How exactly do you say the number 1 in Italian?
In this lesson, we will take a look at how to pronounce and use this number in Italian with the help of many example sentences and audio recordings.
Let’s get started! Iniziamo!
1 in Italian
1 in Italian as a cardinal number
Uno
One, 1
Uno is how you pronounce the cardinal number (which defines a quantity) 1 in Italian.
Uno is also an indefinite article in Italian! Make sure you use the correct form un/uno/un’ in your sentences.
Its pronunciation is similar to oo-noh. Make sure the final -o has a clean sound, because Italian vowel sounds are clean!
For example, you could say…
Mi serve ancora un solo kg di zucchero.
I still only need 1 kg of sugar.
Ho visto uno strano animale sul ciglio della strada.
I saw a strange animal by the side of the road.
Mia zia ha adottato un gatto a pelo lungo.
My aunt adopted a long-haired cat.
1 in Italian as an ordinal number
The ordinal number (defines an order) for 1 in Italian is primo. Let’s hear how to pronounce it.
Primo
1st
Primo also means “first course”!
Ordinal numbers are adjectives in Italian. Like all other adjectives in Italian, primo needs to match the noun in both gender and number.
| Singular | Plural | |
| Masculine | Primo | Primi |
| Feminine | Prima | Prime |
Title: Italian All-in-One For Dummies
Language: English / Italian
Publisher: For Dummies
Pages: 672
Learn to speak Italian like a native? Easy.
Italian All-in-One For Dummies appeals to those readers looking for a comprehensive, all-encompassing guide to mastering the Italian language. It contains content from all For Dummies Italian language instruction titles, including Italian For Dummies, Intermediate Italian For Dummies, Italian Verbs For Dummies, Italian Phrases For Dummies, Italian Grammar For Dummies, and Italian For Dummies Audio Set.
For example, you could say…
Ho letto solo il primo capitolo, poi mi sono addormentato.
I only read the first chapter, then I fell asleep.
È la prima volta che vedo questo film.
This is the first time I have seen this movie.
I primi tre concorrenti riceveranno una medaglia.
The first three contestants will receive a medal.
Expressions featuring the number 1 in Italian
There are a number of common idioms featuring the number 1 in Italian. Among them you can find:
- uno alla volta (one at a time)
- o l’uno o l’altro (one or the other)
- essere il numero uno (to be number 1)
- a uno a uno (one by one)
And that’s the end of our lesson on how to say 1 in Italian!
What next?
Now that you’ve seen how to say 1 in Italian, you might want to keep learning Italian online with these free Italian resources:
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