Spanish Number Translator: Learn to Count Like a Native

Learning how to count in Spanish opens doors to a world of communication and cultural understanding. With millions of Spanish speakers worldwide, knowing your numbers is essential for travel, business, and anyone diving into the language.

This guide provides everything you need to master Spanish numbers, from simple counting to more complex formations, along with some cultural insights.

We’ll cover pronunciation tips, grammar rules, and how to use these numbers in everyday situations. So, whether you’re looking to use a Spanish number translator while shopping or just want to impress your friends, you’ve come to the right place.

Spanish Numerals: 0-30

Learning to count in Spanish is a great way to get started with the language. Here’s a look at the numbers from zero to 30.

Basic Numbers: 0-10

These are the building blocks. You’ll want to memorize these:

• cero (0) — seh-roh
• uno (1) — oo-noh
• dos (2) — dose
• tres (3) — trace
• cuatro (4) — kwah-troh
• cinco (5) — sink-oh
• seis (6) — says
• siete (7) — see-eh-teh
• ocho (8) — oh-choh
• nueve (9) — nway-beh
• diez (10) — dee-ace

“Special” Numbers: 11-15

Like English, Spanish has unique names for the numbers 11 through 15:

• once (11) — ohn-seh
• doce (12) — doh-seh
• trece (13) — treh-seh
• catorce (14) — kah-tohr-seh
• quince (15) — keen-seh

Numbers 16-30

The numbers 16 through 19 are formed by combining “dieci” (a shortened form of “diez,” which means 10) with the single-digit number:

• dieciséis (16) — dee-ace-ee-says
• diecisiete (17) — dee-ace-ee-see-eh-teh
• dieciocho (18) — dee-ace-ee-oh-choh
• diecinueve (19) — dee-ace-ee-nway-beh

Twenty is “veinte” (bayn-teh). The numbers 21 through 29 follow a similar pattern to the teens, combining “veinti” with the single-digit number:

• veintiuno (21) — bayn-tee-oo-noh
• veintidós (22) — bayn-tee-dose
• veintitrés (23) — bayn-tee-trace
• veinticuatro (24) — bayn-tee-kwah-troh
• veinticinco (25) — bayn-tee-sink-oh
• veintiséis (26) — bayn-tee-says
• veintisiete (27) — bayn-tee-see-eh-teh
• veintiocho (28) — bayn-tee-oh-choh
• veintinueve (29) — bayn-tee-nway-beh

Thirty is “treinta” (trayn-tah).

Counting from 31 to 99

Numbers 31 through 99 are a little different. You create them using a compound structure: “tens number + y + unit number.” The word y means “and.” So, to say 31, you’d say treinta y uno (thirty and one). Forty-two is cuarenta y dos (forty and two).

This changed a bit, though. Before 2010, the Real Academia Española (RAE), which governs the Spanish language, said to write these numbers as separate words: treinta y uno. Now, they say to write them as a single word: treintaiuno. So, forty-five is cuarentaycinco, sixty-eight is sesentayocho, and ninety-nine is noventaynueve.

This rule applies all the way up to 100 (cien).

Numbers from 100 to 999

Let’s get into the hundreds! The Spanish word for “one hundred” is cien. When you’re talking about multiples of one hundred, you’ll use the plural form, cientos.

Here are the terms for each of the hundreds:

• 200 = doscientos
• 300 = trescientos
• 400 = cuatrocientos
• 500 = quinientos
• 600 = seiscientos
• 700 = setecientos
• 800 = ochocientos
• 900 = novecientos

To form numbers between the hundreds, you simply combine the hundred term with the other numbers you already know. For example:

• 125 = ciento veinticinco
• 342 = trescientos cuarenta y dos
• 472 = cuatrocientos setenta y dos
• 618 = seiscientos dieciocho

Thousands and Beyond

Once you’ve got the hang of numbers up to one hundred, the sky’s the limit! Here’s how to navigate larger numbers in Spanish.

Thousands

First, let’s introduce mil, which means one thousand (1,000). Unlike other numbers, mil doesn’t become plural when it’s used with numbers less than two thousand. So you’d say “mil personas” (one thousand people), but “dos mil personas” (two thousand people).

To form numbers in the thousands, you simply combine mil with the other numbers you’ve already learned. For example, 1,500 is “mil quinientos,” and 5,280 is “cinco mil doscientos ochenta.”

Millions and Larger Numbers

Now, let’s tackle a big one: millón (1,000,000), which becomes millones in the plural. Keep in mind that millón is a noun, so you’ll need to use the preposition “de” to connect it to the following noun. For example, “one million people” is “un millón de personas,” and “two million books” is “dos millones de libros.”

Beyond millions, you’ll encounter even larger numbers like billón. It’s worth noting that there’s a difference between the short and long scales for these very large numbers, and the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) accepts both definitions. Be sure to clarify which scale you’re using if you’re discussing amounts in the trillions or higher!

Gender and apocope: Tricky things about Spanish numbers

Like many other parts of speech in Spanish, numbers change depending on context.

Gender

The number one (uno) and all numbers ending in one change form to match the gender of the noun they’re describing. For example, you’d say un libro (one book) if you were referring to a masculine noun, while you’d say una mesa (one table) when talking about a feminine noun. So, you’d say veintiún libros (21 books) but veintiuna mesas (21 tables).

Also, ciento (hundred) becomes cientas when describing a feminine noun, as in doscientas mujeres (200 women).

Apocope

Apocope is when a word is shortened when it comes before a noun. The word ciento drops the “-to” and becomes cien before a noun, as in cien libros (100 books). Similarly, uno becomes un before masculine nouns, as in un hombre (one man).

Decimals and Fractions

One important thing to note is that in Spanish, the decimal point is written as a comma. So, pi would be written as 3,14159.

Fractions are expressed using ordinal numbers for the denominator. For example:

• 1/3 = un tercio (one third)
• 2/5 = dos quintos (two fifths)

So, you might say, “Necesito un cuarto de taza de azúcar” (I need a quarter cup of sugar) or “El precio subió un diez por ciento” (The price increased by ten percent).

Using Spanish Numbers in Context

It’s one thing to know how to say a number. It’s another thing to use it correctly. Here are a few examples of Spanish numbers in context:

• “Tengo veinticinco años.” (I am twenty-five years old.)
• “El libro cuesta quince euros.” (The book costs fifteen euros.)
• “Hay cien estudiantes en la clase.” (There are one hundred students in the class.)

When you’re speaking Spanish, it’s important to use the right number and make sure it agrees with the gender of the noun it modifies. You also have to learn how to use numbers to say dates. For example, to say “Today is the first of May,” you’d say “Hoy es el primero de mayo.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

In this article, we’ve explored the fundamentals of Spanish numbers, from the basic building blocks to more complex combinations. We’ve also touched on some of the regional differences and cultural considerations that can influence how numbers are used in Spanish-speaking contexts.

Learning Spanish numbers is an important step toward effective communication in Spanish. So, don’t be afraid to practice using them in everyday conversations. Whether you’re counting, telling time, or exchanging phone numbers, the more you use Spanish numbers, the more natural they’ll become.

Keep in mind the cultural nuances we’ve discussed, and ¡buena suerte! with your Spanish language journey.