Numbers (Edexcel GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
Numbers
Numbers are essential building blocks in Spanish grammar. Understanding how to use cardinal numbers, ordinal numbers, dates, and time expressions correctly will boost your confidence in both speaking and writing Spanish.
Cardinal numbers 1-1000
Basic numbers
Spanish numbers follow clear patterns once you learn the basics. The key to mastering Spanish numbers is understanding the underlying patterns and memorising the fundamental building blocks. Here are the fundamental numbers you need to know:
| Number | Spanish | Number | Spanish | Number | Spanish | Number | Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | uno | 11 | once | 21 | veintiuno | 100 | cien |
| 2 | dos | 12 | doce | 22 | veintidós | 101 | ciento uno |
| 3 | tres | 13 | trece | 30 | treinta | 200 | doscientos/as |
| 4 | cuatro | 14 | catorce | 31 | treinta y uno | 333 | trescientos/as treinta y tres |
| 5 | cinco | 15 | quince | 32 | treinta y dos | 1000 | mil |
| Number | Spanish | Number | Spanish | Number | Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | seis | 16 | dieciséis | 40 | cuarenta |
| 7 | siete | 17 | diecisiete | 50 | cincuenta |
| 8 | ocho | 18 | dieciocho | 60 | sesenta |
| 9 | nueve | 19 | diecinueve | 70 | setenta |
| 10 | diez | 20 | veinte | 80 | ochenta |
| 90 | noventa |
Notice how numbers 16-19 and 21-29 are written as single words, while numbers from 31 onwards use the conjunction "y" (and) to connect the tens and units.
Important agreement rules
Numbers ending in uno must agree with the gender of the noun they modify. When uno appears before a masculine noun, it drops the final -o and becomes un.
Worked Example: Gender Agreement with Uno
- Veintiún años (twenty-one years - masculine)
- Veintiuna chicas (twenty-one girls - feminine)
- Un libro (one book - masculine)
- Una mesa (one table - feminine)
This pattern applies to all compound numbers: 31 becomes treinta y un, 41 becomes cuarenta y un, and so on when followed by a masculine noun.
Hundreds
The hundreds also require gender agreement with the noun. Most hundreds follow the pattern doscientos/doscientas (200), trescientos/trescientas (300), but there are three irregular forms you must memorise:
Irregular Hundreds - Must Memorise:
- 500: quinientos/quinientas
- 700: setecientos/setecientas
- 900: novecientos/novecientas
Worked Example: Hundreds Agreement
- Quinientas libras (five hundred pounds - feminine)
- Setecientos euros (seven hundred euros - masculine)
- Doscientas páginas (two hundred pages - feminine)
- Trescientos estudiantes (three hundred students - masculine)
Dates
Spanish dates follow a specific structure and don't use capital letters for months. The pattern is: day + de + month + del/de + year. Understanding this pattern is essential for expressing any date correctly in Spanish.
Worked Example: Date Formation
- El trece de diciembre del mil novecientos setenta y ocho (13th December 1978)
- El veintiuno de julio del dos mil dieciséis (21st July 2016)
- El cinco de enero del dos mil veintitrés (5th January 2023)
For the first of the month, you can use either:
- El primero de abril (The first of April)
- El uno de abril (The first of April)
Translation Practice:
- 15th March 2020 → El quince de marzo del dos mil veinte
- 3rd October 1995 → El tres de octubre del mil novecientos noventa y cinco
Telling the time
Time expressions in Spanish use the verb ser and require attention to singular and plural forms. The structure varies depending on whether you're expressing exact hours, minutes past the hour, or minutes to the next hour.
Basic time structure
| Time | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| 3:05 | Son las tres y cinco | It's five past three |
| 3:15 | Son las tres y cuarto | It's quarter past three |
| 3:30 | Son las tres y media | It's half past three |
| 3:45 | Son las cuatro menos cuarto | It's quarter to four |
| 3:55 | Son las cuatro menos cinco | It's five to four |
Critical Exception: One o'clock is singular and feminine: Es la una (It's one o'clock). All other hours use the plural form Son las.
Worked Example: Time in Context
- La clase empieza a las tres y media (The class starts at half past three)
- El tren llega a la una (The train arrives at one o'clock)
- Nos vemos a las ocho y cuarto (We'll meet at quarter past eight)
Ordinal numbers
Ordinal numbers indicate position or order and must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. These numbers are used less frequently than cardinal numbers but are essential for expressing sequences and rankings.
| Masculine | Feminine | English |
|---|---|---|
| primero | primera | first |
| segundo | segunda | second |
| tercero | tercera | third |
| cuarto | cuarta | fourth |
| quinto | quinta | fifth |
| sexto | sexta | sixth |
Special agreement rules
Primero and tercero shorten to primer and tercer when placed before a masculine singular noun. This shortening rule is similar to other Spanish adjectives that lose their final vowel before masculine nouns.
Worked Example: Ordinal Number Agreement
- El primer día (the first day)
- El tercer piso (the third floor)
- La primera vez (the first time)
- La tercera oportunidad (the third opportunity)
Important Note: Ordinal numbers are only used for dates when referring to the first of the month. All other dates use cardinal numbers.
Worked Example: Translation Practice
Spanish to English:
- Es mi quinta clase de español → It's my fifth Spanish class
- Vivo en el tercer piso → I live on the third floor
English to Spanish:
- The second book → El segundo libro
- Her first car → Su primer coche
Key Points to Remember:
- Numbers ending in uno drop the -o before masculine nouns and agree with gender
- Hundreds (200-900) must agree with the gender of the noun, with irregular forms for 500, 700, and 900
- Use Es la una for one o'clock, but Son las for all other times
- Ordinal numbers are only used for the first of the month in dates
- Primero and tercero become primer and tercer before masculine singular nouns
- Spanish dates follow the pattern: day + de + month + del/de + year
- Time expressions use the conjunction y for past the hour and menos for to the hour