Counting One to Ten

Level 2

Ten number words, and only the first three change.

How It Works

NumberMasculineFeminineNeuter
oneunusunaunum
twoduoduaeduo
threetrestrestria

The other numbers stay the same for every noun: quattuor (four), quinque (five), sex (six), septem (seven), octo (eight), novem (nine) and decem (ten).

The table shows the nominative, the form for a subject. Unus, duo and tres also take the case of their noun, and the other cases of duo and tres come at Level 4.

The letter c in decem sounds like k in classical Latin (DEH-kem) and like ch in Church Latin (DEH-chem). In both, qu in quinque sounds like kw.

Examples (5)

  1. Una puella cantat.

    One girl sings.

    Una is the feminine form, so it matches puella.

  2. Duo amici in villa sunt.

    Two friends are in the house.

    Duo is the masculine form, and it matches amici.

  3. Tres libri in mensa sunt.

    Three books are on the table.

    Tres is the same for masculine and feminine nouns. Libri is masculine.

  4. Quinque pueri legunt.

    Five boys read.

    Quinque never changes, and the verb is plural.

  5. Credo in unum Deum.

    I believe in one God.

    The Creed opens with unum, the masculine accusative of unus, after in. Learn it whole.

Common Mistakes

  • Using duo with a feminine noun.

    Duo puellae cantant.
    Duae puellae cantant.

    Puellae is feminine, so the word for two is duae.

  • Using unus with a feminine noun.

    Unus puella cantat.
    Una puella cantat.

    Unus is the masculine form. Puella needs the feminine una.

How It Connects

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

Counting One to TenLevel 2

Learn This First

Unus, duo and tres change their endings like adjectives, so the adjective forms come first.

Words in This Pattern

unusunusduotresquattuorquinquesexseptemoctonovemdecem