How do you say 2 in Italian?
2 in Italian as a cardinal number
Use due to say the cardinal number (which defines a quantity) 2 in Italian.
| Origin | From the Latin word duo, meaning “two” |
| Pronunciation | /ˈduːe/ |
Due
Two, 2
2 in Italian: Examples
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.
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 |
For example, you can 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”)
More free Italian resources
You might want to keep learning Italian online with these free Italian resources:
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