Numbers to 1000 & Money
Prices are the numbers you'll actually hear — fast, over a counter, with a queue behind you. This lesson gets you to a thousand and teaches the famous rule that numbers bend nouns.
The Tens
| Number | Russian | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | двадцать | |
| 30 | тридцать | |
| 40 | сорок | the rebel — no -дцать |
| 50 | пятьдесят | пять + десят |
| 60 | шестьдесят | |
| 70 | семьдесят | |
| 80 | восемьдесят | |
| 90 | девяносто | the second rebel |
| 100 | сто | |
| 1000 | тысяча |
Stacking
Bigger numbers just stack, no "and" needed:
двадцать пять · сто пятьдесят · триста двадцать два
25 · 150 · 322
Note: Say the pieces in order and you're done: триста = три + сто.
The Price Rule
Here's where Chapter 1's mysterious "counting bends nouns" pays off:
| After | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (один) | рубль | двадцать один рубль |
| 2–4 | рубля́ | два рубля, тридцать три рубля |
| 5+ and round numbers | рубле́й | пять рублей, сто рублей |
The same rule runs through hours (час, часа, часов) and years (год, года, лет) — one pattern, everywhere money and time are counted.
Cheap or Dear
| Russian | English |
|---|---|
| Сколько стоит? | How much does it cost? (one thing) |
| Сколько стоят? | How much do they cost? (several) |
| Это дорого! | That's expensive! |
| Это дёшево. | That's cheap. |
Сколько стоит эта сумка?
How much is this bag?
Две тысячи рублей.
Two thousand roubles.
Ой, это дорого!
Oof, that's expensive!
Common Mistakes
- Рублей everywhere. Два рублей is wrong — 2–4 take рубля.
- Forgetting сорок. Forty refuses the pattern; it's just сорок.
- Translating "one hundred and five". No "and": сто пять.
What You Can Do Now
You can understand any price, say any number to a thousand, and react like a local — дорого! Every shop, market and taxi negotiation is now open to you.