Numbers are one of the first things you'll need in a real-world Spanish conversation — paying at a market, asking for a table for four, or reading your apartment number aloud. The good news: Spanish numbers follow logical patterns once you understand the key rules. The caveat: the first 15 or so are unique words you need to memorize, and there are a few surprises (irregular teens, gender-agreeing hundreds) that trip up most learners. This guide walks through everything step by step.
The first fifteen numbers in Spanish are all distinct words with no shortcut — they simply need to be memorized. This is no different from any other language, and with some practice they become automatic very quickly:
| Number | Spanish | Pronunciation guide |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | uno (un/una) | OO-no |
| 2 | dos | dohs |
| 3 | tres | trehs |
| 4 | cuatro | KWAH-troh |
| 5 | cinco | SEEN-koh |
| 6 | seis | seh-EES |
| 7 | siete | SYEH-teh |
| 8 | ocho | OH-choh |
| 9 | nueve | NWEH-beh |
| 10 | diez | dyehs |
| 11 | once | ON-seh |
| 12 | doce | DOH-seh |
| 13 | trece | TREH-seh |
| 14 | catorce | kah-TOR-seh |
| 15 | quince | KEEN-seh |
Notice that 11–15 are completely irregular — they are not compounds of 10 + a unit. This is unlike French (onze, douze, treize, quatorze, quinze... same pattern!), but you still need to learn these five as standalone words.
From 16 to 19, Spanish fuses "diez y" (ten and) into single contracted words. These are written as one word and have spelling quirks:
| Number | Spanish | Construction |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | dieciséis | diez + y + seis → note the accent on the é |
| 17 | diecisiete | diez + y + siete |
| 18 | dieciocho | diez + y + ocho |
| 19 | diecinueve | diez + y + nueve |
The accent mark on dieciséis is mandatory — it marks the stressed syllable. If you write "dieciseis" without the accent, it is a spelling error in formal writing.
The twenties follow the same fused-word pattern as the teens. Twenty is veinte, and 21–29 all contract into single words:
| Number | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | veinte | Base form |
| 21 | veintiuno | Note: becomes veintiún before masculine nouns, veintiuna before feminine |
| 22 | veintidós | Accent on the final ó |
| 23 | veintitrés | Accent on the final é |
| 24 | veinticuatro | |
| 25 | veinticinco | |
| 26 | veintiséis | Accent |
| 27 | veintisiete | |
| 28 | veintiocho | |
| 29 | veintinueve |
Here is where Spanish becomes more regular and predictable. From 30 onward, tens and units are written as separate words connected by y (and):
The tens are: treinta (30), cuarenta (40), cincuenta (50), sesenta (60), setenta (70), ochenta (80), noventa (90).
To form compound numbers, simply add y + unit:
Unlike 21–29 (single fused words), 31+ are always written as three separate words: number + y + number. This is a crucial rule many learners get wrong when writing.
One hundred presents an important distinction:
So 100 euros is cien euros but 101 euros is ciento un euros. Get this right and you'll immediately sound more advanced than most beginners.
This is perhaps the most surprising rule for English speakers: Spanish hundreds agree in gender with the noun they modify.
| Number | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | doscientos | doscientas |
| 300 | trescientos | trescientas |
| 400 | cuatrocientos | cuatrocientas |
| 500 | quinientos | quinientas |
| 600 | seiscientos | seiscientas |
| 700 | setecientos | setecientas |
| 800 | ochocientos | ochocientas |
| 900 | novecientos | novecientas |
Examples: doscientos hombres (200 men) but doscientas manzanas (200 apples). Note that 500 has an irregular stem: quinientos, not "cincuientos". Same for 700 (setecientos) and 900 (novecientos) — these don't follow the obvious pattern, so memorize them specifically.
Mil = 1,000. Unlike "a thousand" in English, Spanish never adds an article: it's just mil, never un mil. Compound thousands are straightforward:
Important: Spanish uses a period where English uses a comma, and a comma where English uses a decimal point. So one thousand five hundred in Spanish numeric form is 1.500, and 3.5 (three and a half) is written 3,5. Be aware of this when reading Spanish prices, measurements, and statistics.
Ordinals (first, second, third...) are adjectives in Spanish and must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. The first ten are irregular:
| Ordinal | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | primero (primer) | primera |
| 2nd | segundo | segunda |
| 3rd | tercero (tercer) | tercera |
| 4th | cuarto | cuarta |
| 5th | quinto | quinta |
| 6th | sexto | sexta |
| 7th | séptimo | séptima |
| 8th | octavo | octava |
| 9th | noveno | novena |
| 10th | décimo | décima |
Note that primero and tercero drop the final -o before masculine nouns: el primer día (the first day), el tercer piso (the third floor). Above 10th, ordinals are used less frequently in everyday speech — Spanish speakers often use cardinal numbers instead (the floor 20 = el piso veinte rather than el vigésimo piso).
Telling time in Spanish uses specific patterns you need to memorize:
When shopping, you'll frequently need numbers alongside currency. Common patterns:
EspañaSpeak's vocabulary system includes numbers with audio, exercises, and spaced repetition to lock them into long-term memory.
Numbers 1–15 are unique words to memorize. 16–19 are contracted compounds of "diez y" (dieciséis, diecisiete, etc.), written as single words. 20–29 similarly fuse into single words (veintiuno, veintidós...). From 31 onward, tens and units are written as three separate words connected by y: treinta y uno, cuarenta y cinco. Hundreds agree in gender with the noun they describe.
Cien is exactly 100, used alone or directly before a noun. Ciento is used for 101–199 when more digits follow. So 100 apples = cien manzanas, but 150 apples = ciento cincuenta manzanas. Never say "un cien" — the article is dropped entirely.
Ordinals are adjectives that agree in gender/number with the noun. The first ten (primero, segundo, tercero...) are irregular and must be memorized. Primero and tercero drop the -o before masculine singular nouns (primer piso, tercer lugar). Above 10th, Spanish speakers frequently substitute cardinal numbers in everyday speech.