16 (sixteen) in Italian

Numbers are useful for travel, shopping, and telling the time. The number 16 in Italian is sedici. It belongs to the group of numbers from eleven through sixteen that end in -dici.

How to Say 16 in Italian

The Italian word for 16 is sedici. It is invariable, so it does not change to agree with a masculine or feminine noun. Say sedici giorni for “sixteen days,” sedici persone for “sixteen people,” and sedici euro for “sixteen euros.”

When telling time on a 24-hour schedule, le sedici refers to 16:00, or four o’clock in the afternoon. In everyday speech, people may also say le quattro and let the context make the time of day clear.

Pronunciation of Sedici

Sedici is pronounced approximately SEH-dee-chee, in three syllables: se-di-ci. The stress falls on the first syllable. The final ci sounds like “chee.” In Italian, the letter c before i has a “ch” sound, as in cinema and vicino.

🔊Listen to pronunciation

Numbers Around Sixteen

Here are the numbers from 11 through 20:

• 11 — undici
• 12 — dodici
• 13 — tredici
• 14 — quattordici
• 15 — quindici
• 16 — sedici
• 17 — diciassette
• 18 — diciotto
• 19 — diciannove
• 20 — venti

Notice that 11 through 16 end in -dici. The pattern changes at 17, which begins with dici- and adds the unit. Practicing the whole sequence helps make the change easier to remember.

Example Sentences Using Sedici

• Ho sedici euro. — I have sixteen euros.
• Il negozio chiude alle sedici. — The shop closes at 16:00 (4 p.m.).
• Ci sono sedici camere nell’albergo. — There are sixteen rooms in the hotel.
• Il viaggio dura sedici ore. — The journey lasts sixteen hours.
• La lezione comincia tra sedici minuti. — The lesson starts in sixteen minutes.
• Mio cugino ha sedici anni. — My cousin is sixteen years old.

To say someone’s age, Italian uses avere (“to have”), so ha sedici anni literally means “he or she has sixteen years.” This is the normal Italian way to express age.

Common Mistakes

• Confusing sedici and diciassette: they mean 16 and 17.
• Pronouncing ci as “see”: the final syllable sounds like “chee.”
• Changing sedici for gender: the number remains the same with all nouns.
• Mixing 12-hour and 24-hour time: le sedici means 16:00, while le quattro means four o’clock, with the time of day supplied by context.

Summary

Use sedici for 16 in Italian. It is pronounced “SEH-dee-chee,” does not change with the noun, and appears in counts, prices, ages, and 24-hour times. It is the last number in the 11–16 group ending in -dici.