Numbers & Money
Warm-up
You're at a market in Kyiv. The vendor says «Двадцять гривень.» Do you know what that means? Numbers are everywhere in daily life - prices, addresses, phone numbers, time. Today we'll unlock the Ukrainian counting system and learn to shop like a local.
💡 Did You Know?
The Ukrainian currency is called гривня /ˈɦrɪwnʲɑ/ (hryvnia). It's one of the oldest currency names in Europe, dating back to Kyivan Rus' in the 11th century!
Presentation
Numbers 0-20
Let's start with the basics. Ukrainian numbers 0-20 are unique and must be memorized:
| Number | Ukrainian | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | нуль | /nulʲ/ |
| 1 | один (m), одна (f), одне (n) | /ɔˈdɪn/, /ɔdˈna/, /ɔdˈnɛ/ |
| 2 | два (m/n), дві (f) | /dʋa/, /dʋi/ |
| 3 | три | /trɪ/ |
| 4 | чотири | /t͡ʃɔˈtɪrɪ/ |
| 5 | п'ять | /pjatʲ/ |
| 6 | шість | /ʃistʲ/ |
| 7 | сім | /sim/ |
| 8 | вісім | /ʋiˈsim/ |
| 9 | дев'ять | /ˈdɛvjatʲ/ |
| 10 | десять | /ˈdɛsʲatʲ/ |
| 11 | одинадцять | /ɔdɪˈnad͡zʲatʲ/ |
| 12 | дванадцять | /dʋaˈnad͡zʲatʲ/ |
| 13 | тринадцять | /trɪˈnad͡zʲatʲ/ |
| 14 | чотирнадцять | /t͡ʃɔtɪrˈnad͡zʲatʲ/ |
| 15 | п'ятнадцять | /pjatˈnad͡zʲatʲ/ |
| 16 | шістнадцять | /ʃisˈnad͡zʲatʲ/ |
| 17 | сімнадцять | /simˈnad͡zʲatʲ/ |
| 18 | вісімнадцять | /ʋisimˈnad͡zʲatʲ/ |
| 19 | дев'ятнадцять | /dɛvjatˈnad͡zʲatʲ/ |
| 20 | двадцять | /ˈdʋad͡zʲatʲ/ |
Pattern discovery: Notice that 11-19 end in -надцять (think «on-ten»). This makes them easier to remember once you know 1-9!
Tens (20-100)
The tens follow a beautiful pattern:
| Number | Ukrainian | IPA | Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | двадцять | /ˈdvɑdt͡sʲɑtʲ/ | два + дцять |
| 30 | тридцять | /ˈtrɪdt͡sʲɑtʲ/ | три + дцять |
| 40 | сорок | /ˈsɔrɔk/ | (unique) |
| 50 | п'ятдесят | /pjɑtdɛˈsʲɑt/ | п'ять + десят |
| 60 | шістдесят | /ʃisdeˈsʲɑt/ | шість + десят |
| 70 | сімдесят | /simdɛˈsʲɑt/ | сім + десят |
| 80 | вісімдесят | /visimdɛˈsʲɑt/ | вісім + десят |
| 90 | дев'яносто | /dɛvjɑˈnɔstɔ/ | дев'ять + носто |
| 100 | сто | /stɔ/ | (unique) |
Examples:
- У мене двадцять гривень. (I have twenty hryvnias.)
- Вона має тридцять років. (She is thirty years old.)
- Автобус номер сорок. (Bus number forty.)
- П'ятдесят студентів. (Fifty students.)
- Шістдесят хвилин. (Sixty minutes.)
- Сто доларів. (One hundred dollars.)
Compound Numbers (21-99)
For numbers between tens, simply combine them:
- 21 = двадцять один
- 35 = тридцять п'ять
- 47 = сорок сім
- 88 = вісімдесят вісім
- 99 = дев'яносто дев'ять
Examples:
- Я маю двадцять три роки. (I am twenty-three years old.)
- Це коштує тридцять шість гривень. (This costs thirty-six hryvnias.)
- Квартира номер сорок вісім. (Apartment number forty-eight.)
🎬 Pop Culture Moment: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
In the legendary Ukrainian game S.T.A.L.K.E.R., stalkers count their loot, but Ukrainian players know the real treasure: артефакти (artifacts). If a Bloodsucker drops три артефакти (three artifacts), you're rich! The game developers at GSC Game World in Kyiv put Ukrainian culture into every detail.
Numbers with Nouns: How Counting Works
Ukrainian has elegant rules for how numbers agree with nouns. This uses the genitive case you learned in Module 16!
Rule 1: Number 1 → Nominative singular
The number один/одна/одне agrees with the noun's gender:
- один студент (one student - masculine)
- одна книга (one book - feminine)
- одне вікно (one window - neuter)
Rule 2: Numbers 2, 3, 4 → Nominative plural
- два студенти (two students)
- три книги (three books)
- чотири вікна (four windows)
Note: Remember that 2 has gender: два (m/n) vs дві (f)!
Rule 3: Numbers 5-20, 30-100 → Genitive plural
This is where the genitive case comes in:
- п'ять студентів (five students - genitive plural)
- сім книг (seven books - genitive plural)
- десять вікон (ten windows - genitive plural)
- двадцять гривень (twenty hryvnias - genitive plural)
Examples:
- Один телефон, два телефони, п'ять телефонів. (One phone, two phones, five phones.)
- Одна гривня, дві гривні, десять гривень. (One hryvnia, two hryvnias, ten hryvnias.)
- Одне яблуко, три яблука, сім яблук. (One apple, three apples, seven apples.)
⚡ Pro Tip: Currency Forms
Master these three forms for гривня:
- 1, 21, 31... → одна гривня
- 2-4, 22-24... → дві гривні
- 5-20, 25-30... → п'ять гривень
Same pattern works for копійка (kopeck): одна копійка, дві копійки, п'ять копійок.
Shopping Vocabulary
Now let's learn key phrases for shopping:
Скільки коштує? (How much does it cost?) - The most important phrase!
Money and Prices:
- Скільки коштує хліб? (How much does bread cost?)
- Квиток коштує десять гривень. (The ticket costs ten hryvnias.)
- У мене є гроші. (I have money.)
- Це дорого! (That's expensive!)
- Це дешево. (That's cheap.)
- Де каса? (Where is the cashier?)
Practice
Mini-Dialogue 1: At the Market in Lviv
Продавець: Доброго дня! Що бажаєте? Seller: Good afternoon! What would you like?
Покупець: Скільки коштує картопля? Buyer: How much does the potato cost?
Продавець: П'ятнадцять гривень за кілограм. Seller: Fifteen hryvnias per kilogram.
Покупець: Добре. Два кілограми, будь ласка. Buyer: Okay. Two kilograms, please.
Продавець: Тридцять гривень, будь ласка. Seller: Thirty hryvnias, please.
Покупець: Ось гроші. Дякую! Buyer: Here's the money. Thank you!
Mini-Dialogue 2: Coffee in Kyiv
Баріста: Привіт! Що будете замовляти? Barista: Hi! What will you order?
Клієнт: Одну каву, будь ласка. Скільки коштує? Client: One coffee, please. How much does it cost?
Баріста: Сорок п'ять гривень. Barista: Forty-five hryvnias.
Клієнт: Можна платити карткою? Client: Can I pay by card?
Баріста: Так, звичайно. Ось ваша кава! Barista: Yes, of course. Here's your coffee!
Reading Exercise: Shopping List
Це Марія з Харкова. Ось її список.
Мій список покупок:
-
Хліб - вісім гривень
-
Молоко - двадцять гривень
-
Сир - п'ятдесят гривень
-
Яблука (1 кг) - тридцять гривень
-
Вода - дванадцять гривень
Всього: сто двадцять гривень.
Maria's shopping list:
1. Bread - eight hryvnias 2. Milk - twenty hryvnias 3. Cheese - fifty hryvnias 4. Apples (1 kg) - thirty hryvnias 5. Water - twelve hryvnias
Total: one hundred twenty hryvnias.
🌍 Real World: Shopping in Ukraine
In Ukrainian stores, prices are shown in гривні (hryvnias). Many shops accept cards (картка), but markets (ринок) often prefer cash (готівка). Don't forget to say дякую after paying - Ukrainians value politeness in service interactions!
Cultural Insight
The Hryvnia Symbol
The Ukrainian hryvnia uses the symbol ₴ (a stylized letter Г with two horizontal lines). It's been the official currency since 1996, replacing the temporary карбованець (karbovanets) used after Soviet times.
Modern hryvnia banknotes feature Ukrainian historical figures:
- 1 грн - Volodymyr the Great (Володимир Великий)
- 2 грн - Yaroslav the Wise (Ярослав Мудрий)
- 5 грн - Bohdan Khmelnytsky (Богдан Хмельницький)
- 10 грн - Ivan Mazepa (Іван Мазепа)
- 20 грн - Ivan Franko (Іван Франко)
- 50 грн - Mykhailo Hrushevsky (Михайло Грушевський)
- 100 грн - Taras Shevchenko (Тарас Шевченко)
- 200 грн - Lesya Ukrainka (Леся Українка)
- 500 грн - Hryhoriy Skovoroda (Григорій Сковорода)
- 1000 грн - Volodymyr Vernadsky (Володимир Вернадський)
📜 History Bite: Why «Hryvnia»?
In Kyivan Rus', a гривня was a silver neck ring weighing about 200 grams, used as currency. The word comes from грива (mane), because the ring was worn around the neck like a horse's mane. This makes the hryvnia one of the oldest currency names in continuous use!
Bargaining Culture
Unlike some countries, bargaining is not common in Ukrainian shops and supermarkets. Prices are fixed (фіксована ціна). However, at markets (на ринку), especially for large purchases, vendors might offer a small discount (знижка) if you ask politely:
Чи можете зробити знижку? (Can you give a discount?)
But don't expect it - Ukrainians respect fair pricing!
📋 Підсумок
In this module, you learned:
- Numbers 0-100 in Ukrainian
- How to ask «Скільки коштує?» (How much does it cost?)
- The three number agreement patterns (1 = nom. sg., 2-4 = nom. pl., 5+ = gen. pl.)
- Currency vocabulary (гривня, копійка, долар, євро)
- Shopping phrases (дорого, дешево, знижка, готівка, картка)
- How to handle basic transactions in Ukrainian shops
You can now count, ask prices, and shop confidently in Ukraine!
Need More Practice?
External Review
🎯 Activities
Numbers and Words
Complete with Numbers
Number Grammar
How do you accurately say exactly "one hryvnia"?
How do you say "two hryvnias"?
How do you say "five hryvnias"?
What does «Скільки коштує?» accurately mean in English?
Which number has accurately a gender distinction?
What is the genitive plural of the word «студент»?
How do you say exactly "expensive" in Ukrainian?
What does exactly the Ukrainian word «готівка» mean?
Which is the correct pattern for the number: п'ятдесят?
What case do numbers five and above require exactly?
How do you accurately say exactly "twenty-three"?
What is the Ukrainian currency accurately called?
Money Facts
The Ukrainian currency is called гривня.
Numbers 2-4 use genitive plural forms.
The number 2 has different forms for different genders.
«Дорого» means "cheap."
The hryvnia symbol is ₴.
Bargaining is not common in Ukrainian supermarkets.
«Готівка» means "card."
The word «гривня» dates back to Kyivan Rus'.
Numbers 5-20 use nominative case.
«Скільки коштує?» is the phrase for asking prices.
One hundred is «дев'яносто.»
Ukrainian banknotes feature historical figures.
Number Categories
Nominative Singular (1)
Nominative Plural (2-4)
Genitive Plural (5+)
Shopping Sentences Order
Correct sentence order for: "How much does bread cost?"
Correct sentence order for: "This costs ten hryvnias."
Correct sentence order for: "I have money."
Correct sentence order for: "That's expensive!"
Correct sentence order for: "This is very cheap."
Correct sentence order for: "Where is the cashier?"
Correct sentence order for: "Can I pay by card?"
Correct sentence order for: "Five costs twenty hryvnias."
Correct sentence order for: "One coffee, please."
Correct sentence order for: "Fifteen students in the class."
Correct sentence order for: "Two hryvnias - change."
Correct sentence order for: "Total one hundred hryvnias."
Shopping Dialogue
Shopping Vocabulary
Currency and Numbers
How do you accurately say "Twenty hryvnias"?
Which number is accurately «сорок»?
How do you say "Forty-five hryvnias"?
How do you accurately say "one hryvnia"?
How do you accurately say "Two hryvnias"?
Which word means accurately "receipt"?
How do you say "Ninety" in Ukrainian?
Which phrase means accurately "By card"?
How do you say "Cash" in Ukrainian?
How do you accurately say "sixty" in Ukrainian?
What is the meaning of accurately «решта»?
How do you say "Fifty" in Ukrainian?
📚 Vocabulary
| Word | IPA | English | POS | Gender | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| баріста | /barista/ | barista | noun | ч | |
| вернадський | /ʋɛrnˈadsʲkɪj/ | Vernadsky (name) | noun | ч | |
| володимир | /ʋɔlɔdˈɪmɪr/ | Volodymyr (name) | noun | ч | |
| всього | /ʋsʲˈɔɦɔ/ | total, in all | adv | ||
| вісім | /ʋˈisim/ | eight | num | ||
| вісімдесят | /ʋisimdɛsˈjat/ | eighty | num | ||
| готівка | /ɦɔtˈiʋka/ | cash | noun | ж | |
| гривий | /ɦrˈɪʋɪj/ | maned | adj | ||
| гривна | /ɦrˈɪʋna/ | hryvnia | noun | ж | |
| григорій | /ɦrɪɦˈɔrij/ | Hryhorii (name) | noun | ч | |
| грушевський | /ɦruʃˈɛʋsʲkɪj/ | Hrushevskyi (name) | noun | ч | |
| дванадцять | /dʋanˈadt͡sjatʲ/ | twelve | num | ||
| дев'яносто | /dɛʋjanˈɔstɔ/ | ninety | num | ||
| дев'ять | /dˈɛʋjatʲ/ | nine | num | ||
| дешево | /dˈɛʃɛʋɔ/ | cheaply | adv | ||
| долар | /dˈɔlar/ | dollar | noun | ||
| карбованець | /karbˈɔʋanɛt͡sʲ/ | karbovanets (historical currency) | noun | ч | |
| каса | /kˈasa/ | ticket office, checkout | noun | ж | |
| копійка | /kɔpˈijka/ | kopiika (cent) | noun | ж | |
| мазепа | /mazˈɛpa/ | Mazepa (name) | noun | ч | |
| михайло | /mɪxˈajlɔ/ | Mykhailo (name) | noun | ч | |
| мудрий | /mˈudrɪj/ | wise | noun | ч | |
| надцять | /nˈadt͡sjatʲ/ | ...teen (suffix) | num | ||
| п'ятдесят | /pjatdɛsˈjat/ | fifty | num | ||
| покупка | /pɔkˈupka/ | purchase | noun | ||
| сковорода | /skɔʋɔrɔdˈa/ | Skovoroda (name), frying pan | noun | ж | |
| франко | /frˈankɔ/ | Franko (name) | noun | с | |
| хмельницький | /xmɛlʲnˈɪt͡sʲkɪj/ | Khmelnytskyi | adj | ||
| шістдесят | /ʃistdɛsˈjat/ | sixty | num | ||
| ярослав | /jarɔslaʋ/ | Yaroslav (name) | noun | ч |