omits them. Ё always indicates a stressed vowel in these number words. Learn 1–10 first, then 11–19 with their recurring ending -надцать. Notice the spelling одиннадцать, with two н letters.

Tens, hundreds and larger numbers

Build compound numbers from larger units to smaller ones, with spaces and no connecting “and”: 34 — тридцать четыре, 168 — сто шестьдесят восемь, 2 347 — две тысячи триста сорок семь. Unlike English hyphenated twenty-one, Russian двадцать один is two separate words.

Тысяча is feminine, so use одна тысяча, две тысячи; миллион is masculine: один миллион, два миллиона. Compare пять тысяч and пять миллионов. At the end of a complete number, the counted item determines the form of один or два: две тысячи один рубль, but две тысячи одна страница.

Один and два: gender matters

The same choice applies in compound numbers: двадцать одна сумка, тридцать два письма. Три and четыре do not have separate gender forms. Один also has the plural form одни with nouns used only in the plural: одни ножницы — “one pair of scissors”. This does not mean several pairs.

Which noun form follows a number?

For a basic nominative counting phrase, check the final two digits first. If they are 11–14, use genitive plural. Otherwise, the last digit gives the pattern below. These are not universal endings for every case: a preposition or the role of the phrase may require a different construction.

Compare 31 минута — 32 минуты — 35 минут, but 111 минут — 112 минут — 114 минут. The rule depends on the number itself, not whether you write it in digits or words. With age, remember the special form лет: один год — два года — пять лет — двадцать один год.

When the phrase needs another case

Compare два журнала — “two magazines”, без двух журналов — “without two magazines”, and с двумя журналами — “with two magazines”. In the last two phrases both the number and noun change. With a simple animate direct object, compare вижу два автобуса — “I see two buses” and вижу двух водителей — “I see two drivers”. Do not apply this animate pattern mechanically to compound numbers: вижу двадцать два водителя.

An adjective has its own agreement pattern: два новых дома and два больших окна have genitive plural adjectives, even though the nouns are genitive singular. With feminine nouns, nominative plural adjectives are usual: две новые машины. After пять: пять новых домов.

Ordinal numbers: first, second, third

Ordinal numbers answer который по счёту? — “which in order?” They behave like adjectives and agree with the noun in gender, number and case. “The first lesson” is первый урок; “the first page” is первая страница. There is no separate Russian word corresponding to the English article “the”.

Gender and case endings

Compare пятый этаж — “the fifth floor”, пятая остановка — “the fifth stop”, пятое место — “fifth place”, and пятые места — “fifth places”. Третий has a special pattern: третий — третья — третье — третьи. With a preposition, the ending changes again: на пятом этаже — “on the fifth floor”.

Compound ordinal numbers

Only the final word becomes ordinal: сорок два → сорок второй, сто восемь → сто восьмой. Only that final word changes for agreement: сорок вторая страница — на сорок второй странице. Earlier parts stay unchanged. Cardinal numbers work differently when declined: compare с сорока двумя участниками — “with forty-two participants”.

Dates, age and everyday numbers

For a calendar date, use a neuter ordinal with the month in genitive: Сегодня восьмое апреля — “Today is April 8”. To say when something happens, the ordinal is genitive too: Встреча восьмого апреля — “The meeting is on April 8”. Do not add в before this date.

Russian also uses collective forms such as двое детей — “two children” and двое суток — “two full days”. They have their own usage limits and do not replace ordinary numbers everywhere: say две женщины, not двое женщин. For basic counting, keep the central distinction clear: два урока counts lessons; второй урок identifies one lesson by its place in the sequence.