Numbers are one of those things that feel impossible at first - there seem to be so many of them - and then one day they just click. The good news about Serbian numbers is that once you know 1 to 20, the rest of the system almost builds itself. You are much closer to 100 than you think.
This short lesson walks you through how Serbian numbers work, gives you the key vocabulary in a table, and points you toward a listening exercise so you can hear them spoken at natural speed.
How do Serbian numbers build?
From 1 to 20, each number is its own individual word - you simply have to learn them one by one. From 21 onward, Serbian combines the tens and the units the same way English does, but as two separate words written apart: 21 is "dvadeset jedan" (twenty one), 22 is "dvadeset dva," and so on. The tens themselves - 30, 40, 50 and so on - each have their own word. And 100 is simply "sto." That is the whole system. Learn 1 to 20, learn the tens, and you can say any number up to 100 without any extra rules.
One thing to notice: Serbian keeps the two parts as separate words ("dvadeset jedan") rather than joining them the way some other Slavic languages do. That makes them slightly easier to recognise when you hear them spoken.
Hear it (carried forward)
Listen to the numbers spoken aloud in the original lesson video. Hearing them in sequence several times is the fastest way to lock them into memory - your ear and your mouth learn together.
A quick table
Use this as your reference. The diacritics matter - "šest" sounds different from "šest," so learn the spelling and the sound together from the start.
| Number | Serbian |
|---|---|
| 0 | nula |
| 1 | jedan |
| 2 | dva |
| 3 | tri |
| 4 | četiri |
| 5 | pet |
| 6 | šest |
| 7 | sedam |
| 8 | osam |
| 9 | devet |
| 10 | deset |
| 11 | jedanaest |
| 12 | dvanaest |
| 13 | trinaest |
| 14 | četrnaest |
| 15 | petnaest |
| 16 | šesnaest |
| 17 | sedamnaest |
| 18 | osamnaest |
| 19 | devetnaest |
| 20 | dvadeset |
| 21 | dvadeset jedan |
| 30 | trideset |
| 40 | četrdeset |
| 100 | sto |
A tip
Rather than drilling all 100 numbers at once, learn the single digits perfectly first, then add the teens, then the tens. Each layer builds on the last. Spending one focused day on 1 to 10 is worth more than a rushed run through the whole table.
Whenever you see a number in your daily life - on a receipt, a clock, a house number - try to say it in Serbian. Those tiny real-world moments add up faster than any exercise.
Frequently asked questions
Why do Serbian numbers above 20 keep the tens and units as separate words?
Serbian just does not combine them into a single written word the way, say, German does. "Dvadeset jedan" is two words, full stop. This is actually helpful for learners because you can hear each part clearly - "dvadeset" tells you it is in the twenties and "jedan" tells you the unit is one.
Does "jedan" (one) change form in Serbian?
Yes - "jedan" agrees in gender and case with the noun it describes. "Jedan čovek" (one man, masculine), "jedna žena" (one woman, feminine), "jedno dete" (one child, neuter). For counting on its own - "jedan, dva, tri" - you use the masculine form "jedan" by convention.
How do I say numbers like 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90?
They follow the same pattern as the others in the table: pedeset (50), šezdeset (60), sedamdeset (70), osamdeset (80), devedeset (90). You can hear all of them clearly in the video above.
Numbers might feel like a chore, but they open so many doors - shopping, transport, telling the time, giving your phone number. Every number you learn is a little key. You are building a very useful set of keys right now, and that is something to be proud of.
- Marina
Ready to practise more counting in Serbian? More number practice.