Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| де́вять | dévjatʹ | |
| де́вятеро | dévjatero | collective |
The standard way to say the number nine is the cardinal number де́вять, which is used for general counting of objects. If you are referring to the specific digit or figure 9, or a playing card with nine pips, you use the noun девя́тка.
Which one should you use?
Use the cardinal девять for standard counting. However, if you want to emphasize a group of nine people or a specific set of nine items, you should use the collective form девятеро.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The cardinal number девять is the standard form for counting. The collective form девятеро is used specifically when referring to a group of nine people or objects, often implying a set. In the word девять, the final ь is a soft sign, which indicates that the preceding т is palatalized.
How do you pronounce it?
dévjatʹ
Did you know?
- In Russian sports and gaming, девятка can refer to the top corner of a goal or a target. Scoring a goal in the 'nine' is considered a mark of high precision.
- Russian has a specific noun девя́тка used for a car model, the VAZ-2109, which became so iconic in the 1990s that the number became a synonym for the vehicle itself.
- In many Russian contexts, the word девять functions as a cardinal number, but it undergoes declension, meaning its ending changes depending on the grammatical case of the sentence.
Examples in context
- У меня есть девять яблок.I have nine apples.
- На часах девять часов.The clock shows nine o'clock.
- Она родилась девятого мая.She was born on the ninth of May.
- Завтра ему исполняется девять лет.He's turning nine tomorrow.
- У меня есть де́вять книг.U menya yest' devyat' knig.I have nine books.
- На столе лежат де́вять яблок.Na stole lezhat devyat' yablok.There are nine apples on the table.
- Де́вять часов это поздно.Devyat' chasov eto pozdno.Nine o'clock is late.
Example conversation
Anastasia and Dmitry are discussing their shopping list.
- Анастасия AnastasiaСколько яиц нам нужно?Skol'ko yayets nam nuzhno?How many eggs do we need?
- Дмитрий DmitryНам нужно ровно де́вять штук.Nam nuzhno rovno devyat' shtuk.We need exactly nine pieces.
- Анастасия AnastasiaХорошо, я куплю де́вять яиц.Khorosho, ya kuplyu devyat' yayets.Okay, I will buy nine eggs.
- Дмитрий DmitryСпасибо, Анастасия.Spasibo, Anastasiya.Thank you, Anastasia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nine” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
