Italian · Time, Numbers & Colors

"Twelve" in Italian: dodici

dodici

Say it: DOH-dee-cheenumber/ˈdo.di.tʃi/

Twelve in Italian is dodici (DOH-dee-chee). Use it for counting, ages, bus lines, and times: sono le dodici means it's twelve o'clock.

Buying tickets

Ci servono dodici biglietti in tutto.
We need twelve tickets in total.
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How to pronounce dodici

Say it

DOH-dee-chee

/ˈdo.di.tʃi/

Dodici stresses DOH: DOH-dee-chee. Soft c before i.

"Twelve" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
dodicitwelve

The number.

le dodicitwelve o'clock

Noon or midnight context.

dodici annitwelve years old

Age.

il dodicithe twelfth (date)

Il dodici maggio.

How to use dodici in real life

  1. 1Buying tickets

    Ci servono dodici biglietti in tutto.

    We need twelve tickets in total.

    Dodici before a plural noun.

  2. 2Meeting time

    Ci vediamo alle dodici sotto l'orologio.

    Let's meet at twelve under the clock.

    Alle dodici.

  3. 3Age

    Mia cugina ha dodici anni.

    My cousin is twelve.

    Avere + dodici anni.

Mistakes English speakers make with dodici

Incorrect: Sono le dodice.

Correct: Sono le dodici.

The number is dodici, not dodice.

Incorrect: Ho dodici anno.

Correct: Ho dodici anni.

Age uses plural anni.

Good to know

Alle dodici can mean noon more often than midnight in casual plans; midnight is often mezzanotte. Shop hours and lunch still orbit the dodici mark.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Setting a lunch meetup

  1. ChatPal

    Se esci alle dodici, ti aspetto fuori.

    If you leave at twelve, I'll wait outside.

  2. You

    Esco proprio alle dodici in punto.

    I'll leave right at twelve on the dot.

  3. ChatPal

    Porto dodici paste per tutti.

    I'm bringing twelve pastries for everyone.

  4. You

    Perfetto, così non manca niente.

    Perfect, then nothing's missing.

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"Twelve" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Twelve" in Italian

How do I say it's twelve o'clock?

Sono le dodici.

How do I say I'm twelve?

Ho dodici anni.

Is there an ordinal?

Twelfth is dodicesimo/a: il dodicesimo piano.

Dodici or 12?

Both appear; say dodici when speaking.

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