20 in Russian

20
Numeral
20
Cardinal
двадцать (dvadtsatʹ)
Ordinal
двадцатый (dvadtsatyy)

Nearby Russian Numbers

20 in Other Languages

About 20 in Russian

The Russian word for 20 is двадцать (dvadtsatʹ). The ordinal form — used for rankings, dates, and sequences — is двадцатый (dvadtsatyy).

Numerically, 20 is an even integer. 20 is a number worth knowing in Russian — it appears in real-world contexts like ages, distances, prices, and time expressions.

Building fluency with numbers like 20 in Russian pays dividends quickly. Numbers are among the first things you use in a new language — for shopping, directions, introductions, and understanding announcements.

Learning Numbers in Russian

What makes Russian numbers challenging

Russian numbers decline through six cases AND interact with nouns via three different grammatical patterns depending on the number. The soft sign (ь) appears in many number words (пять, шесть, семь) and affects pronunciation in ways English speakers find subtle. Compound numbers like пятьдесят (50) decline in the middle of the word, not just at the end. Phone numbers may use a mix of individual digits and two-digit pairs. The domestic prefix 8 and international +7 are interchangeable within Russia but confuse visitors.

Tips for learning Russian numbers

For listening comprehension, start with the nominative forms of 0-9 — these are used for phone numbers, prices, and addresses. Russian Cyrillic makes numbers visually different from what English speakers expect, so practice reading as well as listening. The soft sign pronunciation comes naturally with exposure. Focus on the 1-4 vs 5+ noun pattern first — this covers most everyday situations. Russian prices (rubles) and metro station numbers make great real-world practice.