various ways in which we use numbers<\/a> in Spanish, you can see why it’s pretty much impossible to avoid numbers when learning the language. Not only should they be mandatory in your personal study plan, you should also go back once in a while and review them.<\/p>\nNumbers 1-20 in Spanish<\/h2>\n
0<\/strong> \u2014 cero
\n<\/em>1<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 un , uno , una <\/em><\/p>\nThe first number in Spanish deserves its own explanation since it’s special: it has one feminine and two masculine versions! Remember to use un<\/em> for a singular masculine noun<\/strong> (un coche\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 “a car”) and una<\/em> for a singular feminine noun<\/strong> (una raz\u00f3n<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 a reason).<\/p>\nUno\u00a0<\/em>is only used when\u00a0actually counting, so it’s less common.<\/p>\n2<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 dos
\n<\/em>3<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 tres
\n<\/em>4<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 cuatro
\n<\/em>5<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 cinco
\n<\/em>6<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 seis
\n<\/em>7<\/strong> \u2014 siete
\n<\/em>8<\/strong> \u2014 ocho
\n<\/em>9<\/strong> \u2014 nueve
\n<\/em>10<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 diez <\/em><\/p>\nThe numbers from 11 to 20 are quite irregular:<\/p>\n
11<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 once
\n<\/em>12<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 doce
\n<\/em>13<\/strong> \u2014 trece
\n<\/em>14<\/strong> \u2014 catorce
\n<\/em>15<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 quince
\n<\/em>16<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 diecis\u00e9is
\n<\/em>17<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 diecisiete
\n<\/em>18<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 dieciocho
\n<\/em>19<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 diecinueve
\n<\/em>20<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 veinte <\/em><\/p>\nExamples<\/strong><\/p>\nTengo dos<\/strong>\u00a0hijos.<\/em>\u00a0(I have two children.)<\/p>\nEs catorce<\/strong>\u00a0de noviembre.<\/em>\u00a0(It’s the 14th of November.)<\/p>\nSi a\u00fan no tienes dieciocho <\/strong>a\u00f1os, no puedes comprar alcohol en Espa\u00f1a.<\/em> (If you aren’t 18 years old yet, you cannot buy alcohol in Spain.)<\/p>\nEs un tel\u00e9fono muy barato. \u00a1S\u00f3lo cuesta cinco<\/strong>\u00a0euros!<\/em> (It’s a very cheap phone. It only costs five euros!)<\/p>\nInto the 20s<\/h2>\n
The formula for counting from 20 to 30 is similar to what you might have noticed about numbers 16, 17, 18 and 19. To count beyond 20, you use a shortened version of\u00a0veinte <\/em>+ y <\/em>+ number.<\/strong>\u00a0Check it out in action:<\/p>\n21<\/strong> \u2014 veintiuno
\n<\/em>22<\/strong> \u2014 veintid\u00f3s
\n<\/em>23<\/strong> \u2014 veintitr\u00e9s
\n<\/em>24<\/strong> \u2014 veinticuatro
\n<\/em>25<\/strong> \u2014 veinticinco
\n<\/em>26<\/strong> \u2014 veintis\u00e9is
\n<\/em>27<\/strong> \u2014 veintisiete
\n<\/em>28<\/strong> \u2014 veintiocho
\n<\/em>29<\/strong> \u2014 veintinueve <\/em><\/p>\nExamples<\/strong><\/p>\n\u00c9l no para de hablar de sus aventuras de cuando ten\u00eda veintiocho<\/strong>\u00a0a\u00f1os.<\/em>\u00a0(He won’t stop talking about his adventures from when he was 28 years old.)<\/p>\nTengo veintid\u00f3s (22) d\u00f3lares, pero la falda cuesta veintitr\u00e9s<\/strong>\u00a0d\u00f3lares.<\/em> (I have 22 dollars, but the skirt costs 23 dollars.)<\/p>\nViaj\u00e9 a Argentina el veintis\u00e9is <\/strong>de abril.<\/em> (I traveled to Argentina on the 26th April.)<\/p>\nTodos tienen veinticuatro<\/strong>\u00a0horas en su d\u00eda, pero algunos las usan mejor que otros.<\/em>\u00a0(All people have 24 hours in their day, but some use them better than others.)<\/p>\n30s, 40s and Beyond<\/h2>\n
The logic that applied to the 20s also applies to the 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond until 100. The first and most important step is knowing the following numbers by heart:<\/p>\n
30<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 treinta
\n<\/em>40<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 cuarenta
\n<\/em>50<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 cincuenta
\n<\/em>60<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 sesenta
\n<\/em>70<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 setenta
\n<\/em>80<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 ochenta
\n<\/em>90<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 noventa <\/em><\/p>\nOnce you get comfortable with these numbers, you’re free to apply the following logic:\u00a0main number + y <\/em>+ secondary number.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>For instance:<\/p>\n41<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 cuarenta y uno
\n<\/em>73<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 setenta y tres
\n<\/em>32<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 treinta y dos
\n<\/em>54<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 cincuenta y cuatro
\n<\/em>82<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 ochenta y dos
\n<\/em>99<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0noventa y nueve <\/em><\/p>\nExamples<\/strong><\/p>\nTengo noventa y nueve<\/strong>\u00a0problemas, pero el dinero no es uno.<\/em>\u00a0(I’ve got 99 problems, but money isn’t one.)<\/p>\nMi abuela tiene ochenta y cinco <\/strong>a\u00f1os: ya no puede correr r\u00e1pido.<\/em> (My grandma is 85 years old\u2014<\/em>she can’t run fast anymore.)<\/p>\nMido un metro ochenta<\/strong>.<\/em> (I am 1.80 meters in height.)<\/p>\n\u00a1No tenemos tiempo! El autob\u00fas sale en treinta<\/strong>\u00a0minutos.<\/em> (We don’t have time! The bus departs in 30 minutes.)<\/p>\nExploring the 100s in Spanish<\/h2>\n
On its own, the number 100 is\u00a0cien<\/em>.<\/strong> However, when you want to associate this number with others, you do not use\u00a0y.\u00a0<\/em>Instead, you use\u00a0ciento:<\/em><\/p>\n102<\/strong> \u2014 ciento dos
\n<\/em>130<\/strong> \u2014 ciento treinta
\n<\/em>150<\/strong> \u2014\u00a0ciento cincuenta <\/em><\/p>\nThe happens with all the hundreds. Here they are up to 900:<\/p>\n
200<\/strong> \u2014 doscientos <\/em>
\n300<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 trescientos
\n<\/em>400<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 cuatrocientos
\n<\/em>500<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 quinientos
\n<\/em>600<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 seiscientos
\n<\/em>700<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 setecientos
\n<\/em>800<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 ochocientos
\n<\/em>900<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 novecientos <\/em><\/p>\nTo name any three-digit number, simply note the number in the hundreds digit then add the rest of the number after it as you learned earlier in this post:<\/p>\n
201<\/strong> \u2014 doscientos uno
\n<\/em>354<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 trescientos cincuenta y cuatro
\n<\/em>402<\/strong> \u2014 cuatrocientos dos
\n<\/em>560<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014quinientos sesenta
\n<\/em>806<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 ochocientos seis
\n<\/em>910<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0novecientos diez <\/em><\/p>\nExamples<\/strong><\/p>\nHay ciento noventa y cinco<\/strong>\u00a0pa\u00edses en el mundo.<\/em> (There are 195 countries in the world.)<\/p>\nAqu\u00ed est\u00e1n las llaves de la habitaci\u00f3n doscientos cuatro.<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>(Here are the keys for room 204.)<\/p>\nMi pel\u00edcula favorita en espa\u00f1ol es “Celda doscientos once”<\/strong><\/a>.<\/em>\u00a0(My favorite movie in Spanish is “Cell 211.”)<\/p>\nUn a\u00f1o tiene trescientos sesenta y cinco<\/strong>\u00a0d\u00edas.<\/em> (A year has 365 days.)<\/p>\n1,000 and Over<\/h2>\n
Numbers over 1000 are actually pretty easy to remember in Spanish. Just use the regular numbers from one to 10 and add the word “mil”!<\/p>\n
1,000<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 mil
\n<\/em>2,000<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 dos mil
\n<\/em>3,000<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 tres mil
\n<\/em>4,000<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 cuatro mil
\n<\/em>5,000<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 cinco mil
\n<\/em>6,000<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 seis mil
\n<\/em>7,000<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 siete mil
\n<\/em>8,000<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 ocho mil
\n<\/em>9,000<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 nueve mil
\n<\/em>10,000<\/strong> \u2014 diez mil
\n<\/em><\/p>\nExamples<\/strong><\/p>\nEstamos en el dos mil veintitr\u00e9s<\/strong>.<\/em> (We’re in 2023.)<\/p>\nSe cree que hay\u00a0siete mil noventa y siete<\/strong>\u00a0lenguas en el mundo.<\/em>\u00a0(It’s believed that there are 7,097 languages in the world.)<\/p>\nSi tuviera diez mil<\/strong>\u00a0d\u00f3lares, renunciar\u00eda a mi trabajo ma\u00f1ana.<\/em>\u00a0(If I had 10,000 dollars, I’d quit my job tomorrow.)<\/p>\n