How exactly do you say the number 2 in Italian?
In this lesson, we will look at how to pronounce and use this number in Italian with lots of example sentences and audio recordings.
Let’s get started! Iniziamo!
2 in Italian
2 in Italian as a cardinal number
Due
Two, 2
Due is how you pronounce the cardinal number (which defines a quantity) 2 in Italian.
Its pronunciation is similar to do-eh. Make sure the final -e has a clean sound, as Italian vowel sounds are clean!
For example, you could say…
Ci sono solo due bottiglie di olio d’oliva nella dispensa.
There are only two bottles of olive oil in the pantry.
Ho visto due uomini entrare nel locale.
I saw two men enter the premises.
Ti sto aspettando da due ore!
I have been waiting for you for two hours!
2 in Italian as an ordinal number
The ordinal number (defines an order) for 2 in Italian is secondo. Let’s hear how it is pronounced.
Secondo
2nd
Secondo is also the noun you use to translate second as in “there are 60 seconds in a minute”!
Ci sono sessanta secondi in un minuto.
There are 60 seconds in a minute.
Ordinal numbers are adjectives in Italian. Like all other adjectives in Italian, secondo must match the noun in both gender and number.
| Singular | Plural | |
| Masculine | Secondo | Secondi |
| Feminine | Seconda | Seconde |
Title: Italian All-in-One For Dummies
Language: English / Italian
Publisher: For Dummies
Pages: 672
Learn to speak Italian like a native? Easy.
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For example, you could say…
Tutti meritano una seconda possibilità.
Everyone deserves a second chance.
Milano è la seconda città più popolosa d’Italia.
Milan is the second largest city in Italy.
Questo libro è di seconda mano.
This book is second-hand.
Expressions featuring the number 2 in Italian
There are a number of common idioms featuring the number 2 in Italian. Among them you can find:
- ogni due per tre (very often, literally “every two for three”)
- non c’è due senza tre (good/bad things come in threes)
- fare due passi (to walk a little, literally “to take two steps”)
- fare due chiacchiere (to exchange a few words)
- tra i due litiganti il terzo gode (literally “while two people fight, a third person enjoys it”)
And that’s the end of our lesson on how to say 2 in Italian!
What next?
Now that you’ve seen how to say 2 in Italian, you might want to keep learning Italian online with these free Italian resources:
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