Numbers and time
Numbers are essential for everyday situations: shopping, telling time, making appointments, understanding prices, and giving phone numbers.
Cardinal numbers
0–30
| Number | Spanish | Number | Spanish | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | cero | 16 | dieciséis | |
| 1 | uno | 17 | diecisiete | |
| 2 | dos | 18 | dieciocho | |
| 3 | tres | 19 | diecinueve | |
| 4 | cuatro | 20 | veinte | |
| 5 | cinco | 21 | veintiuno | |
| 6 | seis | 22 | veintidós | |
| 7 | siete | 23 | veintitrés | |
| 8 | ocho | 24 | veinticuatro | |
| 9 | nueve | 25 | veinticinco | |
| 10 | diez | 26 | veintiséis | |
| 11 | once | 27 | veintisiete | |
| 12 | doce | 28 | veintiocho | |
| 13 | trece | 29 | veintinueve | |
| 14 | catorce | 30 | treinta | |
| 15 | quince |
Note: Numbers 16–29 are written as one word in modern Spanish.
31–99
From 31 onward, use "y" (and) between tens and units:
| Number | Spanish |
|---|---|
| 31 | treinta y uno |
| 42 | cuarenta y dos |
| 55 | cincuenta y cinco |
| 67 | sesenta y siete |
| 78 | setenta y ocho |
| 89 | ochenta y nueve |
| 99 | noventa y nueve |
Tens
| Number | Spanish |
|---|---|
| 10 | diez |
| 20 | veinte |
| 30 | treinta |
| 40 | cuarenta |
| 50 | cincuenta |
| 60 | sesenta |
| 70 | setenta |
| 80 | ochenta |
| 90 | noventa |
100 and beyond
| Number | Spanish |
|---|---|
| 100 | cien / ciento |
| 101 | ciento uno |
| 200 | doscientos |
| 300 | trescientos |
| 400 | cuatrocientos |
| 500 | quinientos |
| 600 | seiscientos |
| 700 | setecientos |
| 800 | ochocientos |
| 900 | novecientos |
| 1,000 | mil |
| 2,000 | dos mil |
| 1,000,000 | un millón |
| 2,000,000 | dos millones |
Notes:
- Use cien before nouns and mil: cien libros, cien mil
- Use ciento with other numbers: ciento veinte (120)
- Hundreds agree in gender: doscientos libros (m), doscientas páginas (f)
- Millón takes de before nouns: un millón de euros
Number format
Spanish uses periods for thousands and commas for decimals (opposite of English):
| Spanish format | English equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1.234 | 1,234 |
| 3.456.789 | 3,456,789 |
| 3,50 € | €3.50 |
Uno/Un/Una
The number one changes:
- uno — when counting or at the end: veintiuno
- un — before masculine nouns: un libro
- una — before feminine nouns: una casa
Also in compounds: treinta y un libros, veintiuna casas
Ordinal numbers
| Cardinal | Ordinal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 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:
- Ordinals agree in gender: primera, segundo
- Primero and tercero drop the "o" before masculine singular nouns: el primer día, el tercer piso
- After 10th, cardinals are often used: el piso 15 (the 15th floor)
Telling time
Asking the time
- ¿Qué hora es? — What time is it?
- ¿Tiene hora? — Do you have the time?
Hours
| Time | Spanish |
|---|---|
| 1:00 | Es la una. |
| 2:00 | Son las dos. |
| 3:00 | Son las tres. |
| 12:00 (noon) | Es mediodía. |
| 12:00 (midnight) | Es medianoche. |
Note: Es for one o'clock (singular), son for all others (plural).
Minutes
| Time | Spanish | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| 3:05 | Son las tres y cinco. | y + minutes |
| 3:10 | Son las tres y diez. | y + minutes |
| 3:15 | Son las tres y cuarto. | y cuarto (quarter) |
| 3:20 | Son las tres y veinte. | y + minutes |
| 3:30 | Son las tres y media. | y media (half) |
| 3:35 | Son las cuatro menos veinticinco. | menos (minus) |
| 3:40 | Son las cuatro menos veinte. | menos |
| 3:45 | Son las cuatro menos cuarto. | menos cuarto |
| 3:50 | Son las cuatro menos diez. | menos |
| 3:55 | Son las cuatro menos cinco. | menos |
Alternative (especially Latin America):
- Son las tres y treinta y cinco. (3:35 = three thirty-five)
- Digital-style reading is increasingly common
Time expressions
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| a las... | at... (time) |
| de la mañana | in the morning (AM) |
| de la tarde | in the afternoon (PM) |
| de la noche | in the evening/night (PM) |
| en punto | exactly, on the dot |
| más o menos | approximately |
Examples:
- El vuelo sale a las ocho de la mañana. — The flight leaves at 8 AM.
- Llegamos a las diez de la noche. — We arrive at 10 PM.
- Son las cinco en punto. — It's exactly five o'clock.
Days of the week
| Spanish | English | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| lunes | Monday | L |
| martes | Tuesday | M |
| miércoles | Wednesday | X |
| jueves | Thursday | J |
| viernes | Friday | V |
| sábado | Saturday | S |
| domingo | Sunday | D |
Notes:
- Days are not capitalised in Spanish
- El lunes = on Monday
- Los lunes = on Mondays (every Monday)
- The week starts on Monday in Spanish-speaking countries
Months
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| enero | January |
| febrero | February |
| marzo | March |
| abril | April |
| mayo | May |
| junio | June |
| julio | July |
| agosto | August |
| septiembre | September |
| octubre | October |
| noviembre | November |
| diciembre | December |
Notes:
- Months are not capitalised in Spanish
- en enero = in January
- a principios de marzo = at the beginning of March
- a finales de diciembre = at the end of December
Dates
Spanish dates use cardinal numbers (except for the first):
| Format | Example |
|---|---|
| Spoken | el quince de marzo |
| Written | 15 de marzo / 15-03-2024 |
| First of month | el primero de mayo (or el uno de mayo) |
| With year | el 20 de julio de 2024 |
Asking the date:
- ¿Qué fecha es hoy? — What's today's date?
- ¿A cuántos estamos? — What's the date? (literally: at how many are we?)
Answering:
- Hoy es el 15 de marzo. — Today is March 15th.
- Estamos a 15 de marzo. — It's March 15th.
Seasons
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la primavera | spring |
| el verano | summer |
| el otoño | autumn/fall |
| el invierno | winter |
Usage:
- en primavera — in spring
- este verano — this summer
- el próximo invierno — next winter