If you want to hear the pronunciation of the numbers and know the unities, tens and hundreds go to Audio Lessons section - The Basic of Spanish and take a look at the lesson about Numbers. In this lesson you’ll find some notes and information about how to use cardinal and ordinal numbers.

Uno and un are synonyms. Both of them refer to the number one, but “un” must be used before masculine words. Observe that “un” means “one” and “a” (the indefinite article). Study the examples below:

Examples:

• un coche – one car / a car 
• un hombre – one man / a man

• un niño – one boy / a boy

Una means “one” and a” (the indefinite article) and must be used along with feminine words. Study the examples: 

Examples:

• una casa – one house / a house 
• una mujer – one woman / a woman

• una niña – one girl / a girl

Numbers from 0 to 30 are written as one word.

0. cero
1. uno
2. dos
3. tres
4. cuatro
5. cinco
6. seis
7. siete
8. ocho
9. nueve
10. diez
11. once
12. doce
13. trece
14. catorce
15. quince
16. dieciséis
17. diecisiete
18. dieciocho
19. diecinueve
20. veinte
21. veintiuno
22. veintidós
23. veintitrés
24. veinticuatro
25. veinticinco
26. veintiséis
27. veintisiete
28. veintiocho
29. veintinueve
30. treinta

From 31 to 99 you have to add “y” (which means "and") between the tens and the unities.

Examples:

• 31. treinta y uno

• 32. treinta y dos

• 33. treinta y tres

• 34. treinta y cuatro

• 40. cuarenta

• 45. cuarenta y cinco

• 46. cuarenta y seis

• 59. cincuenta

• 52. cincuenta y dos

• 60. sesenta

• 67. sesenta y siete

• 70. setenta

• 78. setenta y ocho

• 80. ochenta

• 84. ochenta y cuatro

• 90. noventa

It is not necessary to add “y” between hundreds and tens or hundreds and unities. Study the examples below. You just have to add “y” from 31 to 99

Example:

• 120. ciento veinte

• 235. doscientos treinta y cinco

• 367. trescientos sesenta y siete

• 456. cuatrocientos cincuenta y seis

• 567. quinientos sesenta y siente

• 654. seiscientos cincuenta y cuatro

• 722. setecientos veintidós

• 802. ochocientos dos  

• 978. novecientos setenta y ocho

Use the word “cien” for 100 and the word “ciento” for number from 101 to 199.

 Example:

• 100. cien

• 135. ciento treinta y cinco

• 167. ciento sesenta y siete

• 199. ciento noventa y nueve

200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900 have feminine and masculine forms in Spanish. They must agree in gender and number with the noun. Observe that when they are written in the masculine form they end in “os”, and when they are written in the feminine from they end in “as”

 Compare: 

• 200 men: doscientos hombres / 200 women: doscientas mujeres
• 330 cars: trescientos treinta coches / 330 houses: trescientas treinta casas.
• 467 boys: cuatrocientos sesenta y siete niños / 467 girls: cuatrocientas sesenta y siete niñas

Ordinal numbers are used to express the position or order in a sequence. In English the ordinal numbers from 1 to 10 are: first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth. See the equivalents in Spanish. Note that in Spanish the ordinal numbers have feminine and masculine forms.

Before a masculine noun drop the last vowel “o”. Study the examples below:

Examples: 

• primer día – first day
• tercer día – third day

In Spanish the ordinal numbers are not used to express the days of the month. In some places people use the word “primero” just for the first day of the month and the cardinal numbers (dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis…) for the other days.