Spanish 1.3. Cardinal Numbers

Let us learn the cardinal numbers and counting in Spanish. Here, we will learn how to count from 1 to 10 and beyond.

uno, una1veintiuno21doscientos/-as200
dos2veintidós22trescientos/-as300
tres3veintitrés23cuatrocientos/-as400
cuatro4treinta30quinientos/-as500
cinco5treinta y uno31seiscientos/-as600
seis6treinta y dos32setecientos/-as700
siete7treinta y tres33ochocientos/-as800
ocho8cuarenta40novecientos/-as900
nueve9cuarenta y uno41mil1.000
diez10cuarenta y dos42dos mil2.000
once11cincuenta50tres mil3.000
doce12cincuenta y uno51diez mil10.000
trece13cincuenta y dos52cien mil100.000
catorce14sesenta60cien mil uno100.001
quince15setenta70cien mil diez100.010
dieciséis16ochenta80un millón1.000.000
diecisiete17noventa90dos millones2.000.000
dieciocho18cien100diez millones10.000.000
diecinueve19ciento uno101mil millones1.000.000.000
veinte20ciento dos102dos mil millones2.000.000.000

The Number “0

The number “0” in Spanish is “cero,” pronounced as “se-ro.”

Un” vs. “Uno

Before a masculine noun, “uno” becomes “un,” e.g., “un perro(a dog), “un carro(a car).

You will encounter a similar dropping of the final “o” with a few other words in Spanish, such as “bueno(good), “malo(bad), and “alguno(some), e.g., “Este restaurante es bueno(This restaurant is good), “Este es un buen restaurante(This is a good restaurant).

Tens

Cardinal numbers 16-19 in Spanish are formed by contracting the combination of the tens and the units (diez + y + “seis, siete, … etc.”) into (dieciséis, diecisiete, … etc.), and converting “z” in “diez” into “c,” and “y” into “i.”

The conjunction “y” meaning “and” is used between tens and units, either explicitly as in “treinta y cuatro” (34) or in contracted form as in “veintitrés” (23), i.e., “veinte + y + tres.”

The conjunction “y” is not used between hundreds and tens or between thousands and hundreds, e.g., “cuatrocientos cincuenta y uno”(451), “mil novecientos” (1900).

Hundreds

The multiples of hundred (200-900) are formed by combining (dos, tres, … etc.) and “cientos” to form (doscientos, trescientos, … etc.), except for “quinientos” (500).

The multiples of hundred (200-900) can have a masculine “-os” or a feminine “-as” ending depending on the nouns they describe, e.g., “doscientos libros(200 books), “doscientas manzanas(200 apples).

The word “cien” does not have a “-to” or “-tos” ending when referring to the number 100 or thousand multiples of the number 100, e.g., “cien” (100), “cien mil” (100.000), “cien millones” (100.000.000).

Otherwise, if preceded or followed by a number, “ciento” or “cientos” must be used instead. For example, “ciento uno” (101), “trescientos” (300), etc.

Most, but not all, Spanish-speaking countries use a comma to separate decimals and a period to separate thousands in Spanish. For instance, the number 2.155,25 in Spanish is equivalent to 2,155.25 in English.

Thousands, Millions, and Beyond

In plural form, “mil” remains the same, e.g., “tres mil” (3.000), whereas “millón” becomes “millones.” For example, “ocho millones” (8.000.000), “cien millones” (100.000.000).

When describing items in millions, one must add “de” after “millón” or “millones.” For example, “un millón de estudiantes(a million students), “dos millones de habitantes(two million inhabitants).

To say a billion in Spanish, we use “mil millones,” that is, a thousand million. The word “billón,” in Spanish, is a trillion in English.

Notice that in Spanish, we cannot use the English way of expressing years, as in “nineteen eighty-three” (1983); that is, saying “diecinueve, ochenta y tres” is incorrect. The correct way is to say “mil novecientos ochenta y tres.”

Quiz: Cardinal Numbers in Spanish

Spanish: Cardinal Numbers

1 / 20

1. Type the cardinal number in letters:

2

 

SP: ___

 

2 / 20

2. Type the cardinal number in letters:

1,000

 

SP: ___

 

3 / 20

3. Type the cardinal number in letters:

zero

 

SP: ___

 

4 / 20

4. Type the cardinal number in letters:

1983

 

SP: ___

 

5 / 20

5. Type the cardinal number in letters:

1 (masculine)

 

SP: ___

 

6 / 20

6. Type the cardinal number in letters:

2024

 

SP: ___

 

7 / 20

7. Type the cardinal number in letters:

21

 

SP: ___

 

8 / 20

8. Type the cardinal number in letters:

32

 

SP: ___

 

9 / 20

9. Type the cardinal number in letters:

3,000

 

SP: ___

 

10 / 20

10. Type the cardinal number in letters:

500

 

SP: ___

 

11 / 20

11. Type the cardinal number in letters:

88

 

SP: ___

 

12 / 20

12. Type the cardinal number in letters:

two hundred houses

 

SP: casasf

 

13 / 20

13. Type the cardinal number in letters:

1 (feminine)

 

SP: ___

 

14 / 20

14. Type the cardinal number in letters:

100

 

SP: ___

 

15 / 20

15. Type the cardinal number in letters:

76

 

SP: ___

 

16 / 20

16. Type the cardinal number in letters:

200

 

SP: ___

 

17 / 20

17. Type the cardinal number in letters:

20

 

SP: ___

 

18 / 20

18. Type the cardinal number in letters:

3

 

SP: ___

 

19 / 20

19. Type the cardinal number in letters:

10

 

SP: ___

 

20 / 20

20. Type the cardinal number in letters:

four million students

 

SP: ___ estudiantes

 

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