Numbers 0-30
The numbers 0-15 each have a unique word that you need to memorise. From 16-19, they follow a pattern (dieci- + unit). From 21-29, they use veinti- + unit. At 30 and beyond, the pattern changes again.
Spelling Note: Notice that 16, 22, 23, and 26 gain an accent mark when they become one word: dieciséis, veintidós, veintitrés, veintiséis.
| # | Spanish | # | Spanish | # | Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | cero | 10 | diez | 20 | veinte |
| 1 | uno | 11 | once | 21 | veintiuno |
| 2 | dos | 12 | doce | 22 | veintidós |
| 3 | tres | 13 | trece | 23 | veintitrés |
| 4 | cuatro | 14 | catorce | 24 | veinticuatro |
| 5 | cinco | 15 | quince | 25 | veinticinco |
| 6 | seis | 16 | dieciséis | 26 | veintiséis |
| 7 | siete | 17 | diecisiete | 27 | veintisiete |
| 8 | ocho | 18 | dieciocho | 28 | veintiocho |
| 9 | nueve | 19 | diecinueve | 29 | veintinueve |
| 30 | treinta |
Numbers 31-100
From 31 onwards, tens and units are written as separate words joined by y (and):
- 31 = treinta y uno
- 42 = cuarenta y dos
- 55 = cincuenta y cinco
- 99 = noventa y nueve
Here are the tens:
| # | Spanish | # | Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | diez | 60 | sesenta |
| 20 | veinte | 70 | setenta |
| 30 | treinta | 80 | ochenta |
| 40 | cuarenta | 90 | noventa |
| 50 | cincuenta | 100 | cien |
Note: 100 is cien on its own, but becomes ciento when followed by another number: ciento uno (101), ciento veinte (120).
Days of the week
In Spanish, days of the week are not capitalised. The week starts on Monday in most Spanish-speaking countries.
| Spanish | English | Memory tip |
|---|---|---|
| lunes | Monday | From Luna (Moon) - Moon-day |
| martes | Tuesday | From Marte (Mars) |
| miércoles | Wednesday | From Mercurio (Mercury) |
| jueves | Thursday | From Júpiter (Jupiter) |
| viernes | Friday | From Venus |
| sábado | Saturday | From Sabbath |
| domingo | Sunday | From Dominus (Lord) - Lord's day |
All days are masculine. To say "on Monday", use el lunes. For plural (every Monday), use los lunes.
Months of the year
Like days, months are not capitalised in Spanish. They are all masculine.
| Spanish | English | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| enero | January | julio | July |
| febrero | February | agosto | August |
| marzo | March | septiembre | September |
| abril | April | octubre | October |
| mayo | May | noviembre | November |
| junio | June | diciembre | December |
Saying the date
de [mes] de [año]']Spanish dates follow this pattern:
el + number + de + month + de + year
- el tres de marzo de dos mil veintiséis - 3rd March 2026
- el veinticinco de diciembre - 25th December
- el primero de enero - 1st January (use primero for the 1st, cardinal numbers for all others)
To ask "What's the date?":
- ¿Qué fecha es hoy? - What's today's date?
- ¿A cuántos estamos? - What date is it? (common in conversation)
Useful time words
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| hoy | today |
| mañana | tomorrow |
| ayer | yesterday |
| la semana | the week |
| el mes | the month |
| el año | the year |
| el fin de semana | the weekend |
Practice: read these aloud
- Hoy es martes, el catorce de febrero. (Today is Tuesday, the 14th of February.)
- Mi número de teléfono es el seis, ocho, uno, cuatro, cinco, tres, nueve, dos, cero.
- Tengo veintisiete años. (I am 27 years old - lit. "I have 27 years.")
- Trabajo de lunes a viernes. (I work from Monday to Friday.)
- Mi cumpleaños es el primero de julio. (My birthday is the 1st of July.)
Cultural note: In Spanish you don't "be" an age - you "have" years. Tengo veintisiete años, not "soy veintisiete". We'll learn the verb tener (to have) properly in a later chapter.
Key takeaways
- Numbers 0-15 are unique; 16-29 are compounds; 31+ use y between tens and units.
- Days and months are not capitalised in Spanish.
- Dates follow the format: el + number + de + month + de + year.
- Age uses tener (to have): Tengo … años.