Numbers are essential in everyday communication, from ordering food to telling time or sharing phone numbers. Learning Spanish numbers may seem challenging, but this guide will simplify the process. With clear patterns—especially from 20 onward—you’ll gain confidence in counting in Spanish. Let’s dive into this fun and informative guide to learn how to count in Spanish easily!
Understanding Spanish Number Systems
Spanish has two primary number systems, just like English: Cardinal numbers and Ordinal numbers.
- Cardinal Numbers (números cardinales) are used for counting and quantifying objects. They answer the question “how many?” and are essential for everyday communication involving quantities.
- Ordinal Numbers (números ordinales) indicate position or order in a sequence, such as “primero” (first), “segundo” (second), and “tercero” (third). They answer the question “which one?” and are commonly used in contexts like rankings, dates, or organizing items.
In this blog, we’ll focus on the more basic Cardinal numbers in Spanish. Stay tuned for our next blog post on Ordinal numbers!
Cardinal Numbers (0-10)
Let’s kick things off with the basics! Here are the numbers from 0 to 10, along with their pronunciation:
| Number | Spanish | Pronunciation |
| 0 | cero | seh-roh |
| 1 | uno | oo-noh |
| 2 | dos | dohs |
| 3 | tres | trehs |
| 4 | cuatro | kwah-troh |
| 5 | cinco | seen-koh |
| 6 | seis | says |
| 7 | siete | syay-teh |
| 8 | ocho | oh-choh |
| 9 | nueve | nweh-beh |
| 10 | diez | dyehs |
Cardinal Numbers in the Teens (11-20)
Now, let’s tackle the teens! The numbers from 11 to 20 have unique forms in Spanish:
| Number | Spanish | Pronunciation |
| 11 | once | on-seh |
| 12 | doce | doh-seh |
| 13 | trece | treh-seh |
| 14 | catorce | kah-tor-seh |
| 15 | quince | keen-seh |
| 16 | dieciséis | dyeh-see-seis |
| 17 | diecisiete | dyeh-see-syeh-teh |
| 18 | dieciocho | dyeh-see-oh-choh |
| 19 | diecinueve | dyeh-see-nweh-beh |
| 20 | veinte | vein-teh |
Cardinal Numbers in the Tens (20, 30, 40, etc.)
Once you’ve mastered the teens, it’s time to move on to multiples of ten:
| Number | Spanish | Pronunciation |
| 20 | veinte | vein-teh |
| 30 | treinta | trayn-tah |
| 40 | cuarenta | kwah-ren-tah |
| 50 | cincuenta | seen-kwehn-tah |
| 60 | sesenta | seh-sen-tah |
| 70 | setenta | seh-ten-tah |
| 80 | ochenta | oh-chen-tah |
| 90 | noventa | noh-vehn-tah |
| 100 | cien | syen |
To form numbers between the tens, simply add the units. Check out the following examples with their audio:
- 34 – treinta y cuatro (tray-nta ee kwah-troh)
- 56 – cincuenta y seis (seen-kwehn-tah ee says)
- 112 – ciento doce (syen-toh doh-seh)
Counting Patterns in Spanish Numbers
You may have noticed some counting patterns in Spanish. Here’s a quick breakdown:
You may have noticed some counting patterns in Spanish. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Teens (16-20): Unique forms for 11-15: once, doce, trece, catorce, quince. The numbers 16-19 use the “dieci-” prefix: dieciséis (16), diecisiete (17), etc.
- Multiples of Ten (20, 30, …): Formed by combining the base number with the suffix -enta: 20 – veinte, 30 – treinta, 40 – cuarenta, and so on.
- Numbers 21-99: Combine veinte with units: 21 – veintiuno, 22 – veintidós, etc.
Spanish Numbers Beyond 100
Counting beyond 100 in Spanish is quite straightforward. For instance, consider the number 487. Four hundred is expressed as cuatrocientos, which combines 100 (cien) four times: cuatro (4) + cien (100) + tos, which is the ending you add. Meanwhile, 87 is ochenta y siete. Therefore, 487 would be cuatrocientos ochenta y siete.
Here are more examples for numbers beyond 100:
| Number | Spanish | Pronunciation |
| 101 | ciento uno | syen-toh oo-no |
| 200 | doscientos | doh-syen-tos |
| 300 | trescientos | trehs-syen-tos |
| 400 | cuatrocientos | kwah-troh-syen-tos |
| 500 | quinientos | keen-yen-tos |
| 600 | seiscientos | says-syen-tos |
| 700 | setecientos | seh-teh-syen-tos |
| 800 | ochocientos | oh-choh-syen-tos |
| 900 | novecientos | noh-beh-syen-tos |
| 1,000 | mil | meel |
| 2,000 | dos mil | dohss meel |
| 3,000 | tres mil | trehs meel |
| 10,000 | diez mil | dyehs meel |
| 100,000 | cien mil | syen meel |
| 1,000,000 | un millón | oon mee-yohn |
Example Numbers
To give you a better understanding, here are some examples of how to express specific numbers beyond 100:
- 125 – ciento veinticinco (syen-toh vein-tee-seen-koh)
- 450 – cuatrocientos cincuenta (kwah-troh-syen-tos seen-kwehn-tah)
- 1,234 – mil doscientos treinta y cuatro (meel doh-syen-tos trayn-tah ee kwah-troh)
Pronouncing Phone Numbers and Addresses in Spanish
Now that we’ve learned the basics of numbers, let’s incorporate them into daily life!
Pronouncing Phone Numbers
When it comes to phone numbers, the process is straightforward: you pronounce each digit individually. Let’s say your phone number is 555-1234. Here’s how you would say it in Spanish:
- Cinco cinco cinco (5-5-5)
- Uno dos tres cuatro (1-2-3-4)
So, you would pronounce it as: “Cinco cinco cinco, uno dos tres cuatro.”
If the phone number is presented without any spaces between the digits, you can pronounce the numbers in pairs. For instance, 98765432 could be read as noventa y ocho; setenta y seis; cincuenta y cuatro; treinta y dos.
Pronouncing Addresses
Now, let’s talk about addresses! Just like with phone numbers, you’ll pronounce the numbers in your address one by one. For example, if your address is 123 Calle Mayor, you would say:
- Uno dos tres (1-2-3)
- Calle Mayor (the street name remains unchanged)
Putting it all together, you would say: “Uno dos tres, Calle Mayor.”
Learn Spanish Numbers with FluenDay
Congratulations on taking your first step into the world of Spanish numbers! Want to test your skills? Download the FluenDay app for free on the App Store or Google Play and discover more engaging ways to learn Spanish numbers and real-life examples!
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