Russian Numbers and Counting: From 1 to 1,000,000

Apr 2

Introduction: Why Learning Russian Numbers Matters

Numbers are one of the most essential parts of any language. Whether you’re ordering food, asking for directions, or handling money, knowing how to count in Russian will make your life significantly easier. Learning Russian numbersisn’t just about memorizing digits—it’s about understanding how they function in everyday situations.

Imagine you’re in Moscow, ordering coffee at a cafe. You want two cappuccinos and a croissant. The barista asks for payment, and you hear: "Это будет триста двадцать рублей." (That will be 320 rubles.) If you don’t know your numbers, you might panic, pull out your wallet, and hope you’re handing over the correct amount. But if you do know them, you’ll confidently give the right sum and maybe even impress the barista with your Russian skills.

At Polyglottist Language Academy, we know that numbers are a crucial part of learning any language. That’s why we’ve created this comprehensive guide to Russian numbers and counting—so you can confidently navigate conversations, transactions, and everyday situations in Russian.

By the end of this article, you’ll know:

How to count from 1 to 1,000,000 in Russian
The rules for forming numbers
How Russian numbers change depending on grammatical cases
Common phrases and real-life examples using numbers

So, let’s dive in!

Counting from 1 to 10 in Russian

Let’s start with the basics. Here are the numbers 1 to 10 in Russian:

1 – один (a-deen)
2 – два (dva)
3 – три (tree)
4 – четыре (chee-ty-re)
5 – пять (pyat’)
6 – шесть (shest’)
7 – семь (syem’)
8 – восемь (vo-syem’)
9 – девять (dyev-yat’)
10 – десять (dye-syat’)

Important Notes:

“Один” (one) changes based on gender:
- Один (masculine) – один рубль (one ruble)
- Одна (feminine) – одна книга (one book)
- Одно (neuter) – одно яблоко (one apple)
The numbers 2, 3, and 4 change when used with nouns, but we’ll cover that later.

Counting from 11 to 20 in Russian

These numbers are slightly irregular, but they follow a pattern:

11 – одиннадцать (a-dee-nnad-tsat’)
12 – двенадцать (dve-nad-tsat’)
13 – тринадцать (tree-nad-tsat’)
14 – четырнадцать (chee-tyr-nad-tsat’)
15 – пятнадцать (pyat-nad-tsat’)
16 – шестнадцать (shest-nad-tsat’)
17 – семнадцать (syem-nad-tsat’)
18 – восемнадцать (vo-syem-nad-tsat’)
19 – девятнадцать (dyev-yat-nad-tsat’)
20 – двадцать (dva-tsat’)

All numbers from 11 to 19 end in "-надцать," similar to how English has "-teen" (thirteen, fourteen, etc.).

Counting from 21 to 100

Once you reach 21, numbers follow a simple pattern:
tens + single digit

For example:

21 – двадцать один (dva-tsat’ a-deen)
22 – двадцать два (dva-tsat’ dva)
23 – двадцать три (dva-tsat’ tree)
30 – тридцать (treet-tsat’)
40 – сорок (sorok)
50 – пятьдесят (pyat-de-syat’)
60 – шестьдесят (shest-de-syat’)
70 – семьдесят (syem-de-syat’)
80 – восемьдесят (vo-syem-de-syat’)
90 – девяносто (dyev-ya-nos-to)
100 – сто (sto)

Counting in the Hundreds and Thousands

From here, numbers follow a straightforward pattern:

100 – сто (sto)
200 – двести (dvyes-tee)
300 – триста (tree-sta)
400 – четыреста (chee-ty-re-sta)
500 – пятьсот (pyat-sot)
600 – шестьсот (shest-sot)
700 – семьсот (syem-sot)
800 – восемьсот (vo-syem-sot)
900 – девятьсот (dyev-yat-sot)

For thousands:

1,000 – тысяча (ty-sya-cha)
2,000 – две тысячи (dve ty-sya-chi)
10,000 – десять тысяч (dye-syat’ ty-syach’)
100,000 – сто тысяч (sto ty-syach’)
1,000,000 – один миллион (a-deen mi-lyon’)

Using Russian Numbers in Everyday Life

Numbers are everywhere in daily life, so knowing them will help in these situations:

Ordering food: "Я хочу два кофе и один чай" (I want two coffees and one tea.)
Buying tickets: "Сколько стоит два билета?" (How much for two tickets?)
Giving your phone number: "Мой номер 8-905-555-12-34."

Internal Links: Continue Your Russian Learning

Check out more helpful articles from our blog:

By mastering Russian numbers, you’ll be able to handle everyday conversations with confidence. Keep practicing, and soon counting in Russian will feel completely natural!

Olga Sylvia