Cardinal Numbers
The ordinary counting numbers (cardinals) from 0 through 10 are given in the table below. Cardinal numbers may be inflected and some of the inflected forms are irregular in form.
| Cardinal numbers and key inflected forms | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digit | Nominative | Genitive | Partitive | Illative |
| 0 | nolla | nollan | nollaa | nollaan |
| 1 | yksi | yhden | yhtä | yhteen |
| 2 | kaksi | kahden | kahta | kahteen |
| 3 | kolme | kolmen | kolmea | kolmeen |
| 4 | neljä | neljän | neljää | neljään |
| 5 | viisi | viiden | viittä | viiteen |
| 6 | kuusi | kuuden | kuutta | kuuteen |
| 7 | seitsemän | seitsemän | seitsemää* | seitsemään |
| 8 | kahdeksan** | kahdeksan | kahdeksaa | kahdeksaan |
| 9 | yhdeksän*** | yhdeksän | yhdeksää | yhdeksään |
| 10 | kymmenen | kymmenen | kymmentä | kymmeneen |
- '* sometimes seitsentä (alternative form)
- '** sometimes abbreviated as kasi (in the spoken language only)
- '*** sometimes abbreviated as ysi (in the spoken language only)
To get the teens, 'toista' is added to the base number: yksitoista, kaksitoista ... yhdeksäntoista. ('Toista' is the partitive form of 'toinen', meaning 'other' or 'second'.
Twenty is simply 'kaksikymmentä' = 'two tens' (with kymmenen appearing in the partitive after a number as is normal for nouns). Then the decades are kolmekymmentä, neljäkymmentä ... yhdeksänkymmentä.
100 is 'sata', 200 is 'kaksisataa' and so on.
1000 is 'tuhat', 2000 is 'kaksituhatta' and so on.
So, 3721 = 'kolme-tuhatta-seitsemän-sataa-kaksi-kymmentä-yksi' (actually written as one long word with no dashes in between).
Long numbers (like 32534756) are separated in three-digit sections with space beginning from the end of the number (for example 32 534 756). Writing it with letters follow the spacing, in the example (in numbers over one million, 'miljoona' ('million') is written separately) 'kolme-kymmentä-kaksi miljoonaa viisi-sataa-kolme-kymmentä-neljä-tuhatta seitsemän-sataa-viisi-kymmentä-kuusi'. (No dashes, they are only to make the number look clear.)
Numbers can be inflected by case; all parts of the number except 'toista' are inflected.
Nouns following a number in the nominative singular are usually in the singular partitive case, IF the noun does not need to be in any other case and if the number is any number other than yksi (one).
If the number is yksi (one) and it is in the nominative singular then the noun and any adjectives following it will also be in the singular nominative.
But if the sentence structure demands that the noun is in some case other than the nominative, the number as well as the noun and any adjectives following it will take that other case. For example:
| Finnish | English |
|---|---|
| yksi päivä | one day |
| kaksi päivää | two days |
| kahtena päivänä | on/during two days |
| kahdessatoista maassa | in twelve countries |
| kolmellekymmenelleviidelle hengelle | for thirty-five persons |
Numerals also have plural forms, which usually refer to things naturally occurring in pairs or other similarly well-defined sets, such as body parts and clothing items. Also names of celebrations are usually in the plural. The plural forms are inflected in cases in the same way as the corresponding nouns. For instance:
| Finnish | English |
|---|---|
| kahdet saappaat | two pairs of boots |
| kolmissa jalanjäljissä | in three sets of footprints |
| Neljät häät ja yhdet hautajaiset | Four Weddings and a (One) Funeral |
Numbers from one to six are apparently original in etymology. The words kahdeksan "eight" and yhdeksän "nine" have no confirmed etymology. One theory is that they are compounds: *kaks-teksa "10–2", or "eight" and *yks-teksa "10–1", or "nine", where the reconstructed word *teksa is similar to the Indo-European words for "ten".
Read more about this topic: Finnish Numerals
Famous quotes containing the words cardinal and/or numbers:
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—Fannie Barrier Williams (1855–1944)
“The principle of majority rule is the mildest form in which the force of numbers can be exercised. It is a pacific substitute for civil war in which the opposing armies are counted and the victory is awarded to the larger before any blood is shed. Except in the sacred tests of democracy and in the incantations of the orators, we hardly take the trouble to pretend that the rule of the majority is not at bottom a rule of force.”
—Walter Lippmann (1889–1974)