Numbers in Ukrainian are grammatically demanding. Unlike English, where a number simply precedes a noun with minimal agreement (one apple, two apples), Ukrainian numbers interact with nouns through a specific system of case government. Small numbers take one case; larger numbers take another. Numbers themselves decline through all seven cases. Compound numbers (twenty-three, one hundred and forty-five) require all their component parts to agree. Ordinals behave like adjectives. Telling time requires a particular set of conventions that mix cardinals, ordinals, and prepositions.
This reference provides the complete inventory of Ukrainian cardinal numbers from one to one thousand, along with the ordinal forms, the agreement rules that govern noun endings, and the conventions for telling time. Throughout, we provide transliteration and examples. Ukrainian number agreement is close to Russian number agreement but has its own specifics in endings and stress; do not transfer Russian patterns wholesale.
Learning numbers well pays back in every area of Ukrainian: shopping, scheduling, giving directions, discussing prices, telling time, and reading statistics. Spend time on this system early; the patterns extend throughout the grammar.
Cardinal Numbers 1-10
Table 1: Numbers 1-10
| Number | Ukrainian | Transliteration | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | один | odyn | /ɔˈdɪn/ |
| 2 | два (m./n.), дві (f.) | dva, dvi | /dwa/, /dwi/ |
| 3 | три | try | /trɪ/ |
| 4 | чотири | chotyry | /tʃɔˈtɪrɪ/ |
| 5 | п'ять | piat | /pjatʲ/ |
| 6 | шість | shist | /ʃistʲ/ |
| 7 | сім | sim | /simʲ/ |
| 8 | вісім | visim | /ˈwisimʲ/ |
| 9 | дев'ять | deviat | /ˈdɛwjatʲ/ |
| 10 | десять | desiat | /ˈdɛsjatʲ/ |
один agrees in gender and case with its noun: один стіл (one table, m.), одна книга (one book, f.), одне вікно (one window, n.). Два/дві distinguishes gender: два столи (two tables, m.), дві книги (two books, f.), два вікна (two windows, n.).
Numbers 11-19
Table 2: Numbers 11-19
| Number | Ukrainian | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | одинадцять | odynadtsiat |
| 12 | дванадцять | dvanadtsiat |
| 13 | тринадцять | trynadtsiat |
| 14 | чотирнадцять | chotyrnadtsiat |
| 15 | п'ятнадцять | piatnadtsiat |
| 16 | шістнадцять | shistnadtsiat |
| 17 | сімнадцять | simnadtsiat |
| 18 | вісімнадцять | visimnadtsiat |
| 19 | дев'ятнадцять | deviatnadtsiat |
These are formed transparently from the unit + -надцять (= "on ten"). Stress typically falls on the -на- syllable.
Numbers 20-100
Table 3: Tens
| Number | Ukrainian | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | двадцять | dvadtsiat |
| 30 | тридцять | trydtsiat |
| 40 | сорок | sorok |
| 50 | п'ятдесят | piatdesiat |
| 60 | шістдесят | shistdesiat |
| 70 | сімдесят | simdesiat |
| 80 | вісімдесят | visimdesiat |
| 90 | дев'яносто | devianosto |
| 100 | сто | sto |
Note irregular forms: сорок (40), дев'яносто (90), сто (100). The 50-80 range uses -десят (= "of tens").
Compound numbers: двадцять один (21), двадцять два (22), сімдесят п'ять (75), вісімдесят дев'ять (89).
Numbers 200-1000
Table 4: Hundreds and thousand
| Number | Ukrainian | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | двісті | dvisti |
| 300 | триста | trysta |
| 400 | чотириста | chotyrysta |
| 500 | п'ятсот | piatsot |
| 600 | шістсот | shistsot |
| 700 | сімсот | simsot |
| 800 | вісімсот | visimsot |
| 900 | дев'ятсот | deviatsot |
| 1000 | тисяча | tysiacha |
Compound examples:
- 123 = сто двадцять три (sto dvadtsiat try)
- 456 = чотириста п'ятдесят шість (chotyrysta piatdesiat shist)
- 999 = дев'ятсот дев'яносто дев'ять (deviatsot devianosto deviat)
- 1000 = тисяча (tysiacha)
Number-Noun Agreement: The Critical Rule
Ukrainian numbers govern the case of the noun they quantify. This is not a stylistic preference; it is a grammatical requirement.
Rule 1: The number 1 (один). Takes the nominative singular. The noun and any adjective agree with один in gender, number, and case.
- один хороший стіл (odyn khoroshyi stil) = one good table
- одна хороша книга (odna khorosha knyha) = one good book
- одне хороше вікно (odne khoroshe vikno) = one good window
Rule 2: The numbers 2, 3, 4 (and compound numbers ending in 2, 3, 4). Take the nominative plural... or, in older and more formal Ukrainian, the genitive singular for certain noun types. In modern standard Ukrainian, the pattern is:
- два столи (dva stoly) = two tables (nominative plural, stressed on the ending)
- три книги (try knyhy) = three books
- чотири вікна (chotyry vikna) = four windows
Russian uses the genitive singular here (два стола); Ukrainian uses the nominative plural with stress shift in some cases. This is a real structural difference.
Rule 3: The numbers 5 and higher (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11-20, 25, 30, etc.). Take the genitive plural.
- п'ять столів (piat stoliv) = five tables
- шість книг (shist knyh) = six books
- десять вікон (desiat vikon) = ten windows
- сто двадцять п'ять студентів (sto dvadtsiat piat studentiv) = 125 students
Rule 4: Compound numbers. The final digit determines the noun case.
- 21 = двадцять один + nominative singular: двадцять один стіл
- 22 = двадцять два + nominative plural: двадцять два столи
- 25 = двадцять п'ять + genitive plural: двадцять п'ять столів
- 101 = сто один + nominative singular: сто один стіл
Table 5: Case triggered by final digit
| Final digit of number | Case of noun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (including 21, 101, 531) | Nominative singular | один стіл, двадцять один стіл |
| 2, 3, 4 | Nominative plural | два столи, двадцять чотири столи |
| 5-9, 0, 11-19 | Genitive plural | п'ять столів, сімнадцять столів |
Exception: the numbers 11-19 always take genitive plural, even though they "end in 1" etc. "Eleven" = одинадцять столів (eleven tables, gen. pl.), not *одинадцять стіл.
Declension of Numbers
Numbers themselves decline through the cases. Here is the declension of a few key numbers.
Table 6: Declension of один (one, masculine)
| Case | Singular | Plural (rare) |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | один | одні |
| Genitive | одного | одних |
| Dative | одному | одним |
| Accusative | один/одного | одні/одних |
| Instrumental | одним | одними |
| Locative | (на) одному | (на) одних |
Table 7: Declension of два (two, masc./neut.)
| Case | Form |
|---|---|
| Nominative | два |
| Genitive | двох |
| Dative | двом |
| Accusative | два/двох |
| Instrumental | двома |
| Locative | (на) двох |
Table 8: Declension of п'ять (five)
| Case | Form |
|---|---|
| Nominative | п'ять |
| Genitive | п'яти (п'ятьох) |
| Dative | п'яти (п'ятьом) |
| Accusative | п'ять |
| Instrumental | п'ятьма (п'ятьома) |
| Locative | (на) п'яти (п'ятьох) |
In compound numbers, every component declines: двохсот двадцяти трьох (two hundred twenty-three, genitive) - all three parts decline.
Ordinal Numbers
Ordinals (first, second, third) behave like adjectives, agreeing in gender, number, and case with their noun.
Table 9: Ordinals 1st-10th
| Ordinal | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | перший | перша | перше |
| 2nd | другий | друга | друге |
| 3rd | третій | третя | третє |
| 4th | четвертий | четверта | четверте |
| 5th | п'ятий | п'ята | п'яте |
| 6th | шостий | шоста | шосте |
| 7th | сьомий | сьома | сьоме |
| 8th | восьмий | восьма | восьме |
| 9th | дев'ятий | дев'ята | дев'яте |
| 10th | десятий | десята | десяте |
Table 10: Higher ordinals
| Ordinal | Masculine |
|---|---|
| 11th | одинадцятий |
| 20th | двадцятий |
| 50th | п'ятдесятий |
| 100th | сотий |
| 1000th | тисячний |
| 21st | двадцять перший (only the final part takes ordinal form) |
| 125th | сто двадцять п'ятий |
In compound ordinals, only the last element takes the ordinal form; preceding elements stay as cardinals: сто двадцять п'ятий день (the 125th day).
Telling Time
Ukrainian time-telling has specific conventions.
Asking the time:
- Котра година? (Kotra hodyna?) = What time is it? (Literally: which hour?)
Telling on-the-hour times: Use the ordinal feminine + година.
- 1:00 = перша година (persha hodyna) = 1 o'clock
- 2:00 = друга година (druha hodyna)
- 5:00 = п'ята година (piata hodyna)
- 10:00 = десята година (desiata hodyna)
Note: colloquially the word година is often dropped: зараз п'ята = it's five now.
Minutes past: For the first half hour, use cardinal minutes + the ordinal of the NEXT hour in genitive.
- 5:10 = десять хвилин на шосту (desiat khvylyn na shostu) = ten minutes to the sixth = 5:10 in the past format, or literally "ten minutes toward the sixth hour"
- 5:15 = чверть на шосту (chvert na shostu) = a quarter past five
- 5:20 = двадцять хвилин на шосту (dvadtsiat khvylyn na shostu)
- 5:30 = пів на шосту (piv na shostu) = half past five
Minutes to: For the second half hour, use без + genitive minutes + ordinal hour.
- 5:40 = без двадцяти шоста (bez dvadtsiaty shosta) = twenty minutes to six
- 5:45 = без чверті шоста (bez chverti shosta) = a quarter to six
- 5:55 = без п'яти шоста (bez piaty shosta) = five to six
At what time: Use о + locative for on-the-hour.
- О п'ятій годині (O piatiy hodyni) = at 5 o'clock
- О дев'ятій тридцять (O deviatiy trydtsiat) = at 9:30
Common Mistakes (especially for Russian speakers learning Ukrainian)
1. Using Russian genitive singular after 2, 3, 4. Russian: два стола (gen. sg.). Ukrainian: два столи (nom. pl.). Do not copy.
2. Using Russian тысяча for 1000. Ukrainian is тисяча (tysiacha), with -я- and stress on the first syllable.
3. Saying "сто один книга" for 101 books. After 101, the case is nominative singular (because final digit is 1): сто одна книга (f.) or сто один стіл (m.).
4. Not declining compound numbers. Every part of a compound number declines. У мене є двісті п'ятдесят книг (I have 250 books, gen. pl.); Я відповідаю на двохстам п'ятдесяти запитанням (I am answering 250 questions, dative with all parts declined).
5. Using Russian ordinals. Russian первый = Ukrainian перший. Russian второй = Ukrainian другий (!) - different root. Russian третий = Ukrainian третій (similar but different ending).
6. Confusing the feminine и masculine два/дві. Russian has два (m./n.) and две (f.). Ukrainian has два (m./n.) and дві (f.) - different vowel.
7. Using Russian time-telling conventions. Ukrainian на шосту (toward the sixth) = Russian шестого (of the sixth). The preposition and case differ.
8. Using Russian nine-and-ninety. Russian 90 = девяносто. Ukrainian 90 = дев'яносто (with apostrophe). Spelling and phonology differ.
9. Saying "one hundred and..." with "і". Ukrainian does not use і (and) to connect hundreds and units the way English does. 125 is simply сто двадцять п'ять, not *сто і двадцять п'ять.
10. Wrong form of один in accusative animate. Я бачу одного студента (I see one student) - accusative = genitive form for animate. Not один студент.
Quick Reference
Table 11: Number-noun agreement cheat sheet
| Number ends in | Noun case | Example (with стіл) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (not 11) | Nom. sg. | 21 стіл |
| 2, 3, 4 (not 12-14) | Nom. pl. | 22 столи |
| 5-9, 11-19, 0 | Gen. pl. | 15 столів |
Table 12: Useful number words
| Ukrainian | Meaning |
|---|---|
| нуль | zero |
| половина, пів | half |
| чверть | quarter |
| третина | third |
| пара | a pair |
| десяток | a dozen (actually ten) |
| багато | many |
| мало | few |
| кілька | a few, several |
FAQ
Why do numbers change the case of the noun?
It is a remnant of Proto-Slavic grammar. Small numbers (1-4) originally treated the counted items as individuated objects; larger numbers (5+) treated them as a collective mass, using the genitive plural. This distinction is preserved in Ukrainian and Russian.
Do I really have to decline compound numbers?
In careful written Ukrainian, yes. In spoken Ukrainian, speakers often simplify by declining only the final element or keeping all elements in nominative when the whole phrase is in an oblique case. Formal writing declines fully.
What is the difference between пів and половина?
Both mean "half." Пів is used with following nouns (пів години = half an hour, пів літра = half a liter). Половина stands alone or with an of-phrase (половина групи = half of the group).
How do I say "1.5 hours"?
Півтори години (pivtory hodyny, feminine) or півтора місяця (pivtora misiatsia, masculine/neuter). These are irregular quantifier forms.
How do you count higher than 1000?
Тисяча (1000), дві тисячі (2000), п'ять тисяч (5000, note genitive plural of тисяча), сто тисяч (100000), мільйон (million), мільярд (billion).
Are the fractions like in English?
Fractions use feminine ordinals + feminine "part" (частина): одна третя частина (one-third) or simply одна третя. For halves, use половина or пів.
How do I say "both" in Ukrainian?
Обидва (m./n.) or обидві (f.). They decline like два/дві: обидва столи, обидві книги, обидва вікна.
See Also
- Ukrainian Seven Cases Declension Reference
- Ukrainian Adjectives Agreement and Declension
- Ukrainian Alphabet: Differences from Russian
- Ukrainian Pronouns Reference
- Russian Numbers 1-100 Cardinal Ordinal
- Russian Six Cases Complete Guide
- Grammatical Cases Comparison
- Ukrainian Verb Conjugation and Aspect System
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do numbers change the case of the noun?
It is a Proto-Slavic remnant. Small numbers (1-4) originally treated counted items as individuated objects; larger numbers (5+) treated them as a collective mass, using the genitive plural. Ukrainian preserves this distinction.
Do I really have to decline compound numbers?
In careful written Ukrainian, yes. In spoken Ukrainian, speakers often simplify by declining only the final element or keeping all elements in nominative. Formal writing declines fully.
What is the difference between пів and половина?
Both mean 'half.' Пів is used with following nouns (пів години = half an hour). Половина stands alone or with an of-phrase (половина групи = half of the group).
How do I say 1.5 hours?
Півтори години (feminine) or півтора місяця (masculine/neuter). These are irregular quantifier forms used specifically for 1.5 of something.
How do you count higher than 1000?
Тисяча (1000), дві тисячі (2000), п'ять тисяч (5000, gen. pl. of тисяча), сто тисяч (100,000), мільйон (million), мільярд (billion).
Are fractions like in English?
Fractions use feminine ordinals + feminine 'part' (частина): одна третя частина (one-third) or simply одна третя. For halves, use половина or пів.
How do I say both in Ukrainian?
Обидва (m./n.) or обидві (f.). They decline like два/дві: обидва столи, обидві книги, обидва вікна.
