A2 · Elementary Chapter 28

Numbers and Counters

4 Total Rules
24 examples
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of counting, ordering, and measuring anything you encounter in daily Romanian life.

  • Identify ordinal positions like 'first' or 'tenth'.
  • Construct large and complex numbers accurately.
  • Apply specific counters when describing quantities of objects.
Count with confidence and order your world.

What You'll Learn

Ordinal numbers and complex counting systems. Using counters for specific object types.

  • Ordinal Numbers
    Master the 'al...lea' and 'a...a' sandwich to correctly rank nouns by gender in Romanian.
  • Complex Numbers
    Connect tens with 'și' and always use 'de' for nouns when the number is 20 or higher.
  • Fractions and Decimals
    In Romanian, swap your decimal dots for commas and use the -ime suffix for most fractions.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: describe the sequence of events using ordinal numbers correctly.

Key Examples (6)

1

I live on the second floor.

I live on the second floor.

Ordinal Numbers
2

She is the first student on the list.

She is the first student on the list.

Ordinal Numbers
3

Am `doisprezece` studenți în clasă.

I have twelve students in my class.

Complex Numbers
4

Cămașa costă `douăzeci și cinci` de lei.

The shirt costs twenty-five lei.

Complex Numbers
5

Am cumpărat o jumătate de kilogram de zahăr.

I bought half a kilogram of sugar.

Fractions and Decimals
6

Este ora două și un sfert.

It is a quarter past two.

Fractions and Decimals

Tips & Tricks (3)

💡

The 'A' and 'Al' Trick

Think of 'Al' as the 'L' in 'Lord' (masculine) and 'A' as the 'A' in 'Alice' (feminine). It helps you pick the right starter!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ordinal Numbers
🎯

The 'DE' Shortcut

If you are counting money and the number is 20+, just remember: 'Number + DE + Currency'. It works every time for shopping!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Complex Numbers
⚠️

The Comma Trap

Never use a period for decimals in Romania. If you write 2.500, people will think you mean two thousand five hundred!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Fractions and Decimals

Key Vocabulary (5)

primul the first sută hundred pereche pair jumătate half zecime tenth (part)

Real-World Preview

shopping-cart

Ordering at a Bakery

Review Summary

  • primul/a + noun
  • X și Y
  • Num + noun
  • numeral + parte

Common Mistakes

Use 'o' (feminine) instead of 'unu' (masculine) when counting feminine nouns.

Wrong: Unu prăjitură
Correct: O prăjitură

Do not use cardinal numbers for order; use the specific ordinal form.

Wrong: Al unu
Correct: Primul

Always include the conjunction 'și' (and) between tens and units.

Wrong: Douăzeci unu
Correct: Douăzeci și unu

Next Steps

You have mastered the language of quantity! Keep practicing daily to keep these numbers fresh in your mind.

Count objects in your room aloud

Continue to: Prepositional Phrases

Quick Practice (10)

Fill in the blank with 'de' or leave empty.

Am cinci ___ mere.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer:
Numbers under 20 do not take 'de'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Counters for Objects

Choose the correct form for the feminine noun 'clasă' (class/grade).

Sora mea este în ___ clasă. (1st)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: prima
'Clasă' is feminine, so we use the feminine irregular form 'prima'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ordinal Numbers

How do you say 2.5 in Romanian?

Cumpără două ___ cinci kilograme de mere.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: virgulă
Decimals are separated by the word 'virgulă' (comma).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Fractions and Decimals

Fix the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

Trei de mere.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Trei mere
No 'de' for numbers under 20.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Counters for Objects

Choose the correct ordinal number for a masculine noun (etaj - floor).

Locuiesc la etajul ___. (3rd)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: al treilea
Since 'etaj' is masculine, we use the 'al ... -lea' structure.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ordinal Numbers

Complete the sentence regarding the 2nd time doing something.

Este pentru ___ oară când vin aici.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a doua
'Oară' is a feminine noun, so 'a doua' is required.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ordinal Numbers

Choose the correct form.

Am ___ studenți.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: douăzeci de
Need the connector for 20+.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Counters for Objects

Fill in the blank with 'de' or leave empty.

Am douăzeci ___ mere.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: de
Numbers 20+ require 'de'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Counters for Objects

How do you say 21 in Romanian?

Fratele meu are ___ și unu de ani.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: douăzeci
21 is 'douăzeci și unu'. Age 20+ requires 'de ani'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Complex Numbers

Complete the sentence with the correct preposition.

Am cumpărat treizeci ___ ouă.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: de
Numbers 20 and above require 'de' before the noun.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Complex Numbers

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

An ordinal number shows the position or rank of something in a list. For example, al doilea means 'the second'.
Use primul for masculine nouns and prima for feminine nouns. You can also use întâi, especially for dates like 1 Mai.
You say unsprezece. It comes from unu (one) + spre (towards) + zece (ten).
Use doi for masculine things like băieți (boys). Use două for feminine things like fete (girls).
It acts as a quantifier bridge for larger numbers, similar to 'of' in 'a group of'.
No, 'de' is invariant.
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Adverbs and Intensity
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Prepositional Phrases
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