Theory
Numbers are among the most immediately useful things in any language. From ordering food to asking a price to catching a bus, you need them constantly. Spanish numbers follow clear patterns — once you learn the core set, the rest builds predictably. This lesson covers 0–100 in full, the key irregularities, and the practical vocabulary to use numbers in real situations.
0–15: The Core Set
The numbers 0–15 must simply be memorised — they do not follow a pattern. Pay attention to: 'v' in nueve and veinte, and how uno shortens before nouns.
0 cero
1 uno / un / una
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
Uno shortens to un before masculine nouns and una before feminine nouns. Tengo un euro. Tengo una moneda. The full form 'uno' is only used when the number stands alone: ¿Cuántos hay? Uno.
- Tengo un euro y una moneda de dos euros. — I have one euro and a two-euro coin.
- Son las tres de la tarde. — It is three in the afternoon.
- La semana tiene siete días. — The week has seven days.
- Un año tiene doce meses. — A year has twelve months.
16–19 and 21–29: Fused Forms
Numbers 16–19 and 21–29 are written as single fused words — unlike English 'twenty-one' which is always two words.
16 dieciséis
17 diecisiete
18 dieciocho
19 diecinueve
21 veintiuno
22 veintidós
23 veintitrés
24 veinticuatro
25 veinticinco
26 veintiséis
27 veintisiete
28 veintiocho
29 veintinueve
The most common error is writing 'diez y seis' or 'veinte y dos' — these are always wrong. Note the accent marks: dieciséis, veintidós, veintitrés, veintiséis.
- Tengo dieciocho años. — I am eighteen years old.
- Hay veintidós alumnos en la clase. — There are twenty-two students in the class.
- Llegué a las veintitrés horas. — I arrived at 23:00.
The Tens 20–90 and the Rule of Y
From 30 onwards, compound numbers use: tens + y + units. This pattern is completely regular.
20 veinte
30 treinta
40 cuarenta
50 cincuenta
60 sesenta
70 setenta
80 ochenta
90 noventa
31 = treinta y uno
45 = cuarenta y cinco
67 = sesenta y siete
99 = noventa y nueve
Only 16–29 are fused into single words. From 31 onwards, units are always separate words.
- treinta y cinco euros — thirty-five euros
- cuarenta y siete personas — forty-seven people
- El partido dura noventa minutos. — The match lasts ninety minutes.
- setenta y ocho kilómetros — seventy-eight kilometres
100: Cien vs. Ciento
This is one of the most common A1 errors.
cien — used for exactly 100 and directly before nouns:
→ Hay cien personas. / Cuesta cien euros.
ciento — used when 100 is followed by more digits:
→ ciento veinte (120)
→ ciento cinco (105)
→ ciento noventa y nueve (199)
Never say 'cien veinte' — always 'ciento veinte'.
Never say 'ciento euros' — always 'cien euros'.
- Cien euros exactos. — Exactly one hundred euros.
- Ciento veinte kilómetros. — One hundred and twenty kilometres.
- Hay cien alumnos en la escuela. — There are one hundred students in the school.
- Ciento cincuenta gramos de queso. — One hundred and fifty grams of cheese.
Money: Asking and Stating Prices
The two essential questions:
¿Cuánto cuesta? — How much does it cost? (one item)
¿Cuánto cuestan? — How much do they cost? (multiple)
¿Cuánto es? / ¿Cuánto es en total? — How much is it total?
Stating prices:
Cuesta + price (one item). Son + price (total).
Euros and cents are connected with con:
→ Son doce euros con cincuenta céntimos. (€12.50)
Key vocabulary:
euro / céntimo — euro / cent
billete — banknote (billete de veinte = €20 note)
moneda — coin
cambio — change (money back)
Aquí tiene. — Here you go.
Aquí tiene su cambio. — Here is your change.
¿Tiene cambio? — Do you have change?
- ¿Cuánto cuesta este libro? — How much does this book cost?
- Cuesta dieciséis euros. — It costs sixteen euros.
- Son treinta y dos euros con cincuenta céntimos. — That is thirty-two euros and fifty cents.
- Aquí tiene su cambio: tres euros. — Here is your change: three euros.
- ¿Tiene cambio de veinte euros? — Do you have change for twenty euros?
Age and Quantity
Age always uses tener — never ser or estar:
¿Cuántos años tienes? — How old are you? (informal)
Tengo + number + años — I am ... years old.
Examples at every stage:
Tengo veinte años. / Tiene sesenta y cinco años.
For quantities, numbers go directly before the noun:
tres cafés, cincuenta gramos, veinte minutos.
Only uno/una change for gender. All other numbers are invariable.
- Tengo treinta y dos años. — I am thirty-two years old.
- Mi madre tiene cincuenta y ocho años. — My mother is fifty-eight years old.
- Quiero tres cafés, por favor. — I would like three coffees, please.
- Necesito cincuenta gramos de jamón. — I need fifty grams of ham.