Numbers in Spanish: It’s Easy as 1, 2, 3
This post includes:
- Audios to correct your pronunciation
- Exercises to practice what you've learned
- Videos to learn numbers in the context
When learning Spanish, we all come to the point where we have to face the number monster… and no one can hide from it! Before suffocating under the huge mountain of numbers, we need to finally face it and memorize the Numbers in Spanish.
Table of Contents
1. Spanish Numbers: 0 – 10
2. Cardinal vs. ordinal Spanish numbers
3. The Decades – Spanish Numbers: 10 – 100
4. Spanish Numbers: 11 – 15
5. Spanish Numbers: 16- 19
6. Spanish Numbers: 20 – 29
7. Spanish Numbers: 30 – 99
8. Spanish Numbers: 100 – 999
9. Spanish Numbers: 1.000 – 1.000.000
10. Where to use Spanish numbers?
The Spanish numbers might seem long and complicated at first but once you get the hang of it, they are really not that difficult. This is the guide on how to effortlessly memorize numbers in Spanish and defeat the number monster once and for all.
With our 24 Level System to Spanish Fluency®, you’ll finish the B2 level after 24 sub-levels. You are currently at Level A1 (sub-levels 1-4), studying the Spanish numbers!
Spanish Numbers: 0 - 10
Level 1 (A1.1) - Novice Low
Let’s start with the basic numbers in Spanish by watching this video:
Impossible not to sing along, right? And guess what… Rosita just taught you the Spanish numbers from 1 to 10 in under a minute!
Let’s recap the basic numbers – memorize them well, because they are the basis for all other numbers in Spanish you will learn.
| Number | Spanish |
|---|---|
|
0 |
cero |
|
1 |
uno |
|
2 |
dos |
|
3 |
tres |
|
4 |
cuatro |
|
5 |
cinco |
|
6 |
seis |
|
7 |
siete |
|
8 |
ocho |
|
9 |
nueve |
|
10 |
diez |
Cardinal vs. ordinal Spanish numbers
Level 2 (A1.2) - Novice Mid 1/2
In Spanish, as well as in English, we distinguish between ordinal and cardinal numbers.
Cardinals are numbers that serve as representatives of a certain size or quantities of something. They can also be used to express time, age, date or weight (1, 2, 3,…).
Ordinals express the order in a sequence of something and can be used to arrange a structure of a speech or presentation (1st, 2nd, 3rd,…).
In everyday Spanish-speaking life, only the ordinal numbers from 1 to 10 are actually used. You probably won’t ever hear a native speaker say ” el vigésimo primer siglo” (the twenty-first century). Instead, they would say “el siglo veintiuno” (the century twenty-one). Ordinal numbers greater than 10 are thus said as cardinal numbers, which is why we will not learn them here. We focus only on the important ordinal numbers from 1 to 10:
| Number | Spanish |
|---|---|
|
1st |
primero |
|
2nd |
segundo |
|
3rd |
tercero |
|
4th |
cuarto |
|
5th |
quinto |
|
6th |
sexto |
|
7th |
séptimo |
|
8th |
octavo |
|
9th |
noveno |
|
10th |
décimo |
It is very important to know that Spanish ordinal numbers are consistent in gender and number with the noun they accompany.
Example:
La segunda pizza.
“Pizza” is a female noun, therefore the ordinal number ends in –a.
Su segundo coche.
“Coche” is a masculine noun, therefore the ordinal number ends in –o.
iOjo! “primero” and “tercero” transform into “primer” and “tercer” when used before a masculine noun.
Example:
El primer beso / El tercer beso → El segundo beso
The Decades - Spanish Numbers: 10 - 100
Level 2 (A1.2) - Novice Mid 1/2
Every set of 10 numbers are what we call the “decades”.
Remember these numbers very well, because later they will help you to form and combine the larger numbers.
| Number | Spanish |
|---|---|
|
10 |
diez |
|
20 |
veinte |
|
30 |
treinta |
|
40 |
cuarenta |
|
50 |
cincuenta |
|
60 |
sesenta |
|
70 |
setenta |
|
80 |
ochenta |
|
90 |
noventa |
|
100 |
cien |
Spanish Numbers: 11 - 15
There is no hack on how to learn the Spanish numbers between 11 and 15 easily. You just have to sit down and memorize them by heart, because unlike the rest of the numbers in the system, these are not based on the single-digit numbers you’ve learned until now (remember Rosita’s song).
iOjo! The Spanish numbers between 11 and 15 all end with the suffix -ce:
| Number | Spanish |
|---|---|
|
11 |
once |
|
12 |
doce |
|
13 |
trece |
|
14 |
catorce |
|
15 |
quince |
Spanish Numbers: 16 - 19
The Spanish numbers from sixteen to nineteen simply combine “dieci” with the single-digit numbers.
This looks as follows:
| Number | Spanish |
|---|---|
|
16 |
dieciséis |
|
17 |
diecisiete |
|
18 |
dieciocho |
|
19 |
diecinueve |
Spanish Numbers: 20 - 29
You may have noticed that there’s a system behind the numbers by now.
Just like before, take the decade and add the single-digit number.
But there is one thing you need to remember – Spanish numbers until 29 are written in one word, without any spaces!
iOjo! Vowel change! “Veinte” turns into “veinti” after 20.
| Number | Spanish |
|---|---|
|
20 |
veinte |
|
21 |
veintiuno |
|
22 |
veintidós |
|
23 |
veintitrés |
|
24 |
veinticuatro |
|
25 |
veinticinco |
|
26 |
veintiséis |
|
27 |
veintisiete |
|
28 |
veintiocho |
|
29 |
veintinueve |
iOjo! The numbers 16, 22, 23 and 26 have accents!
Spanish Numbers: 30 - 99
Remember how I said that you should really remember the single-digit numbers in Spanish and the decades? If you followed my lead and you know them well, all you need to do is combine them.
Notice that all the numbers bigger than 30 are written as three separate words divided by “y”!
From now on we will follow this simple, consistent system with the following formula:
decade + y + single digit number
| Number | Spanish |
|---|---|
|
30 |
treinta |
|
31 |
treinta y uno |
|
32 |
treinta y dos |
|
33 |
treinta y trés |
|
34 |
treinta y cuatro |
|
35 |
treinta y cinco |
|
36 |
treinta y seis |
|
37 |
treinta y siete |
|
38 |
treinta y ocho |
|
39 |
treinta y nueve |
|
40 |
cuarenta |
|
41 |
cuarenta y uno |
|
... |
... |
|
50 |
cincuenta |
|
51 |
cincuenta y uno |
|
... |
... |
|
60 |
sesenta |
|
61 |
sesenta y uno |
|
... |
... |
|
70 |
setenta |
|
71 |
setenta y uno |
|
... |
... |
|
80 |
ochenta |
|
81 |
ochenta y uno |
|
... |
... |
|
90 |
noventa |
|
91 |
noventa y uno |
|
... |
... |
|
99 |
noventa y nueve |
Are you ready to practice what you’ve learned? ¡Vamos allá! Here is an exercise for you (listen an audio and write the number you hear):
Last Step: the BIG Spanish Numbers
If you have followed all this carefully, you have probably noticed that it’s really not that difficult to form the Spanish numbers. Watch this video to see how we can use large numbers in Spanish in context.
Spanish Numbers: 100 - 999
Level 3 (A1.3) - Novice Mid 2/2
Good job! But we’re not done yet… let’s turn our attention to slightly larger numbers. Let me introduce you to the Spanish numbers between 100 and 999.
To build the hundreds, we simply extend our formula:
hundreds + decade + y +
single digit number
You might see that both, “cien” and “ciento” mean “one hundred” … same same but different?! If both have the same meaning, why are there two different words for the same number and what’s the difference between the two?
To put it in a nutshell, “cien” is only used to refer to the actual number 100, nothing else! In all other cases and every Spanish number between 101 and 199, “ciento” is used.
For Spanish numbers above 199, simply put the single-digit number before “ciento“ and add “s” to the end. Then proceed with the same principle as before.
| Number | Spanish |
|---|---|
|
100 |
cien |
|
101 |
ciento uno |
|
102 |
ciento dos |
|
103 |
ciento tres |
|
... |
... |
|
147 |
ciento cuarenta y siete |
|
... |
... |
|
199 |
ciento noventa y nueve |
For Spanish numbers above 199, simply put the single-digit number before “ciento“ and add “s” to the end. Then proceed with the same principle as before.
| Number | Spanish |
|---|---|
|
100 |
cien |
|
200 |
doscientos |
|
300 |
trescientos |
|
400 |
cuatrocientos |
|
500 |
quinientos |
|
600 |
seiscientos |
|
700 |
setecientos |
|
800 |
ochocientos |
|
900 |
novecientos |
iOjo! Note the change of spelling in the case of 500, 700 and 900:
Spanish Numbers: 1.000 - 1.000.000
Level 3 (A1.3) - Novice Mid 2/2
Now’s the time to test if you’ve been paying attention around here. The big numbers in Spanish are long! But the system of how they are formed is exactly the same one we have been using until now.
Watch the video with examples of large numbers. Don’t be scared, later you have a small overview of the bases of the big, big Spanish numbers:
| Number | Spanish |
|---|---|
|
1.000 |
mil |
|
2.000 |
dos mil |
|
3.000 |
tres mil |
|
4.000 |
cuatro mil |
|
5.000 |
cinco mil |
|
6.000 |
seis mil |
|
7.000 |
siete mil |
|
8.000 |
ocho mil |
|
9.000 |
nueve mil |
|
10.000 |
diez mil |
|
100.000 |
cien mil |
|
1.000.000 |
un millón |
To help you understand the whole thing a little bit better, you can see our formula for the big, big numbers here:
(single digit number/decade/hundreds)
+ mil + hundreds+ decade + y + single digit number
The formula looks long, but you just have to keep on doing what you have done so far.
Let’s try to build the number 3.468 in Spanish.
This number consists of thousands, hundreds, tens and single-digits:
3000 – 400 – 60 – 8
And that’s exactly what you say:
tres mil cuatrocientos sesenta y ocho
Next, try build the number 12.777 in Spanish
12 x 1000 – 700 – 70 – 7
doce mil setecientos setenta y siete
And we add another digit: 482.796
482 x 1000 – 700 – 90 – 6
cuatrocientos ochenta y dos mil setecientos setenta y siete
iOjo! “Mil” does not adapt to gender or number. No matter which word you put it in front of, it always remains unchanged. The plural of “millón” is “millones”
Where can and should you use Spanish numbers?
If you’ve ever asked someone to buy you three apples from the supermarket, or two lottery tickets, or searched for your flight number at the airport, you’ve used numbers. Before getting into the theory, watch this video to see how we use numbers in Spanish in different contexts:
We use numbers in Spanish when talking about:
Prices in Spanish
When you go to the supermarket and you know how to say “¿Cuánto cuesta?” – How much does it cost? You need to understand the answer.
- How much does this laptop cost?
- 560€ - Quinientos sesenta euros
- How much does the kilo of mango cost?
- 4.5€ - Cuatro (euros) con cincuenta (céntimos)
With this exercise see if you understood everything correctly:
Age in Spanish
- Tengo veintitrés años (23). - I’m twenty three years old.
- Tiene cincuenta y siete años (57). - He is fifty seven years old.
The format of the numbers doesn’t change
Except…
The number one and its compounds when acting as adjectives:
1 – uno/una
– ¿Cuántos hermanos tiene Dustin?
– Él tiene un hermano. / Él tiene uno.
– Él tiene una hermana / Él tiene una.
31 – El treinta y uno.
– ¿Cuántos años tiene Dustin?
– Él tiene treinta y un años. / Él tiene treinta y uno.
21.- El veintiuno.
– ¿Cuántos chicos hay?
– Hay veintiún chicos. / Hay veintiuno.
– Hay veintiuna chicas. / Hay veintiuna.
Los números que acaban en –cientos also change:
200.- El doscientos/as.
– ¿Cuántos gramos son?
– Son doscientos gramos.
– ¿Cuántas atletas hay en las Olimpiadas?
– Hay doscientas atletas.
Time in Spanish
When we tell the time, we first tell the hour and then the minutes:
- ¿Qué hora es, por favor?
- Son las cuatro menos veinte (16:40).
In colloquial language we use analog time and not digital time, that’s why we use “y” or “menos” to say the minutes and usually five by five:
For 15 minutes, the word “y cuarto (00:15) / menos cuarto (00:45)“.
- ¿Qué hora es?
- Son las doce menos cuarto (11:45).
- ¿Qué hora es?
- Son las doce y cuarto (12:15).
For zero minutes, we say “en punto” or just tell the time.
- ¿Qué hora es?
- Es la una (en punto) (13:00).
And for 30 minutes, the expression “y media” is used.
- ¿Qué hora es?
- Son las dos y media (14:30).
The same goes for schedules, that is, the time or times at which an action is performed:
- ¿A qué hora te despiertas?
- A las 07:00 (siete de la mañana).
- ¿A qué hora es nuestra clase?
- A las 07 (siete de la mañana). ¿Tu clase?
- Mi clase es de 09 (nueve) a 12 (doce).
Date in Spanish
With dates, unlike in other languages, we say the cardinal number (one, two, three…) For example:
- El 1 (uno) de mayo (1 de mayo / 01.05.22) es el día del trabajador y es un día de fiesta nacional.
- Hoy es catorce de junio (14 de junio / 14.06.22).
Also with the years. The whole number is said and not divided in two as in English, for example.
- 08-10-1972: Ocho de octubre de mil novecientos setenta y dos.
- 15-02-2009: Quince de febrero de dos mil nueve.
- 27-05-2022: Veintisiete de mayo de dos mil veintidós.
Phone Number in Spanish
Mi número de teléfono es 922 67 54 33 (nueve dos dos seis siete cinco cuatro tres tres). – My phone number is 922 67 54 33.
If you have followed all the steps attentively, you should now understand how to build the numbers in Spanish and you can give yourself a good pat on the back – you’ve done it! Now, it is very important that you practice the numbers and repeat them over and over again.
It’s your turn… we now set you free into the wild world of Spanish numbers. From now on, you have to try to apply what you have just learned to finally beat the number monster. But of course, you can always come back here to look for help!
… And now that you have mastered the numbers in Spanish, why don’t you check out the Spanish alphabet?
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