In the previous lesson, you learned that twenty is douăzeci. The rest of the numbers counting by tens up to 90 follow this exact same logic. You simply combine the base number and the word zeci (tens).
For example, trei (three) + zeci (tens) becomes treizeci (thirty).
| thirty | treizeci |
The Pattern for 40 to 90
Most of the tens follow this basic formula of putting the number and zeci together:
- patruzeci (40)
- cincizeci (50)
- șaptezeci (70)
- optzeci (80)
- nouăzeci (90)
There is just one slight spelling change to make pronunciation easier: sixty is șaizeci (dropping the se from șase).
Continuing the "de" Rule
Remember the rule for counting objects with numbers 20 and above? You must always insert the preposition de directly between the number and the noun. This rule stays exactly the same for all of these larger numbers.
Let's look at how we use these numbers to express larger quantities and prices:
| The book costs thirty lei. | Cartea costă treizeci de lei. |
| We are buying forty chairs. | Noi cumpărăm patruzeci de scaune. |
| There are sixty rooms in the building. | În clădire sunt șaizeci de camere. |
| The project has ninety problems. | Proiectul are nouăzeci de probleme. |
| We see forty men and sixty women. | Noi vedem patruzeci de bărbați și șaizeci de femei. |
One Hundred
When you reach one hundred, the word changes entirely to o sută (literally "a hundred"). Because it is 20 or higher, you still use de when counting nouns.
| A good dictionary costs one hundred lei. | Un dicționar bun costă o sută de lei. |
However, remember that when you state a number on its own without a noun immediately following it, you drop the de.
| The museum does not have one hundred paintings, it has ninety. | Muzeul nu are o sută de tablouri, are nouăzeci. |
