How do you say 3 in Italian?
3 in Italian as a cardinal number
Use tre to say the cardinal number (which defines a quantity) 3 in Italian.
| Origin | From the Latin word tres, meaning “three” |
| Pronunciation | /tre/ |
Tre
Three, 3
3 in Italian: Examples
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 |
For example, you can 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)
More free Italian resources
You might want to keep learning Italian online with these free Italian resources:
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