Zero to ten

Start here. These eleven words are the building blocks for almost every other number. The third column shows the stressed syllable in capitals, so you know where to put the weight.

#	Greek	Say it
0	μηδέν	mi-DHEN
1	ένα	E-na
2	δύο	DHI-o
3	τρία	TRI-a
4	τέσσερα	TE-se-ra
5	πέντε	PEN-de
6	έξι	E-ksi
7	εφτά	ef-TA
8	οχτώ	oh-TO
9	εννιά	e-NIA
10	δέκα	DHE-ka

Eleven to nineteen

Eleven and twelve are their own words, έντεκα (EN-de-ka) and δώδεκα (DHO-dhe-ka). From thirteen on, you just glue ten and the digit together: δεκατρία (ten-three, 13), δεκατέσσερα (ten-four, 14), all the way to δεκαεννιά (ten-nine, 19). No new vocabulary to memorise.

Tens, hundreds, and beyond

The tens are their own set of words. Once you have them, you build everything in between the same way you did the teens: the ten, then the digit. Είκοσι ένα is twenty-one, σαράντα πέντε is forty-five.

#	Greek	Say it
20	είκοσι	I-ko-si
30	τριάντα	tri-AN-da
40	σαράντα	sa-RAN-da
50	πενήντα	pe-NIN-da
60	εξήντα	e-KSIN-da
70	εβδομήντα	ev-dho-MIN-da
80	ογδόντα	ogh-DHON-da
90	ενενήντα	e-ne-NIN-da
100	εκατό	e-ka-TO
1000	χίλια	HI-lia

Hundreds follow a pattern too: διακόσια (200), τριακόσια (300), τετρακόσια (400). A thousand is χίλια, and two thousand is δύο χιλιάδες.

The one rule that catches beginners

Three numbers change their form to match the gender of the noun: one, three, and four. One is ένας for masculine, μία for feminine, and ένα for neuter, so you say ένας καφές (one coffee) but μία μπίρα (one beer). Three and four do the same: τρεις μέρες (three days) but τρία παιδιά (three children). Every other number stays the same no matter what follows it, so this is a short rule with a big payoff.

First, second, third

Ordinals behave like adjectives and change their ending to match the noun. The core ones are πρώτος (first), δεύτερος (second), τρίτος (third), τέταρτος (fourth), and πέμπτος(fifth). You meet them constantly: the first floor, the second time, a third helping. Learn the first five and the rest follow the same shape.

See numbers in real sentences

Numbers stick fastest when you meet them inside a story rather than a list. Once you have the alphabet and these words, read an A1-level story and watch how often prices, ages, and dates come up. New to the letters? Start with the Greek alphabet, then come back here.

Generate your first story