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An easy guide to Spanish numbers and how to count to 1,000

18 July 2024

Author

Berlitz

Numbers are essential for everyday communication, no matter your lifestyle. Even if you don’t work in finance or accounting, knowing some Spanish numbers will be tremendously helpful for you in many common situations. Phone numbers, item prices, and even dates become a lot less daunting when you know how to count to 1,000 in Spanish.

Seems intimidating? Don’t worry! Spanish numbers work in building blocks, so once you learn a few, you’ll know them all. Even if you’re not a math person, you can learn the Spanish numbers from 1 to 100 (and 1,000 – and beyond!) in no time. Keep reading our guide to learn more.

Why learn Spanish numbers?

Counting to ten is one of the first things most Spanish learners do. But how necessary is it to learn how to count to 100? What about 1,000?

Learning to count to 1,000 in Spanish is one of the most productive things you can do for your Spanish language skills. No matter what you do, you’ll find Spanish numbers very helpful in everyday life. Here are a few things you will be able to do once you’ve learned the numbers in Spanish.

Discuss and negotiate prices

Few things can be more frustrating than wanting to buy something when you don’t know its price. Knowing Spanish numbers and their pronunciation will help you ask for prices and even negotiate.

Bargaining is a big feature of informal shopping in most of Latin America. It’s common for merchants to quote a higher price, fully expecting the buyer to negotiate it down. If you know the numbers, you might be able to get better deals!

Show up on time

It’s easy to misunderstand times and dates if you don’t know the numbers in Spanish. Whether on a romantic date or a business meeting, you want to ensure that language is not a barrier to you showing up on time.

Understand phone numbers

Taking down phone numbers is an important part of everyday life, especially when you’ve just moved to a new place. You’ll need phone numbers to make appointments, restaurant reservations, housing arrangements, and keep in touch with your new friends!

Can you imagine meeting new friends (or even a potential date!) and missing out on a friendship because you took down the wrong number? Don’t let this happen to you – spend a few hours learning the numbers in Spanish!

Learn Spanish numbers, spelling, and pronunciation

Okay, now that you know why you should learn Spanish numbers, it’s time to get started. In the sections below, we’ll provide the Spanish numbers in writing and their correct pronunciation.

Try memorizing the pronunciation while reading along with the number in Spanish to get used to Spanish pronunciations.

Spanish numbers from 1–20

We have good news and bad news. The good news is that counting to 20 will allow you to very easily count all the way through 1,000. The bad news is that the first 20 numbers will be the hardest to memorize.

Take your time learning this section, as it will definitely pay off in the future!

Number	Spanish number spelling	Spanish number pronunciation
1	uno	oo-no
2	dos	dohs
3	tres	trehs
4	cuatro	koo-ah-troh
5	cinco	seen-coh
6	seis	say-s
7	siete	see-eh-teh
8	ocho	oh-choh
9	nueve	noo-eh-veh
10	diez	dee-ehs
11	once	on-say
12	doce	doh-say
13	trece	trey-say
14	catorce	ka-tohr-say
15	quince	keen-say
16	dieciséis	dee-eh-see-say-s
17	diecisiete	dee-eh-see-eh-teh
18	dieciocho	dee-eh-see-oh-choh
19	diecinueve	dee-eh-see-noo-eh-veh
20	veinte	bey-n-teh

Spanish numbers from 21–99

Once you’ve learned how to count to 20, everything will seem much easier. In fact, counting from 21 to 99 only requires that you learn eight new words! The rest is just a combination of words you already know.

Number	Spanish number spelling	Spanish number pronunciation
21	veintiuno	bey-n-tee-oo-no
22	veintidós	bey-n-tee-dohs
23	veintitrés	bey-n-tee-trehs
24	veinticuatro	bey-n-tee-koo-ah-troh
25	veinticinco	bey-n-tee-seen-coh
26	veintiséis	bey-n-tee-say-s
27	veintisiete	bey-n-tee-see-eh-teh
28	veintiocho	bey-n-tee-oh-choh
29	veintinueve	bey-n-tee-noo-eh-veh
30	treinta	trey-n-tah
31	treinta y uno	trey-n-tah-ee-oo-no
32	treinta y dos	trey-n-tah-ee-dohs
33	treinta y tres	trey-n-tah-ee-trehs
34	treinta y cuatro	trey-n-tah-ee-koo-ah-troh
35	treinta y cinco	trey-n-tah-ee-seen-coh
36	treinta y seis	trey-n-tah-ee-say-s
37	treinta y siete	trey-n-tah-ee-see-eh-teh
38	treinta y ocho	trey-n-tah-ee-oh-choh
39	treinta y nueve	trey-n-tah-ee-noo-eh-veh
40	cuarenta	koo-ah-reh-n-tah
41	cuarenta y uno	koo-ah-reh-n-tah-ee-oo-no
42	cuarenta y dos	koo-ah-reh-n-tah-ee-dohs
43	cuarenta y tres	koo-ah-reh-n-tah-ee-trehs
44	cuarenta y cuatro	koo-ah-reh-n-tah-ee-koo-ah-troh
45	cuarenta y cinco	koo-ah-reh-n-tah-ee-seen-coh
46	cuarenta y seis	koo-ah-reh-n-tah-ee-say-s
47	cuarenta y siete	koo-ah-reh-n-tah-ee-see-eh-teh
48	cuarenta y ocho	koo-ah-reh-n-tah-ee-oh-choh
49	cuarenta y nueve	koo-ah-reh-n-tah-ee-noo-eh-veh
50	cincuenta	seen-koo-en-tah
51	cincuenta y uno	seen-koo-en-tah-ee-oo-no
52	cincuenta y dos	seen-koo-en-tah-ee-dohs
53	cincuenta y tres	seen-koo-en-tah-ee-trehs
54	cincuenta y cuatro	seen-koo-en-tah-ee-koo-ah-troh
55	cincuenta y cinco	seen-koo-en-tah-ee-seen-coh
56	cincuenta y seis	seen-koo-en-tah-ee-say-s
57	cincuenta y siete	seen-koo-en-tah-ee-see-eh-teh
58	cincuenta y ocho	seen-koo-en-tah-ee-oh-choh
59	cincuenta y nueve	seen-koo-en-tah-ee-noo-eh-veh
60	sesenta	seh-sehn-tah
61	sesenta y uno	seh-sehn-tah-ee-oo-no
62	sesenta y dos	seh-sehn-tah-ee-dohs
63	sesenta y tres	seh-sehn-tah-ee-trehs
64	sesenta y cuatro	seh-sehn-tah-ee-koo-ah-troh
65	sesenta y cinco	seh-sehn-tah-ee-seen-coh
66	sesenta y seis	seh-sehn-tah-ee-say-s
67	sesenta y siete	seh-sehn-tah-ee-see-eh-teh
68	sesenta y ocho	seh-sehn-tah-ee-oh-choh
69	sesenta y nueve	seh-sehn-tah-ee-noo-eh-veh
70	setenta	seh-tehn-tah
71	setenta y uno	seh-tehn-tah-ee-oo-no
72	setenta y dos	seh-tehn-tah-ee-dohs
73	setenta y tres	seh-tehn-tah-ee-trehs
74	setenta y cuatro	seh-tehn-tah-ee-koo-ah-troh
75	setenta y cinco	seh-tehn-tah-ee-seen-coh
76	setenta y seis	seh-tehn-tah-ee-say-s
77	setenta y siete	seh-tehn-tah-ee-see-eh-teh
78	setenta y ocho	seh-tehn-tah-ee-oh-choh
79	setenta y nueve	seh-tehn-tah-ee-noo-eh-veh
80	ochenta	oh-chen-tah
81	ochenta y uno	oh-chen-tah-ee-oo-no
82	ochenta y dos	oh-chen-tah-ee-dohs
83	ochenta y tres	oh-chen-tah-ee-trehs
84	ochenta y cuatro	oh-chen-tah-ee-koo-ah-troh
85	ochenta y cinco	oh-chen-tah-ee-seen-coh
86	ochenta y seis	oh-chen-tah-ee-say-s
87	ochenta y siete	oh-chen-tah-ee-see-eh-teh
88	ochenta y ocho	oh-chen-tah-ee-oh-choh
89	ochenta y nueve	oh-chen-tah-ee-noo-eh-veh
90	noventa	noh-vehn-tah
91	noventa y uno	noh-vehn-tah-ee-oo-no
92	noventa y dos	noh-vehn-tah-ee-dohs
93	noventa y tres	noh-vehn-tah-ee-trehs
94	noventa y cuatro	noh-vehn-tah-ee-koo-ah-troh
95	noventa y cinco	noh-vehn-tah-ee-seen-coh
96	noventa y seis	noh-vehn-tah-ee-say-s
97	noventa y siete	noh-vehn-tah-ee-see-eh-teh
98	noventa y ocho	noh-vehn-tah-ee-oh-choh
99	noventa y nueve	noh-vehn-tah-ee-noo-eh-veh

Spanish numbers from 100–1,000

If you already know the Spanish numbers from 1 to 100, then counting to a 1,000 will be a breeze. Counting beyond 100 is very easy, all you have to learn is the hundreds and then add a number you already know. We’ll show you how to do that next, but for now, focus on learning the hundreds:

Number	Spanish number spelling	Spanish number pronunciation
100	cien	see-ehn
200	doscientos	dohs-see-ehn-tohs
300	trescientos	trehs-see-ehn-tohs
400	cuatroscientos	koo-ah-troh-see-ehn-tohs
500	quinientos	kee-nee-ehn-tohs
600	seiscientos	say-ee-see-ehn-tohs
700	setecientos	seh-teh-see-ehn-tohs
800	ochocientos	oh-choh-see-ehn-tohs
900	novecientos	noh-veh-see-ehn-tohs
1,000	mil	meel

How to put it all together

As you know by now, counting in Spanish follows a very logical system. All you need is a few blocks (1–9, tens, and hundreds), and then you just put them together like legos.

For numbers between 101 and 999, you just have to put the hundreds first, followed by the number in the last two digits. Think of it like you’re saying two separate numbers at once.

For example:

536 = quinientos (500) treinta y seis (36).
712 = setecientos (700) doce (12).
808 = ochocientos (800) ocho (8).
191 = ciento (100) noventa y uno (91).

Note that ciento is the only exception. You use ciento instead of cien when saying a number between 101 and 199.

With enough practice, you won’t have to think about the number names in terms of components; you’ll just know how to say the number!

For now, feel free to stick to our formula to say and understand any Spanish number up to 1,000!

Spanish number songs

If you think songs are only for kids, you should think again. Studies show that songs can help foreign language acquisition and have the potential to take your language study to the next level.

Here are some songs that are sure to help you learn the Spanish numbers and their pronunciation.

La Canción de los Números

... is one of the most-viewed language learning songs on YouTube with over 40 million views. The song is straight to the point, counting from 1 up to 10 and then back down to one. This is a great way for beginners to memorize numbers 1–9.

Canción de los Números

If you’re looking for something a little more complex, Bansho & Friends’ Canción de los Números will have you counting up to 20. It also includes some other verses in addition to the numbers, so try to sing along to the entire song.

Counting in Spanish | Jack Hartmann

If these two songs seem like a piece of cake, check out this song that goes up to 100! It’s significantly longer than the other songs but can be a great song to play while you are busy with chores.

FAQs for learning Spanish numbers

Only four numbers have accent marks: dieciséis, veintidós, veintitrés, and veintiséis. The reason is that all four letters end in an s and have the stressed syllable at the end. In accordance with grammar rules, acute words that end in s, n, or a vowel need an accent mark in the stressed syllable.

The rest of the numbers don’t need an accent mark, mostly because numbers after 30 are separated into two words. For example, veintiséis needs an accent mark because it’s one word, while treinta y seis does not because it’s two words (or three, if you count y).

Spanish numbers are always masculine, so they must be prefaced with the article “el” when appropriate. This only applies when referencing a number directly and not when counting nouns.

For example:

El 21 me parece difícil de escribir.
I find [the number] 21 to be hard to write.
No estoy seguro si el 16 lleva acento.
I am not sure if [the number] 16 has an accent.

Spanish numbers are never capitalized unless they are the first word of a sentence. Spanish rules go easy on capitalization, so unless it’s a proper name or the first word of a sentence, you should err on the side of not capitalizing your words.

The ordinal numbers in Spanish are:

Primero – First
Segundo – Second
Tercero – Third
Cuarto – Fourth
Quinto – Fifth
Sexto – Sixth
Séptimo – Seventh
Octavo – Eight
Noveno – Ninth
Décimo – Tenth

Keep in mind that they should agree with the noun they refer to. So, if you’re using an ordinal number as an adjective for a feminine noun, you will need to change the -o for an -a at the end. For example:

Es su segunda hamburguesa.
Because hamburguesa is feminine, you need to change segundo to segunda.
Es su cuarto taco.
Because taco is masculine, you keep cuarto with an -o at the end.

Note also that primero and tercero will drop the -o completely when referring to a singular masculine noun. For example:

Es el primer estudiante en ganar la beca.
He’s the first student to win the scholarship.
Es su tercer intento en el concurso.
It’s his third try in the contest.

Tips for conquering Spanish Numbers

Use a song or jingle to memorize

As mentioned earlier in the article, songs and jingles are great for rote memorization. These can be especially helpful when memorizing the first 20 words, which is the hardest part of learning Spanish numbers.

We recommend a simple and short song that you can quickly memorize and sing to yourself whenever you get a chance. In your car, in the shower, in the kitchen – sing your Spanish numbers song out loud whenever you can!

Learn the numbers out of order

Once you think you’ve got a solid grasp of the Spanish numbers from 1 to 1,000, you should try learning them out of order. If you used a song or jingle to learn them, you might find yourself singing your way up to the number you’re trying to think of.

While this can be great for beginners, you want to eventually grow out of this phase and recall numbers on their own. Learning the numbers out of order is your first step to full mastery of the numbers in Spanish!

Key takeaways

Even if you don’t enjoy math, you can still learn the Spanish numbers in no time. You’ll find that once you memorize the first 20 numbers, counting to 1,000 in Spanish is super easy!

If you think the numbers in Spanish are too easy and would like a bigger challenge, check out our blogs on saying hello in Spanish and months in Spanish to supplement your Spanish studies!