Overview
This lesson covers counting in Spanish, including numbers from 0 to 1,000, patterns in their construction, special cases, and tips for practice.
Numbers 0–10
- 0 is "cero" (replace 'z' with 'c').
- 1–5: uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco.
- Practice out of order to truly learn each number.
Numbers 11–15
- All end with "-ce": once (11), doce (12), trece (13), catorce (14), quince (15).
- "Qu" in quince makes a 'k' sound.
Numbers 16–19
- Formed by combining "diez" (10) with the units: dieciséis (16), diecisiete (17), dieciocho (18), diecinueve (19).
- "Dieci-" is a contraction of "diez y" (ten and).
Numbers 20–29
- 20 is "veinte".
- 21–29: use "veinti-" plus unit, e.g., veintiuno (21), veintidós (22), veintitrés (23).
Counting by Tens (30–90)
- 30–90: treinta (30), cuarenta (40), cincuenta (50), sesenta (60), setenta (70), ochenta (80), noventa (90).
- Combine tens and units with "y": treinta y cuatro (34), cincuenta y seis (56).
The Hundreds
- 100 by itself is "cien"; otherwise "ciento" (e.g., ciento veinte).
- 200–900: doscientos, trescientos, cuatrocientos, seiscientos, ochocientos.
- Irregular forms: quinientos (500), setecientos (700), novecientos (900).
Combining Hundreds, Tens, and Units
- Structure: [hundreds] + [tens] + y + [units], e.g., ciento noventa y nueve (199).
- "Y" is only used between tens and units or in other large number combinations.
Other Key Points
- Use regular number format to say years (e.g., mil novecientos noventa y tres for 1993).
- Practice forming numbers for fluency.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Cero — Zero in Spanish.
- Cien/Ciento — 100 in Spanish; "cien" for exactly 100, "ciento" otherwise.
- Y — The conjunction "and," used to connect tens and units.
- Quinientos — Irregular form for 500.
- Mil — Thousand.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Practice numbers out of order.
- Study spelling and pronunciation of irregular hundreds.
- Prepare to combine numbers with months for future lessons.