How exactly do you say the number 3 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!
3 in Italian
3 in Italian as a cardinal number
Tre
Three, 3
Tre is how you pronounce the cardinal number (which defines a quantity) 3 in Italian.
Its pronunciation is similar to treh. Make sure the final -e has a clean sound, because Italian vowel sounds are clean!
For example, you could say…
Lavoro in questo ospedale da tre anni.
I have been working in this hospital for three years.
Sono caduti tre centimetri di neve nell’ultima ora.
Three centimeters of snow fell in the last hour.
3 in Italian as an ordinal number
The ordinal number (defines an order) for 3 in Italian is terzo. Let’s hear how it is pronounced.
Terzo
3rd
Ordinal numbers are adjectives in Italian. Like all other adjectives in Italian, terzo must match the noun in both gender and number.
| Singular | Plural | |
| Masculine | Terzo | Terzi |
| Feminine | Terza | Terze |
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…
È la terza volta che ti dico di pulire camera tua!
This is the third time I have told you to clean your room!
Il terzo concorrente si è ferito poco prima del traguardo.
The third competitor was injured just before the finish line.
Le classi terze sono andate in gita.
The third (elementary school) classes went on a field trip.
Expressions featuring the number 3 in Italian
There are a number of common idioms featuring the number 3 in Italian. Among them, you can find:
- ogni due per tre (very often, literally “every two for three”)
- chi fa da sé fa per tre (if you want something done, do it yourself, literally “who works alone, works for three)
- non c’è due senza tre (good/bad things come in threes)
And that’s the end of our lesson on how to say 3 in Italian!
What next?
Now that you’ve seen how to say 3 in Italian, you might want to keep learning Italian online with these free Italian resources:
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