Numbers are a fundamental part of any language, and they play a crucial role in everyday life. Whether you’re shopping, telling time, giving your age, or discussing quantities, understanding numbers is essential. In the Spanish language, numbers are relatively straightforward to learn once you grasp the basics. Let’s explore cardinal numbers, ordinal numbers, fractions, and decimals in Spanish.
Cardinals Numbers in Spanish
1. Uno – One
2. Dos – Two
3. Tres – Three
4. Cuatro – Four
5. Cinco – Five
6. Seis – Six
7. Siete – Seven
8. Ocho – Eight
9. Nueve – Nine
10. Diez – Ten
Note: Numbers from 11 to 15 are somewhat irregular:
11. Once – Eleven
12. Doce – Twelve
13. Trece – Thirteen
14. Catorce – Fourteen
15. Quince – Fifteen
After 15, the numbers generally follow a consistent pattern:
16. Dieciséis – Sixteen
17. Diecisiete – Seventeen
18. Dieciocho – Eighteen
19. Diecinueve – Nineteen
For numbers 20 and beyond, you can use a similar pattern to English:
20. Veinte – Twenty
21. Veintiuno – Twenty-one
22. Veintidós – Twenty-two
30. Treinta – Thirty
40. Cuarenta – Forty
50. Cincuenta – Fifty
60. Sesenta – Sixty
70. Setenta – Seventy
80. Ochenta – Eighty
90 Noventa – Ninety
For hundreds, add “cien” for one hundred and “cientos” for two hundred, three hundred, etc.
100. cien
200. doscientos
300. trescientos
400. cuatrocientos
500. quinientos (irregular)
600. seiscientos
700. setecientos (irregular)
800. ochocientos
900. novecientos (irregular)
Note: When counting from 101 to 199, use “ciento” instead of “cien.”
Ciento uno – One hundred and one
Ciento quince – One hundred and fifteen
For thousands and beyond, use “mil” for a thousand, “millón” for a million, and so on:
Mil – One thousand
Un millón – One million
Ordinal Numbers in Spanish
Ordinal numbers indicate order. Form them by adding “-o” to the cardinal number, except for “primero” (first) and “tercero” (third).
Primero – First
Segundo – Second
Tercero – Third
Cuarto – Fourth
Quinto – Fifth
Sexto – Sixth
Séptimo – Seventh
Octavo – Eighth
Noveno – Nineth
Décimo – Tenth
Fractions in Spanish
To express fractions, use:
Un medio or la mitad – One-half
Un tercio – One-third
Dos tercios – Two-thirds
Un cuarto – One-fourth
Tres cuartos – Three-fourths
Decimals in Spanish
In Spanish, decimals use a comma (,) instead of a period (.) as in English.
2.5 – Dos coma cinco – Two point five
Now you have a solid foundation for understanding and using numbers in Spanish! Practicing counting will help you become more comfortable with them.