Cardinal Numbers 20-100

Level 1

Albanian numbers 20-100 use a mix of base-20 (for 20 and 40) and base-10 (30, 50-90) systems. Intermediate numbers are joined by the word 'e' (and).

How It Works

To count from 20 to 100 in Standard Albanian, you must learn two distinct patterns:

1. The Tens (20, 30, 40...)

  • 20: njëzet (literally 'one-twenty')
  • 30: tridhjetë (Note the vowel change from tre to tri-)
  • 40: dyzet (literally 'two-twenty')
  • 50-90: Formed by [Unit] + dhjetë (e.g., pesëdhjetë, gjashtëdhjetë, etc.)
  • 100: njëqind

2. Intermediate Numbers (21-99)
Intermediate numbers are formed by saying the 'ten' followed by the conjunction e ('and') and then the 'unit'. Unlike the 'teens' (11-19) which use the suffix -mbëdhjetë, these are written as three separate words.
Example: 21 = njëzet e një.

3. Gender Agreement with '3'
The number 3 is the only one in this range that changes based on the gender of the noun. Use tre for masculine and tri for feminine nouns. This applies to compound numbers like 23, 33, 43, etc.
Example: njëzet e tre libra (23 books) vs. njëzet e tri vajza (23 girls).

Examples (5)

  1. Ai bleu njëzet e pesë libra.

    He bought twenty-five books.

    Word by Word: He bought twenty and five books.

    Shows the standard 'Ten + e + Unit' structure for the number 25.

  2. Në klasë janë tridhjetë e tri vajza.

    There are thirty-three girls in the class.

    Word by Word: In class are thirty and three girls.

    Demonstrates the feminine form 'tri' used in the compound number 33 because 'vajza' (girls) is feminine.

  3. Gjyshja ime është tetëdhjetë vjeçe.

    My grandmother is eighty years old.

    Word by Word: Grandmother my is eighty years-old.

    Shows the decimal formation of 80 (tetë + dhjetë).

  4. Kemi dyzet e dy nxënës në shkollë.

    We have forty-two students in the school.

    Word by Word: We-have forty and two students in school.

    Uses the standard vigesimal form 'dyzet' for 40.

  5. Libri ka njëqind faqe.

    The book has one hundred pages.

    Word by Word: Book-the has one-hundred pages.

    Shows the word for 100, 'njëqind'.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing 30 as 'tredhjetë' instead of 'tridhjetë'.

    tredhjetë
    tridhjetë

    In Standard Albanian, the vowel 'e' in 'tre' (3) changes to 'i' when forming 'tridhjetë' (30).

  • Omitting the conjunction 'e' between the ten and the unit.

    njëzet një
    njëzet e një

    Unlike English, Albanian requires the conjunction 'e' (and) to join tens and units from 21 to 99.

  • Using 'tre' for feminine nouns in compound numbers.

    njëzet e tre gra
    njëzet e tri gra

    The number 3 must agree in gender: 'tre' for masculine, 'tri' for feminine. This rule persists in larger numbers like 23, 33, etc.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Cardinal Numbers 20-100Level 1

Learn This First

To learn cardinal numbers from 20 to 100, you must first be comfortable with the basic digits 1-10 and the teens. These provide the building blocks for compound numbers. Additionally, familiarity with the Albanian alphabet, specifically the vowel 'ë', is essential for correct pronunciation and spelling of the base tens.

Words in This Pattern

pesëdhjetëgjashtëdhjetështatëdhjetëtetëdhjetënëntëdhjetënjëqind