I’m just going to cut to the chase. Numbers in Spanish are crucial to getting by in daily conversations.
But don’t take my word for it. Here are some basic situations where you need to use numbers:
- Counting objects
- Talking about money, paying and asking for your change
- Writing or saying dates
- Telling time
- Doing simple calculations
- Measuring things
Whether you’re a serious learner or just learning Spanish for traveling, numbers are a key topic you cannot ignore. So, in this guide, you’ll learn how to count and use numbers in Spanish.
Here’s an overview of what we’ll cover:
Good news: Spanish numbers follow a super easy pattern 🙂 So once you’ve learned it, you’ll be able to say or count to virtually any number you want. Let’s get to it!
Cardinal Numbers in Spanish
Spanish cardinal numbers are used to count. They’re by far the most common type of numbers we use.
Tip: Below is the most important set of numbers to learn. Once you learn these numbers and understand their rules, larger numbers will be easy! Don’t forget to check each recording so you learn how to pronounce Spanish numbers correctly.
Numbers in Spanish: 0-29
| Number | Spelling |
|---|---|
| 0 | Cero |
| 1 | Uno |
| 2 | Dos |
| 3 | Tres |
| 4 | Cuatro |
| 5 | Cinco |
| 6 | Seis |
| 7 | Siete |
| 8 | Ocho |
| 9 | Nueve |
| 10 | Diez |
| 11 | Once |
| 12 | Doce |
| 13 | Trece |
| 14 | Catorce |
| 15 | Quince |
| 16 | Dieciséis |
| 17 | Diecisiete |
| 18 | Dieciocho |
| 19 | Diecinueve |
| 20 | Veinte |
| 21 | Veintiuno |
| 22 | Veintidós |
| 23 | Veintitrés |
| 24 | Veinticuatro |
| 25 | Veinticinco |
| 26 | Veintiséis |
| 27 | Veintisiete |
| 28 | Veintiocho |
| 29 | Veintinueve |
Take Note: If the number veintiuno is followed by a noun in Spanish, you would have to use its short form veintiún.
Hay veintiún niños en mi clase.
There are twenty-one kids in my class.
Karen tiene veintiún años.
Karen is twenty-one years old.
Numbers in tens: 30-100
| Number | Spelling |
|---|---|
| 30 | Treinta |
| 40 | Cuarenta |
| 50 | Cincuenta |
| 60 | Sesenta |
| 70 | Setenta |
| 80 | Ochenta |
| 90 | Noventa |
| 100 | Cien |
Listen to the recording to see how to pronounce the multiple of tens (30-100) in Spanish.
The way to count from 31 to 99 is very simple and follows the same pattern. You say the multiple of ten (e.g. 30, 40, 50, etc.) with the letter y to separate tens from single digits (numbers 1-9).
Use the formula below to form numbers from 31-99.
[Multiple of ten] + y + [number from one to nine]
Let’s see this formula in action with 31-39:
- 31 = Treinta y uno
- 32 = Treinta y dos
- 33 = Treinta y tres
- 34 = Treinta y cuatro
- 35 = Treinta y cinco
- 36 = Treinta y seis
- 37 = Treinta y siete
- 38 = Treinta y ocho
- 39 = Treinta y nueve
Here are a few more examples of this pattern:
- 41 = Cuarenta y uno
- 55 = Cincuenta y cinco
- 99 = Noventa y nueve
- 63 = Sesenta y tres
…and so on.
Numbers in hundreds: 100-1000
| Number | Spelling |
|---|---|
| 100 | Cien |
| 200 | Doscientos |
| 300 | Trescientos |
| 400 | Cuatrocientos |
| 500 | Quinientos |
| 600 | Seiscientos |
| 700 | Setecientos |
| 800 | Ochocientos |
| 900 | Novecientos |
| 1000 | Mil |
Notes:
- ‘Cien’ is only used for 100.
- ‘Ciento’ is for numbers from 101 to 199.
Rinse and repeat: use the spelling rules for numbers 1 to 99 to form more complex numbers.
- 116 = Ciento dieciséis
- 252 = Doscientos cincuenta y dos
- 325 = Trescientos veinticinco
- 419 = Cuatrocientos diecinueve
- 574 = Quinientos setenta y cuatro
Thousands in Spanish
The formula to write thousands in Spanish is:
[Base number name] + mil + (hundreds) + (tens) + y + (single units)
- 2,000 = Dos mil
- 3,000 = Tres mil
- 5,000 = Cinco mil
- 10,000 = Diez mil
- 50,000 = Cincuenta mil
- 300,000 = Trescientos mil
- 500,000 = Quinientos mil
- 430,210 = Cuatrocientos treinta mil doscientos diez
- 722,542 = Setecientos veintidós mil quinientos cuarenta y dos.
You get the idea.
How to Say Big Numbers
Now that you’ve learned the fundamentals of counting (saying and writing) numbers in Spanish, the same rules and patterns apply to large numbers.
| Number | Spelling |
|---|---|
| 1,000,000 | Un millón |
| 5,000,000 | Cinco millones |
| 10,000,000 | Diez millones |
| 500,000,000 | Quinientos millones |
| 3,000,000,000 | Tres mil millones |
| 5,000,000,000 | Cinco mil millones |
| 3,000,000,000,000 | Tres billones |
| 5,000,000,000,000 | Cinco billones |
Take Note: It can be confusing for people learning Spanish, but ‘un billón’ is actually one trillion in English and ‘mil millones’ is one billion (one thousand million).
[Base number] + millón / billones + (thousands) + (hundreds) + (tens) + y + (single units)
Here are some examples:
- 1,252,152 = un millón doscientos cincuenta y dos mil ciento cincuenta y dos.
- 4,470,219 = cuatro millones cuatrocientos setenta mil doscientos diecinueve.
- 10,921,149 = diez millones novecientos veintiún mil ciento cuarenta y nueve.
- 7,234,479,291 = siete mil doscientos treinta y cuatro millones cuatrocientos setenta y nueve mil doscientos noventa y uno.
Ordinal Numbers in Spanish
Spanish ordinal numbers express the order or sequence in a list of objects. Ordinal numbers in Spanish are:
| Number | Spelling | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1° | Primero | First |
| 2° | Segundo | Second |
| 3° | Tercero | Third |
| 4° | Cuarto | Fourth |
| 5° | Quinto | Fifth |
| 6° | Sexto | Sixth |
| 7° | Séptimo | Seventh |
| 8° | Octavo | Eighth |
| 9° | Noveno | Ninth |
| 10° | Décimo | Tenth |
Notes:
- Ordinal numbers in Spanish indicate gender.
- Primero becomes primer if it’s immediately followed by a masculine noun (e.g. “primer grado”).
- Spanish ordinal numbers are followed by an ordinal symbol (°).
- 1° to 10° are the most common ordinal numbers in Spanish.
Take Note: It’s very rare that we use ordinal numbers above 10 in Spanish, whereas it’s far more common in English. For example, when it comes to dates, we say 31 de octubre (non-ordinal) while in English you say 31st of October.
Practice
Are you ready to practice what you learned? Take this Spanish numbers quiz!
Numbers Basics: Common FAQs
Below are some common questions related to Spanish numbers that most learners have.
How to say phone numbers in Spanish?
The way to say phone numbers in Spanish depends on how many digits you divide your phone number into (which often depends on the culture or country). Spanish speakers tend to divide their phone numbers into three or two digits. For example:
- 723-521-891 = setecientos veintitrés quinientos veintiuno ochocientos noventa y uno.
- 72-35-21-8-91= setenta y dos treinta y cinco veintiuno ocho noventa y uno.
Since both options are correct, you can choose whichever makes you feel more comfortable. Depending on which format you choose, you’ll either say the phone number in terms of hundreds or tens.
What does ‘y’ mean in Spanish numbers?
When it comes to numbers in Spanish, the letter ‘y’ means ‘and’. It is a close equivalent of the English hyphen. The purpose of this letter is to separate tens from units or single digits.
Tengo cuarenta y dos sillas.
I have forty–two chairs.
Es la una treinta y cinco.
It’s one thirty–five.
‘Y’ is only used with tens from 30 to 90.
Do numbers in Spanish agree with gender?
Numbers can work as adjectives in Spanish. In such cases, some of them must indicate the gender of the noun they are qualifying. Numbers in Spanish that agree in gender and number with nouns are:
- Uno
- Hundreds from 200 to 900
Check these examples:
Tengo una galleta.
I have one cookie.
Cuesta un peso.
It costs one peso.
Hay doscientas personas.
There are two hundred people.
En el refugio hay trescientos cincuenta perros.
There are three hundred fifty dogs in the shelter.
Take Note: When followed by a singular masculine noun, uno becomes ‘un’.
Do you capitalize numbers in Spanish?
Numbers in Spanish are written in lowercase letters. They are only capitalized if they are used to start a sentence.