Learning to count to ten in different languages can be a fun and useful challenge. While numbers in different languages might be similar, each language and dialect has distinct ways of writing or pronouncing numbers. Get started by counting from 1-10 in nine popular languages.
How to Count to 10 in Spanish
The numbers in Spanish are written the same as they are in English, but the number words and pronunciations are different.
English Number | Number Word and Pronunciation |
1 | uno (oo-noh) |
2 | dos (dohss) |
3 | tres (trayss) |
4 | cuatro (kwah-troh) |
5 | cinco (seeng-koh) |
6 | seis (seyss) |
7 | siete (syeh-tay) |
8 | ocho (oh-choh) |
9 | nueve (nweh-beh) |
10 | diez (dee-yehss) |
How to Count to 10 in French
Counting to ten in French is similar to counting to ten in Spanish. Notice the slight differences in spellings and pronunciations.
English Number | Number Word and Pronunciation |
1 | un (uh) |
2 | deux (duh) |
3 | trois (twah) |
4 | quatre (kat ruh) |
5 | cinq (sank) |
6 | six (seess) |
7 | sept (set) |
8 | huit (wheet) |
9 | neuf (nuhf) |
10 | dix (deess) |
How to Count to 10 in German
Counting to ten in German is a little more difficult because the pronunciation of each number word is different than you might think.
English Number | Number Word and Pronunciation |
1 | eins (ines, “i” as in “pie”) |
2 | zwei (tsvi, “i” as in “pie”) |
3 | drei (dry) |
4 | vier (feer) |
5 | fünf (fuhnf) |
6 | sechs (zex) |
7 | sieben (ZEE-bin) |
8 | acht (akt) |
9 | neun (noin) |
10 | zehn (tsayn) |
How to Count to 10 in Russian
Unlike French, Spanish, and German, number words in Russian no longer use standard English letters.
English Number | Number Word and Pronunciation |
1 | один (a-deen, “a” as in “yacht” ) |
2 | два (dva, “a” as in “yacht”) |
3 | три (tree) |
4 | четыре (chye-tir-ye, “e” as in “yet”) |
5 | пять (pyat, “a” as in “cat”) |
6 | шесть (shest, “e” as in “yet”) |
7 | семь (see-yaym) |
8 | восемь (vo-sym) |
9 | девять (dee-yayv-itt) |
10 | десять (dee-yay-sit) |
How to Count to 10 in Arabic
Arabic numerals and number words are written in beautiful Arabic script, which is why many people use them for tattoos.
English Number | Number in Native Script | Number Word and Pronunciation |
1 | ١ | وَاحِد wāḥid (way-hid) |
2 | ٢ | اِتْنِين itnein (ith-nayn) |
3 | ٣ | تَلَاتَه talātah (thay-lay-thah) |
4 | ٤ | اَرْبَعَه arba‘ah (are-bah) |
5 | ٥ | خَمْسَه khamsah (khahm-sah) |
6 | ٦ | سِتَّه sittah (sih-tah) |
7 | ٧ | سَبْعَه sab‘ah (sah-bah) |
8 | ٨ | تَمَانْيَه tamanyah (tuh-main-ee-ah) |
9 | ٩ | تِسْعَه tis‘ah (tiss-ah) |
10 | ١٠ | عَشَرَه ‘asharah (ah-shah-rah) |
How to Count to 10 in Sanskrit
One of the many Indian languages is the Sanskrit language. This ancient language also uses a beautiful script for writing numerals and number words.
English Number | Number in Native Script | Number Word and Pronunciation |
1 | १ | एक ékam (aykuhm) |
2 | २ | द्वि dve (dvay) |
3 | ३ | त्रि trí (tree) |
4 | ४ | चतुर् catúr (chuh-ter) |
5 | ५ | पञ्च pañcan (puhn-chun) |
6 | ६ | षष् ṣáṣ (sahsh) |
7 | ७ | सप्त saptá (suhp-toh) |
8 | ८ | अष्ट aṣṭa (ahsh-tuh) |
9 | ९ | नवn nava (nah-voh) |
10 | १० | दशन् daśa (dah-shoh) |
How to Count to 10 in Latin or Roman
Counting to ten in Latin includes using Roman numerals to write each number. Add these Latin numbers to your Latin vocabulary word list.
English Number | Number in Native Script | Number Word and Pronunciation |
1 | I | unus (oo-nus) |
2 | II | duo (du-oh) |
3 | III | tres (trays) |
4 | IV | quattuor (kwuht-tu-ohr) |
5 | V | quinque (kween-kweh) |
6 | VI | sex (sehks) |
7 | VII | septem (sehp-tehm) |
8 | VIII | octo (ohk-to) |
9 | IX | novem (noh-wehm) |
10 | X | decem (deh-kehm) |
How to Count to 10 in Japanese
Learning numbers in Japanese can be a huge challenge for many. There are actually several ways of writing numbers in this complex language. These are the most common ways for new learners to grasp Japanese numbers.
English Number | Number in Native Script | Number Word and Pronunciation |
1 | いち | ichi (ee-chee) |
2 | に | ni (nee) |
3 | さん | san (sahn) |
4 | よん or し | yon (yaw) or shi (shee) |
5 | ご | go (goh) |
6 | ろく | roku (roh-ku) |
7 | なな | nana (nah-nah) |
8 | はち | hachi (hah-chee) |
9 | きゅう | kyū (kyu) |
10 | じゅう | jyū (joo) |
How to Count to 10 in Greek
There are at least three Greek number systems including ancient and modern forms. Here are the acrophonic numerals from one to ten and the modern number words.
English Number | Ancient Numerals | Modern Word and Pronunciation |
1 | I | ένα éna (eh-nah) |
2 | II | δύο dío (DTHee-ow) |
3 | III | τρία tría (tree-ah) |
4 | IIII | τέσσερα tésera (teh-seh-rah) |
5 | Γ | πέντε pénde (pehn-deh) |
6 | Γ I | έξι éxi (ex-hee) |
7 | Γ II | επτά eptá (ehp-tah) |
8 | Γ III | οκτώ októ (och-toe) |
9 | Γ IIII | εννέα enéa (eh-neh-ah) |
10 | Δ | δέκα déka (DThe-kah) |
Count Around the World
If you enjoyed this number trip around the globe, you might want to continue with basic language learning. Try your hand at Tagalong numbers for beginners or learn how to say “hello” in different languages.