Numbers from 1 to 20 in Russian
Lesson Objective:
By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to recognize, pronounce, and use Russian numbers from 1 to 20 in basic communication contexts.
Vocabulary List:
- Один (odin) – one
- Два (dva) – two
- Три (tri) – three
- Четыре (chetyre) – four
- Пять (pyat’) – five
- Шесть (shest’) – six
- Семь (sem’) – seven
- Восемь (vosem’) – eight
- Девять (devyat’) – nine
- Десять (desyat’) – ten
- Одиннадцать (odinnadtsat’) – eleven
- Двенадцать (dvenadtsat’) – twelve
- Тринадцать (trinadtsat’) – thirteen
- Четырнадцать (chetyrnadtsat’) – fourteen
- Пятнадцать (pyatnadtsat’) – fifteen
- Шестнадцать (shestnadtsat’) – sixteen
- Семнадцать (semnadtsat’) – seventeen
- Восемнадцать (vosemnadtsat’) – eighteen
- Девятнадцать (devyatnadtsat’) – nineteen
- Двадцать (dvadtsat’) – twenty
Grammar Point:
In Russian, numbers from 1 to 20 are mostly unique and must be memorized individually. However, numbers from 11 to 19 follow a pattern where the root of the single-digit number is combined with the suffix “-надцать” (-nadtsat’), similar to the English “-teen” in thirteen, fourteen, etc.
Example:
- Один (1) → Одиннадцать (11)
- Два (2) → Двенадцать (12)
- Три (3) → Тринадцать (13)
The number 20 – двадцать – does not have this suffix and is a standalone word like "twenty" in English.
Exercises:
Reading Comprehension:
Read the following text and identify all the numbers:
Аня купила три яблока, два банана и одну грушу. Маша купила десять апельсинов и одну дыню. Вместе они купили двадцать фруктов.
Task: Write down all the Russian numbers that appear in the text and translate them into English.
Listening Comprehension:
Listen to the audio track where a Russian speaker counts from 1 to 20 slowly and clearly.
Task: As you listen, write down the numbers and repeat them out loud to practice pronunciation.
Speaking Practice:
Practice saying your age and the ages of your family members in Russian.
Example: Мне десять лет. (I am ten years old.) Моему брату семнадцать лет. (My brother is seventeen years old.)
Task: Create three sentences using Russian numbers to describe quantities, ages, or groups of items (e.g., Я купил четыре книги – I bought four books).
Summary:
- You learned the Russian numbers from 1 to 20.
- Russian numbers 11–19 follow a “-надцать” pattern similar to the English “-teen.”
- You practiced reading, listening, and speaking using these numbers in real-life contexts.
Homework:
- Memorize all Russian numbers from 1 to 20 and write them out from memory with their English meanings.
- Record yourself counting from 1 to 20 in Russian and listen back for pronunciation practice.
- Create a short paragraph (3–4 sentences) using at least five numbers from the lesson, and be ready to read it in the next class.
