The Spanish language is a beautiful and expressive one, and writing numbers in Spanish is a key part of learning the language. But don’t worry, it’s not as difficult as it may seem. In fact, there are some simple rules that you can follow to help you write numbers in Spanish correctly. So, whether you’re just starting to learn Spanish or you’re looking to brush up on your skills, read on for a guide to writing numbers in Spanish.
First, let’s start with the basics. The numbers 0-9 are written the same in Spanish as they are in English. So, 0 is cero, 1 is uno, 2 is dos, and so on. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. For example, the number 10 is written diez, and the number 11 is written once. Once you know how to write the numbers 0-9, it’s important to learn the rules for writing larger numbers. In general, larger numbers are formed by combining the smaller numbers. For example, the number 20 is written veinte, which is formed by combining the number 10 (diez) with the number 2 (dos). Similarly, the number 30 is written treinta, which is formed by combining the number 10 (diez) with the number 3 (tres).
Writing Single-Digit Numbers
In Spanish, single-digit numbers are written as follows:
0 – cero
1 – uno
2 – dos
3 – tres
4 – cuatro
5 – cinco
6 – seis
7 – siete
8 – ocho
9 – nueve
The Number Two
The number two, “dos,” has a special masculine form, “dudos,” which is used before a masculine noun. For example:
| Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|
| dos hermanos (two brothers) | dos hermanas (two sisters) |
In all other cases, the regular form, “dos,” is used.
For example:
dos mesas (two tables)
dos gatos (two cats)
Writing Two-Digit Numbers
When writing two-digit numbers in Spanish, there are some important rules to follow:
1. General Rule
For two-digit numbers that are ten or less, you simply write the word for the number. For example, 10 is diez and 20 is veinte.
2. Compound Rule
For two-digit numbers that are between 11 and 29, you combine the word for the tens place with the word for the ones place. For example, 11 is once (diez + uno) and 24 is veinticuatro (veinte + cuatro).
3. Special Rule for 30
The number 30 is a special case. It is written as treinta, which literally means “three tens.” This rule applies to all multiples of ten that are between 30 and 90. For example, 40 is cuarenta and 70 is setenta.
Here is a table summarizing the rules for writing two-digit numbers in Spanish:
| Number | Spanish |
|---|---|
| 10 | diez |
| 20 | veinte |
| 11 | once |
| 24 | veinticuatro |
| 30 | treinta |
| 40 | cuarenta |
| 70 | setenta |
Writing Numbers with Decimals
To write numbers with decimals in Spanish, a period is used as the decimal point instead of a comma, and cero coma (zero point) is used instead of “point”.
Example 1.5 = uno coma cinco
Example 0.75 = cero coma setenta y cinco
Numbers Between 0 and 1.0
For decimals between 0 and 1.0, the word cero (zero) is not always necessary to include, but it’s common to use it for clarity.
Example 0.25 = cero coma veinticinco or coma veinticinco
Fractions
For decimals that represent fractions, the word parte (part) is used before the fraction.
| Decimal | Spanish Fraction |
|---|---|
| 0.25 | una parte de cuatro |
| 0.50 | una parte de dos |
| 0.75 | tres partes de cuatro |
Writing Ordinal Numbers
Ordinal numbers indicate the position of something in a series. In Spanish, ordinal numbers are formed by adding the suffix –ésimo/-a to the cardinal number. For example, uno (one) becomes primero/primera (first), dos (two) becomes segundo/segunda (second), and so on.
The number 7
The ordinal number for 7 in Spanish is séptimo/séptima. When used before a masculine noun, it takes the form séptimo. When used before a feminine noun, it takes the form séptima. For example:
| Masculine Noun | Feminine Noun |
|---|---|
| El séptimo día | La séptima hora |
When the ordinal number is used after the noun, it takes the form -ésimo/a. For example:
| Masculine Noun | Feminine Noun |
|---|---|
| El día séptimo | La hora séptima |
Writing Millions
To write millions in Spanish, use the word “millón”. For example, 1 million is “un millón”. To write millions greater than 1, use the plural form “millones”. For example, 2 million is “dos millones”.
Writing Billions
To write billions in Spanish, use the word “mil millones”. For example, 1 billion is “mil millones”. To write billions greater than 1, use the plural form “miles de millones”. For example, 2 billion is “dos mil millones”.
Writing the Number 8
The number 8 in Spanish is “ocho”. Here are some examples of how to write 8 in different contexts:
| Number | Spanish Word |
|---|---|
| 8 | ocho |
| 8th | octavo |
| 80 | ochenta |
| 800 | ochocientos |
| 8,000 | ocho mil |
| 80,000 | ochenta mil |
| 800,000 | ochocientos mil |
| 8,000,000 | ocho millones |
| 80,000,000 | ochenta millones |
| 800,000,000 | ochocientos millones |
Note that the “o” in “ocho” is pronounced like the “o” in “hope”.
Writing Dates and Times
In Spanish, dates are typically written with the day, followed by the month and year. For example, the date “March 15, 2019” would be written as “15 de marzo de 2019”.
Times are written using the 24-hour clock. For example, “10:00 AM” would be written as “10:00 horas” and “3:00 PM” would be written as “15:00 horas”.
When writing dates and times in a formal or official context, it is common to use the following abbreviations:
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| a.m. | ante meridiem (before noon) |
| p.m. | post meridiem (after noon) |
| e.g. | exempli gratia (for example) |
| i.e. | id est (that is) |
When writing dates and times in an informal context, it is common to use the following abbreviations:
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| a.m. | morning |
| p.m. | afternoon/evening |
| e.g. | for example |
| i.e. | that is |
Writing the Number 9
The number 9 is written as “nueve” in Spanish. In certain cases, the “u” is dropped and the word is written as “nuebe”.
The number 9 is written as “nueve” in the following cases:
- When it is used alone
- When it is the last digit in a number
- When it is preceded by a vowel
The number 9 is written as “nuebe” in the following cases:
- When it is followed by a consonant
For example, the following numbers would be written as follows:
- 9 = nueve
- 19 = diecinueve
- 90 = noventa
- 900 = novecientos
- 9,000 = nueve mil
- 90,000 = noventa mil
- 900,000 = novecientos mil
- 9,000,000 = nueve millones
- 90,000,000 = noventa millones
- 900,000,000 = novecientos millones
- 1 – u
- 5 – d
- 10 – c
- 100 – m
- 1,000 – ll
How to Write Numbers in Spanish
The Spanish language has a unique way of writing numbers that is different from English. To write numbers in Spanish, you will need to use a combination of numbers and letters. The numbers you will use are the same as in English, but the letters you will use are different.
The letters you will use to write numbers in Spanish are: u, d, c, m, and ll. The letter u is used to represent the number 1, the letter d is used to represent the number 5, the letter c is used to represent the number 10, the letter m is used to represent the number 100, and the letter ll is used to represent the number 1,000.
To write a number in Spanish, you will start with the number and then add the appropriate letter. For example, to write the number 1, you would write u. To write the number 5, you would write d. To write the number 10, you would write c. To write the number 100, you would write m. And to write the number 1,000, you would write ll.
Here are some examples of numbers written in Spanish:
People also ask about How to Write Numbers in Spanish
How do you write 12 in Spanish?
To write 12 in Spanish, you would write “doce”.
How do you write 50 in Spanish?
To write 50 in Spanish, you would write “cincuenta”.
How do you write 100 in Spanish?
To write 100 in Spanish, you would write “cien”.
