Russian Numbers 1 to 20

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Count to twenty, handle the three genders of one and two, say your age the Russian way, and tell the time.

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Один to десять

The first ten: один, два, три, четыре, пять, шесть, семь, восемь, девять, десять. Stress matters: одИн, два, три, четЫре, пять, шесть, семь, вОсемь, дЕвять, дЕсять. Один has three genders — один стол (one table, m), одна книга (one book, f), одно окно (one window, n) — and два has two: два стола but две книги (feminine две). From три on, numbers never change for gender.

Eleven to twenty

Teens fuse the digit with -надцать (on-ten): одиннадцать, двенадцать, тринадцать, четырнадцать, пятнадцать, шестнадцать, семнадцать, восемнадцать, девятнадцать, then двадцать (20). Stress the -на-: пятнАдцать. The tens continue the pattern outward: тридцать (30), сорок (40 — irregular!), пятьдесят (50). Compounds just join: 21 is двадцать один.

Age: years decline

Age uses the dative + год family: Мне двадцать лет (to-me twenty years — I am 20). The word for "years" cycles: 1 год, 2–4 года, 5–20 лет, then repeats (21 год, 22 года, 25 лет). Ask with Сколько тебе лет? (informal) or Сколько вам лет? (formal). Children under ten often answer with fingers plus мне пять.

Time and quantities

Hours: Сейчас три часа (now three hours — it is three o'clock); one o'clock is Сейчас час. Half hours count FORWARD in Russian: 3:30 is половина четвёртого (half of the fourth [hour])! Counting objects needs case endings beyond this lesson — but one, two and the nominative plural cover daily survival: два билета (two tickets), три чашки чая (three cups of tea).

Number	Russian
1–5	один, два, три, четыре, пять
6–10	шесть, семь, восемь, девять, десять
11–15	одиннадцать… пятнадцать
16–20	шестнадцать… девятнадцать, двадцать
How old are you?	Сколько тебе лет? / Сколько вам лет?
I am 20 years old	Мне двадцать лет

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