Cardinal Numbers in Spanish: A Clear and Practical Beginner Guide

Cardinal numbers—expressions like one, two, three, or twenty-five—are one of the most essential building blocks in Spanish. You use them to talk about age, prices, dates, time, quantities, statistics, phone numbers, and almost every practical area of communication.

For students, professionals, and multilingual users, mastering cardinal numbers ensures accuracy and fluency in both spoken and written Spanish. This guide provides a clear explanation of how Spanish numbers work, the grammar rules behind them, and their real-world applications.

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What Are Cardinal Numbers?

Cardinal numbers (números cardinales) express quantity. They answer the question “How many?” Unlike ordinal numbers (first, second, third), which express order, cardinal numbers focus only on amount.

Examples:

1. dos libros – two books
2. quince minutos – fifteen minutes
3. trescientas personas – three hundred people

These numbers appear constantly in everyday Spanish, so accuracy and pattern recognition are especially important.

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1. Basic Cardinal Numbers: 0–15

The numbers from 0 to 15 must be memorized because they do not follow predictable patterns. However, they are short and used frequently, which makes them easier to learn.

1. cero – zero
2. uno – one
3. dos – two
4. tres – three
5. cuatro – four
6. cinco – five
7. seis – six
8. siete – seven
9. ocho – eight
10. nueve – nine
11. diez – ten
12. once – eleven
13. doce – twelve
14. trece – thirteen
15. catorce – fourteen
16. quince – fifteen

Examples:
Tengo cinco amigos.
I have five friends.

Ella tiene doce años.
She is twelve years old.

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2. Numbers 16–29: The Fusion Pattern

Numbers from 16 to 29 follow a combined-word structure.

1. dieciséis – sixteen
2. diecisiete – seventeen
3. dieciocho – eighteen
4. diecinueve – nineteen
5. veinte – twenty
6. veintiuno – twenty-one
7. veintidós – twenty-two
8. veintitrés – twenty-three
9. veinticuatro – twenty-four
10. veintinueve – twenty-nine

Note the accents: veintidós, veintitrés, veintiséis.

Examples:
Hay veintidós estudiantes en la clase.
There are twenty-two students in the class.

Compré veinticinco manzanas.
I bought twenty-five apples.

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3. Numbers 30–99: Tens + “y” + Units

From 30 onward, Spanish becomes very logical. Tens are fixed forms, and numbers combine using y (and).

The Tens

1. treinta – thirty
2. cuarenta – forty
3. cincuenta – fifty
4. sesenta – sixty
5. setenta – seventy
6. ochenta – eighty
7. noventa – ninety

Combination Pattern

treinta y uno – thirty-one
cincuenta y cuatro – fifty-four
setenta y ocho – seventy-eight

Examples:
El hotel está a treinta y dos kilómetros.
The hotel is thirty-two kilometers away.

Mi madre tiene sesenta y cinco años.
My mother is sixty-five years old.

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4. Hundreds: Gender Agreement Begins

The number 100 has two forms:

1. cien – used alone or before a noun
2. ciento – used when followed by another number

Examples:

cien personas
one hundred people

ciento veinte páginas
one hundred twenty pages

Forms of 200–900

These numbers show masculine/feminine agreement.

1. doscientos / doscientas – two hundred
2. trescientos / trescientas – three hundred
3. cuatrocientos / cuatrocientas – four hundred
4. quinientos – five hundred
5. seiscientos – six hundred
6. setecientos – seven hundred
7. ochocientos – eight hundred
8. novecientos – nine hundred

Example:
Compramos doscientas entradas.
We bought two hundred tickets.

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5. Thousands and Millions

Thousands

1. mil – one thousand
2. dos mil – two thousand
3. diez mil – ten thousand
4. cien mil – one hundred thousand

Spanish does not say “one thousand.”
mil alone means “one thousand.”

Millions

1. un millón – one million
2. dos millones – two million
3. diez millones – ten million

When followed by a noun, “millón/millones” requires de:

un millón de personas
one million people

dos millones de turistas
two million tourists

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6. How “Uno” Changes Before Nouns

One of the most important grammar points is the transformation of uno.

1. uno – used for counting
2. un – before masculine nouns
3. una – before feminine nouns

This also applies to all numbers ending in –1.

Examples:
Uno, dos, tres…
One, two, three…

un libro
one book

una casa
one house

veintiún días
twenty-one days

treinta y una semanas
thirty-one weeks

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7. Real-Life Uses of Cardinal Numbers

Age

1. Tengo veintitrés años. – I am twenty-three years old.

Prices

2. Cuesta cincuenta euros. – It costs fifty euros.

Dates

3. Hoy es el veinte de abril. – Today is the twentieth of April.

Time

4. La clase empieza a las ocho. – The class starts at eight.

Quantities

5. Quiero tres cafés. – I want three coffees.

Phone Numbers

6. Mi número es seis cinco cinco… – My number is six five five…

Addresses

7. Vivo en el número quince. – I live at number fifteen.

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8. Common Mistakes

1. Using “uno” before masculine nouns
   Incorrect: uno libro
   Correct: un libro
   “Uno” only works when counting.
2. Forgetting accents in numbers 22, 23, 26
   veintidos → veintidós
   veintitres → veintitrés
   veintiseis → veintiséis
3. Using “cien uno” instead of “ciento uno”
   Correct: ciento uno – one hundred one
4. Not changing hundreds for gender
   Incorrect: trescientos mujeres
   Correct: trescientas mujeres – three hundred women
5. Using “uno mil” instead of “mil”
   Spanish never uses “uno mil.”

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9. Example Sentences

1. Hay cuatro opciones disponibles.
   There are four options available.
2. Vivimos a diez kilómetros del centro.
   We live ten kilometers from downtown.
3. Necesito cien fotocopias para la reunión.
   I need one hundred photocopies for the meeting.
4. La empresa tiene más de doscientos empleados.
   The company has more than two hundred employees.
5. El reporte incluye más de un millón de datos.
   The report includes more than one million data points.
6. Pedimos treinta y cinco mesas para el evento.
   We requested thirty-five tables for the event.
7. Su oficina está en el piso veintiuno.
   His office is on the twenty-first floor.
8. Compré veintidós cuadernos para el taller.
   I bought twenty-two notebooks for the workshop.
9. En la conferencia había nueve mil asistentes.
   There were nine thousand attendees at the conference.
10. La tienda abre a las siete.
    The store opens at seven.

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Key Takeaways

• Cardinal numbers show quantity and appear in daily communication like age, dates, prices, and phone numbers.
• Numbers from 0 to 15 must be memorized, while higher numbers follow predictable patterns.
• Numbers 16 to 29 use a fusion form, and numbers 30 to 99 follow a simple tens plus units structure.
• Hundred forms can change for gender, and one changes before nouns as un or una.
• Spanish uses mil for one thousand and millón with de before nouns.
• Accurate accents in numbers like veintidós and veintitrés matter for correct writing.

Conclusion

Cardinal numbers in Spanish form a clear and structured system. While the first fifteen numbers require memorization, most higher numbers follow predictable patterns. Key challenges – such as the change from uno → un/una, gender agreement in hundreds, and the fusion in 16-29 become simple once understood.

Whether you are preparing for exams, working with Spanish-speaking clients, or learning for personal growth, mastering these numbers will make your communication accurate, confident, and efficient.

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