Learning Spanish Numbers

Learning Spanish Numbers

When learning the Spanish language, or any language for that fact, one of the first things you will always learn is how to count and pronounce numbers.

Numbers in Spanish are relatively easy to learn but they can be confusing for beginners to Spanish because when a number has more than one part in English it is often formed completely differently in Spanish. It is always best to start with numbers one to fifteen first.

• uno = one – pronounced ‘oono’
• dos = two – pronounced ‘doss’
• tres = three – ‘trayz’
• cuatro = four – ‘kwatro’
• cinco = five – ‘sinko’
• seis = six – ‘sayz’
• siete = seven – ‘see-etay’
• ocho = eight – ‘otcho’
• nueve = nine – ‘nooaybay’
• diez = ten – ‘dee-es’
• once = eleven – ‘on-say’
• doce = twelve – ‘doh-say’
• trece = thirteen – ‘tray-say’
• catorce = fourteen – ‘kat-or-say’
• quince = fifteen – ‘kin-say’

When you are comfortable with the first fifteen numbers move onto sixteen to thirty. Before you do there is one more difference between numbers in English and those in Spanish and that is that gender plays a part.

Certain Spanish numbers take on a gender change when referring to feminine and masculine subjects. In numbers running up to two hundred a gender change occurs in every number ending in one, apart from the number eleven…so uno can be una when used to refer to a feminine subject.

• dieciséis = sixteen – ‘dee-esee-says’ (this can also be written ‘diez y seis’)
• diecisiete = seventeen – ‘dee-esee-see-etay’ (this can also be written ‘diez y siete’)
• dieciocho = eighteen – ‘dee-esee-otcho’ (this can also be written ‘diez y ocho’)
• diecinueve = nineteen – ‘dee-esee-nooaybay’ (this can also be written ‘diez y nueve’)
• veinte = twenty – ‘bayntay’
• veintiuno = twenty one – ‘bayntee-oono’ (or una ‘oona’ depending on gender)
• veintidós = twenty two – ‘bayntee-doss’
• veintitrés = twenty three – ‘bayntee-trayz’
• veinticuatro = twenty four – ‘bayntee-kwatro’
• veinticinco = twenty five – ‘bayntee-sinko’
• veintiséis = twenty six – ‘bayntee-sayz’
• veintisiete = twenty seven – ‘bayntee-see-etay’
• veintiocho = twenty eight – ‘bayntee-’otcho’
• veintinueve = twenty nine – ‘bayntee-nooaybay’

Each increment in tens is formed differently to the formation in the twenties as the adjoining ‘i‘ is dropped and in its place a ‘y‘ is used and the two numbers are seperated.

• treinta = thirty – ‘bayntee-oono’ (or una ‘oona’ depending on gender)
• treinta y uno = thirty one – ‘traynta-ee-oono’ (or una ‘oona’ depending on gender)
• treinta y dos = thirty two – ‘traynta-ee-doss’
• treinta y tres = thirty three – ‘traynta-ee-trayz’
• cuarenta = forty – ‘kwaraynta’
• cuarenta y uno = forty one – ‘kwaraynta-ee-oono’ (or una ‘oona’ depending on gender)
• cuarenta y dos = forty two – ‘kwaraynta-ee-doss’
• cincuenta = fifty – ‘sinkwenta’
• sesenta = sixty – ‘says-senta’
• setenta = seventy – ‘set-tenta’
• ochenta = eighty – ‘otch-enta’
• noventa = ninety – ‘norb-enta’
• ciento = one hundred – ‘see-ento’
• ciento uno = 101 – ‘see-ento oono’ (or una ‘oona’ depending on gender)
• ciento dos = 102 – ‘see-ento doss’
• ciento tres = 103 – ‘see-ento trayz’
• ciento diez = 110 – ‘see-ento dee-es’

Gender change can also affect all numbers relating to multiples of 100.

• doscientos = 200 – ‘doss-see-ent-oss’ could also be doscientas
• doscientos uno = 201 – ‘doss-see-ent-oss oono’ could be doscientas una
• doscientos dos = 202 – ‘doss-see-ent-oss doss’
• doscientos cuarenta y uno = 241 – ‘doss-see-ent-oss kwaraynta-ee-oono’

…and this pattern continues…

• trescientos = 300 – ‘tray-see-ent-oss’
• cuatrocientos = 400 – ‘kwat-tro-see-ent-oss’
• quinientos = 500 – ‘kwin-ee-ent-oss’
• seiscientos = 600 – ‘says-ee-ent-oss’
• setecientos = 700 – ‘set-ay-see-ent-oss’
• ochocientos = 800 – ‘otcho-see-ent-oss’
• novecientos = 900 – ‘nor-bay-see-ent-oss’
• mil = 1000 – ‘meel’

Note: All numbers ending in uno are shortened to un when they precede a noun that is masculine and ciento is shortened to cien when it immediately precedes a noun of either gender. For example: un hombre = one man and, una pluma = one pen.

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