Greek Numbers: Essential Vocabulary Guide for Learners
Whether you're shopping at a market in Athens, telling time, or sharing your phone number, knowing Greek words for numbers is essential for daily communication. This comprehensive guide will help you learn Greek numbers from basic counting to larger figures, complete with pronunciation guides and practical examples.
Essential Numbers Vocabulary
Master these core Greek numbers that every learner needs. Greek numbers follow logical patterns once you learn the basics, making them easier to remember as you progress.
| Word | Pronunciation | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ένα | EH-nah | one | Θέλω ένα καφέ. (I want one coffee.) |
| δύο | THEE-oh | two | Έχω δύο αδέρφια. (I have two siblings.) |
| τρία | TREE-ah | three | Τρία εισιτήρια, παρακαλώ. (Three tickets, please.) |
| τέσσερα | TEH-seh-rah | four | Η οικογένειά μου έχει τέσσερα άτομα. (My family has four people.) |
| πέντε | PEHN-deh | five | Είναι πέντε η ώρα. (It's five o'clock.) |
| έξι | EH-ksee | six | Δουλεύω έξι μέρες την εβδομάδα. (I work six days a week.) |
| επτά / εφτά | ehp-TAH / ehf-TAH | seven | Το ξενοδοχείο έχει επτά ορόφους. (The hotel has seven floors.) |
| οκτώ / οχτώ | ohk-TOH / ohh-TOH | eight | Ξυπνάω στις οκτώ. (I wake up at eight.) |
| εννέα / εννιά | eh-NEH-ah / eh-NYAH | nine | Έχουμε εννέα φοιτητές. (We have nine students.) |
| δέκα | THEH-kah | ten | Κοστίζει δέκα ευρώ. (It costs ten euros.) |
| έντεκα | EHN-deh-kah | eleven | Το παιδί είναι έντεκα χρονών. (The child is eleven years old.) |
| δώδεκα | THOH-theh-kah | twelve | Υπάρχουν δώδεκα μήνες. (There are twelve months.) |
| είκοσι | EE-koh-see | twenty | Είμαι είκοσι χρονών. (I am twenty years old.) |
| τριάντα | tree-AHN-dah | thirty | Περιμένω τριάντα λεπτά. (I'm waiting thirty minutes.) |
| σαράντα | sah-RAHN-dah | forty | Έχει σαράντα βιβλία. (He has forty books.) |
| πενήντα | peh-NEEN-dah | fifty | Πενήντα τοις εκατό. (Fifty percent.) |
| εκατό | eh-kah-TOH | one hundred | Κοστίζει εκατό ευρώ. (It costs one hundred euros.) |
| χίλια | HEE-lyah | one thousand | Η πόλη έχει χίλια κατοίκους. (The city has a thousand residents.) |
| μηδέν | mee-THEHN | zero | Η θερμοκρασία είναι μηδέν βαθμοί. (The temperature is zero degrees.) |
Common Phrases with Numbers
Once you learn Greek numbers, you'll want to use them in everyday situations. Here are essential phrases that combine numbers with practical vocabulary.
| Phrase | Pronunciation | English | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Πόσο κοστίζει; | POH-soh koh-STEE-zee | How much does it cost? | Use when shopping or at restaurants |
| Τι ώρα είναι; | tee OH-rah EE-neh | What time is it? | Asking about time |
| Πόσων χρονών είσαι; | POH-sohn hroh-NOHN EE-seh | How old are you? | Informal age question |
| Ο αριθμός μου είναι... | oh ah-reeth-MOHS moo EE-neh | My number is... | Sharing phone numbers |
| πρώτος / πρώτη | PROH-tohs / PROH-tee | first (m/f) | Είναι η πρώτη φορά. (It's the first time.) |
| δεύτερος / δεύτερη | THEHF-teh-rohs / THEHF-teh-ree | second (m/f) | Ο δεύτερος όροφος. (The second floor.) |
| μισός / μισή | mee-SOHS / mee-SEE | half (m/f) | Μισή ώρα. (Half an hour.) |
Usage Notes
Understanding the nuances of Greek numbers will help you sound more natural. Here are important cultural and grammatical points to remember:
- Gender agreement: Greek numbers 1, 3, and 4 change form based on the gender of the noun they modify. For example: ένας άντρας (one man), μία γυναίκα (one woman), ένα παιδί (one child).
- Formal vs. informal: Numbers like 7, 8, and 9 have both formal (επτά, οκτώ, εννέα) and informal (εφτά, οχτώ, εννιά) versions. The informal versions are more common in everyday speech.
- Counting on fingers: Greeks start counting with the thumb, not the index finger. When showing "one," they extend the thumb.
- Phone numbers: Greeks typically read phone numbers in pairs. The number 69 12 34 56 78 would be read as "sixty-nine, twelve, thirty-four, fifty-six, seventy-eight."
- Prices: When discussing prices, Greeks use the comma for decimals and the period for thousands (opposite of English). So €1.500,50 means one thousand five hundred euros and fifty cents.
- Ordinal numbers: Unlike cardinal numbers, ordinal numbers (πρώτος, δεύτερος, etc.) are adjectives and must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.
Practice Sentences
Put your knowledge of Greek words for numbers into practice with these example sentences covering everyday situations:
- Θέλω δύο κιλά πορτοκάλια. — I want two kilos of oranges.
- Το διαμέρισμά μου είναι στον τρίτο όροφο. — My apartment is on the third floor.
- Είμαστε πέντε άτομα για το δείπνο. — We are five people for dinner.
- Το λεωφορείο φεύγει στις τρεις και μισή. — The bus leaves at three thirty.
- Χρειάζομαι εκατό γραμμάρια τυρί. — I need one hundred grams of cheese.
- Ο παππούς μου είναι ογδόντα πέντε χρονών. — My grandfather is eighty-five years old.
- Η πτήση διαρκεί τρεις ώρες και σαράντα λεπτά. — The flight lasts three hours and forty minutes.
- Υπάρχουν είκοσι τέσσερις ώρες σε μια μέρα. — There are twenty-four hours in a day.
- Ο λογαριασμός είναι εξήντα επτά ευρώ. — The bill is sixty-seven euros.
- Γεννήθηκα στις δεκατέσσερις Μαρτίου χίλια εννιακόσια ενενήντα. — I was born on the fourteenth of March, nineteen ninety.
As you continue to learn Greek numbers, practice counting objects around you, reading prices, and telling time. The more you incorporate numbers into your daily Greek practice, the more natural they will become!