Los números

Cardinal Numbers

Cardinal numbers are the numbers we use to count (i.e., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.).

Numbers 0 - 39

The spelling of uno changes depending on the gender of the noun it modifies. Uno is spelled un before a masculine noun and una before a feminine noun.

un ejemplo (m.)

an example

una pregunta (f.)

a question

The numbers 16 to 29 are commonly written as one word or as two words connected by "y" (and). Note that an accent is added to the one-word spelling of 16, 22, 23 and 26.

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Multiples of 10 and Above

Cien is used for the number 100 and before all nouns. To say 101, 102-199, the form ciento is used. When plural (200-999) an -os or -as is added depending on the gender of the noun. Mil (1,000) is not pluralized when it is part of a specific number...

veinte mil, cien mil…

twenty thousand, one hundred thousand

dos mil dólares

two thousand dollars

...but it may be used in the plural in more general statements.

Miles de personas visitan 'El Parque de la Amistad' en Tijuana.

Thousands of people visit 'El Parque de la Amistad' in Tijuana.

Note that Spanish uses “.” (periods) and “,” (commas) differently than English does. Periods are used where one would expect a comma in English and vice versa.

Spanish	English
1.000 (mil)	1,000 (one thousand)
1.000.000 (un millón)	1,000,000 (one million)
86,5%	86.5%
“ochenta y seis con 5 por ciento”	“eighty six point five percent”

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Millions

Millón is pluralized when it is part of a specific number.

dos millones de dólares ($2,000,000)

two million dollars

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Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers are adjectives that we use to rank things, name streets, etc. (i.e. 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, etc.). The last letter of ordinal numbers is variable so that it agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (like all adjectives). However, the "o" is dropped before masculine nouns for 1^st and 3^rd (primer párrafo, tercer párrafo). Ordinal numbers are rarely used beyond 10 in Spanish. Note he use of the º to indicate that the number is ordinal.

Número	Ordinal	Spanish	English
1º	primero	el primer problema la primera solución	the first problem the first solution
2º	segundo	el segundo problema la segunda solución	the second problem the second solution
3º	tercero	el tercer problema la tercera solución	the third problem the third solution
4º	cuarto	el cuarto problema la cuarta solución	the fourth problem the fourth solution
5º	quinto	el quinto problema la quinta solución	the fifth problem the fifth solution
6º	sexto	el sexto problema la sexta solución	the sixth problem the sixth solution
7º	séptimo	el séptimo problema la séptima solución	the seventh problem the seventh solution
8º	octavo	el octavo problema la octava solución	the eighth problem the eighth solution
9º	noveno	el noveno problema la novena solución	the ninth problem the ninth solution
10º	décimo	el décimo problema la décima solución	the tenth problem the tenth solution