trēdecim
The English phrase "thirteen" is translated into Latin as trēdecim.
trēdecim is the cardinal number used to represent the quantity occurring after twelve and before fourteen.
Meaning: the cardinal number occurring after twelve and before fourteen (num)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of trē, meaning three and decem, meaning ten.
How does it change in a sentence?
The number trēdecim is indeclinable, which means it does not change its form regardless of its grammatical role in a sentence.
Did you know?
- While trēdecim is the number itself, an ancient Roman counting system often relied on 'finger-counting' (computus digitorum), where different finger positions represented numbers, making the literal word less vital for basic arithmetic than a visual code.
- In Roman astronomical calculations, the number thirteen was significant because it represents the approximate number of lunar cycles in a single solar year.
- The English word 'tredecagon', referring to a thirteen-sided polygon, is derived directly from trēdecim.
Examples in context
- Tredecim annos tibi damusWe give you thirteen years.
- Habēmus trēdecim servōs.We have thirteen slaves.
- Trēdecim mīlia sestertium sunt multa.Thirteen thousand sesterces are many.
Example conversation
Lucius is counting the apples in a basket for Claudia.
- ClaudiaQuot māla habēmus, Lūcī?How many apples do we have, Lucius?
- LuciusTrēdecim mala sunt in cestā.There are thirteen apples in the basket.
- ClaudiaTrēdecim? Id est parvus numerus.Thirteen? That is a small number.
- LuciusIta, sed mala bona sunt.Yes, but the apples are good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thirteen” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
