Appendix:Finnish numerals

Table

See here for a longer table.

Cardinal and ordinal numbers between 0 and 10
#	Cardinal number	Ordinal number
0	nolla	nollas
1	yksi	ensimmäinen
2	kaksi	toinen
3	kolme	kolmas
4	neljä	neljäs
5	viisi	viides
6	kuusi	kuudes
7	seitsemän	seitsemäs
8	kahdeksan	kahdeksas
9	yhdeksän	yhdeksäs
10	kymmenen	kymmenes

Numbers larger than 10

Cardinals

The cardinal numbers from 11 to 19 are composed with suffix -toista (“-teen”): yksitoista, kaksitoista...

The cardinal numbers from 20 to 99 are composed according to the pattern (kaksi—yhdeksän) kymmentä (yksi—yhdeksän).

kolme¦kymmentä¦seitsemän ― thirty-seven

Hundreds are simply added to the same set, one hundred in nominative and the hundreds of two hundred—nine hundred in partitive.

sata¦kuusikymmentä¦viisi ― one hundred and sixty-five

kuusisataa seitsemänkymmentäneljä ― six hundred and seventy-four

Ordinals

The ordinal numbers from 11th to 19th are the ordinal numbers 1st to 9th with suffix -toista (“-teen”), with 11th and 12th being exceptions: yhdestoista, kahdestoista, kolmastoista...

The ordinal numbers from 20th to 99th are the cardinal numbers with all components receiving the ordinal suffix:

kolmas¦kymmenes¦seitsemäs ― thirty-seventh

kahdes is used with the decades and, it may also, alongside yhdes, optionally be used for units. Both kahdeskymmenesensimmäinen and kahdeskymmenesyhdes are acceptable.

The same pattern continues for higher numerals, with all components receiving the suffix.

sadas¦kuudeskymmenes¦viides ― one hundred and sixty-fifth

kuudessadas¦seitsemäskymmenes¦neljäs ― six hundred and seventy-fourth

Archaic

Numbers from 21 to 99 (except for the tens 30s, 40s, etc.) used to be formed as the unit (either in cardinal or ordinal) followed by the partitive singular form of the ordinal of the next number in tens, similar to how 11 to 19 is formed as 1-9 toista (“of the second”). Thus, 21 used to be yksikolmatta (yksi (“of”) kolmatta (“of the third”)), while 21st would have been yhdeskolmatta or ensimmäinenkolmatta (yhdes/ensimmäinen (“first”) kolmatta (“of the third”)). These forms have fallen out of use and are now considered archaic.

Etymologically all of these forms are by ellipsis; the word kymmentä (“(of) decade”) is left out. For example, yksitoista (“eleven”, literally “one of the second”) was originally yksi toista kymmentä (literally “one of the second decade”).

Digit names

The digits 1-9 also have their own names. They are used to refer to the digits as opposed to the numbers, but also used colloquially to refer to certain numbers that are largely departed from the corresponding quantities, such as bus route numbers. In such cases, only the final digit in the number is referred to by its digit name. These forms are shown in the full table under "digit name".

In colloquial Finnish, the digit names seiska for 7, kasi for 8 and ysi for 9 are the overwhelmingly most common options, and the corresponding standard words like seitsemäinen are very rare.

Counting numerals

In colloquial Finnish, special forms of the cardinal numbers are often used when counting things. They are not used in other contexts, such as to refer to the number of things outside of counting, or when reciting e.g. phone numbers.

For numbers 1-7, the words are derived from the proper word by taking the initial consonants, if any, and the vowels of the first syllable, and making the vowel long if it is short. Note, however:

Since this would give ambiguous results for 8 and 9, theit vowels stay short and an arbitrary suffix -si (reduced from the rest of the word) is affixed instead. The resulting forms kasi and ysi are also used outside of counting to refer to the digits 8 and 9 as well (i.e. where ykkönen is used instead of yksi).
Some speakers keep the final -l in 3 (kolme) and 4 (neljä) instead of making the vowel long.
The diphthong in 7 (seitsemän > sei) may be either preserved as is or turned into a simple long vowel.

Exact tens or decades generally use the same form as they would in other contexts too in colloquial Finnish, e.g. ten is simply kymppi. This also means that later decades, e.g. 20 are often reduced significantly, e.g. -kymmentä to -kyt. Counting forms of numbers 11-19 are the same as those for 1-9 with the suffix -too, reduced from -toista according to the usual rules. Numbers like 21 (i.e. not an exact decade, but greater than 20) are generally pronounced as if they were separate digits.

For example, these are the colloquial counting forms of numbers from 1 to 24 (the exact forms may vary by speaker). Forms used more generally than just when counting are marked with an asterisk:

Colloquial counting numerals from 1 to 24 (example)

Number	Form
1	yy
2	kaa
3	koo
4	nee
5	vii
6	kuu
7	see
8	kasi*
9	ysi*
10	kymppi*
11	yytoo
12	kaatoo
13	kootoo
14	neetoo
15	viitoo
16	kuutoo
17	seetoo
18	kasitoo
19	ysitoo
20	kakskyt*
21	kaayy
22	kaakaa
23	kaakoo
24	kaanee
...

Writing conventions

When written in numeric form, cardinal numbers are divided in "groups of three" with spaces: 1,000,000,000 → 1 000 000 000. The space is non-breaking and the numeral may not be split into separate lines. When writing decimal numbers, the period and the comma are reversed in comparison with English: 1,000.31 -> 1.000,31. Thus, instead of a decimal point there is desimaalipilkku (“decimal comma”).

When writing a cardinal number out as text, each "group of three" is written together as one word, separated with a space from the powers of ten (tuhatta, miljoonaa, miljardia...):

300 700 400 283 -> kolmesataa miljardia seitsemänsataa miljoonaa neljäsataa tuhatta kaksisataakahdeksankymmentäkolme

Ordinals are usually abbreviated as the number followed by a period or full stop, (e.g. 1. 2. 3. 39.). An alternative is to write the numeral followed by the corresponding ordinal number ending :nen (for ensimmäinen, toinen) or :s (other numerals), which can then be inflected (unlike the two aforementioned forms), e.g. 1:nen, 1000:s (genitive singular forms: 1:sen, 1000:nnen). This form is used when the inflectional ending is not clear from context (e.g. indicated by the following word) or if the numeral is at the end of a sentence to avoid a double period. Furthermore, in the names of monarchs, popes or other dignitaries, the Roman numerals are used (without a period).

Pronunciation

Contrary to the spelling, all powers of ten (and their multipliers) get their own primary stress. For example, kuusisataaseitsemänkymmentäneljä is pronounced as if kuusisataa seitsemänkymmentä neljä (IPA^(key): /ˈkuːsiˌsɑtɑː ˈsei̯tsemænˌkymːentæ ˈneljæ/). The last term (e.g. the units place) is usually given somewhat more stress.

Grammar

Kaksi ihmistä seisoo bussipysäkillä.

Two people are standing at the bus stop.

With a numeral other than yksi (“one”) in the nominative case, the main word is in partitive case. In other cases, the cardinal number and the word it defines are congruent:

kolmea ihmistä ― three people (object)

kuudessa ihmisessä ― in six people

yhdeksälle ihmiselle ― to nine people

In the above case, the accusative case of a numeral is always equivalent in form to the nominative case, never the genitive:

näin koiran ― I saw a dog

näin kaksi koiraa ― I saw two dogs

(not **näin kahden koiraa)

When something quantified with a numeral is used as the subject of a verb, the verb is usually in the singular regardless of the quantity. However, when the number is greater than one, it may also be in the plural to express definiteness:

Kolme asiakasta tuli kauppaan. ― Three customers came into the store.

Kolme asiakasta tulivat kauppaan. ― The three customers came into the store.

The plural forms are used mainly with words that are used only in plural:

yhdettoista häät ― eleven weddings

kymmenet hautajaiset ― ten funerals / dozens of funerals

All the declinable parts of a number are in the same case:

kolmessa miljoonassa neljässäsadassakuudessakymmenessäneljässä tuhannessa yhdeksässäsadassakuudessatoista (inessive)

in three million four hundred and sixty-four thousand nine hundred and sixteen

When the number is written in numeric form, the case suffix of the last declinable part is added to the number with a colon. However, the case ending is not written if it is clear from context, e.g. when indicated by the following word:

3 464 916:ssa (-ssa from -kuudessatoista) ― in 3,464,916

916 autossa ― in 916 cars

With abbreviations or symbols, the case ending can likewise be written after the 'unit', but is never written when it is a partitive singular form only because the numeral is in the nominative (if the numeral is in the partitive, it is written):

10 € [kymmenen euroa] (grammatically, nominative singular) ― 10 euro

10 €:a [kymmentä euroa] (grammatically, partitive singular) ― 10 euro

Usage notes

Inexact quantities

Inexact quantities may always be expressed with the adverb noin (“about”). The numbers 3 to 10 have also a specific inexact form, which is formed with the suffix -isen: kolmisen, nelisen, viitisen, kuutisen, seitsemisen, kahdeksisen, yhdeksisen, kymmenisen. They may be combined with -toista, kymmentä, sataa etc. for larger quantities, e.g. viitisen miljoonaa (~5,000,000). The corresponding form for kaksi is parisen. It behaves otherwise similarly, but cannot be combined with -toista.

Number of repetitions

The number of repetitions may always be expressed with kertaa (“times”). The numbers 2 to 10 plus 100, 1.000 and 1.000.000 have also a specific repetitive form which is formed with suffix -sti: kahdesti, kolmasti, neljästi, viidesti, kuudesti, seitsemästi, kahdeksasti, yhdeksästi, kymmenesti, sadasti, tuhannesti, miljoonasti. They may be combined with -toista, kymmentä, sataa etc. for larger quantities.

Number of people present

The numbers 2 to 6 have adverbial forms that express how many people are present or acting in unison: kaksin/kahdestaan, kolmisin/kolmistaan, neljästään/nelistään, viidestään, kuudestaan.