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Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn Spanish cardinal numbers focusing on tens from 10 to 99. Understand how to combine tens and units using 'veinti' and 'y', with examples like 'veintiuno' (21) and 'treinta y cinco' (35). Explore useful expressions related to tens and key differences between Spanish and English numeric expressions.
  1. From 21 to 29, "veinti" is combined with the units. Example: Veintiuno (21).
  2. From 30 to 99, the tens are combined with "y" and the units. Example: Treinta y dos (32).

Decenas (10, 20, ...)

NúmeroEjemplo
10: Diez (Ten)16: Dieciséis (Sixteen)
20: Veinte (Twenty)21: Veintiuno (Twenty-one)
30: Treinta (Thirty)35: Treinta y cinco (thirty-five)
40: Cuarenta (Forty)47: Cuarenta y siete (Forty-seven)
50: Cincuenta (Fifty)59: Cincuenta y nueve (Fifty-nine)
60: Sesenta (Sixty)63: Sesenta y tres (Sixty-three)
70: Setenta (Seventy)77: Setenta y siete (Seventy-seven)
80: Ochenta (Eighty)82: Ochenta y dos (Eighty-two)
90: Noventa (Ninety)97: Noventa y siete (Ninety-seven)

Exceptions!

  1. "Una veintena" means 20. Example: "Hay una veintena de personas" (There are about twenty people).
  2. "Una treintena" means 30. Example: "Una treintena de años" (About thirty years).

Exercise 1: Números cardinales: decenas

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

Ochenta, Sesenta, Treinta, Veinte, Cuarenta, Noventa y nueve, Diez, Setenta

1. 80:
...
(Eighty)
2. 20:
...
(Twenty)
3. 40:
...
(Forty)
4. 70:
...
(Seventy)
5. 30:
...
(Thirty)
6. 99:
...
(Ninety-nine)
7. 10:
...
(Ten)
8. 60:
...
(Sixty)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. En castellano, para decir 32 decimos '________ y dos'.

(In Spanish, to say 32 we say '________ two'.)

2. ________ hasta cien en la clase de español.

(________ to one hundred in Spanish class.)

3. Del 21 al 29 usamos '________' más la unidad, por ejemplo 'veinticinco'.

(From 21 to 29 we use '________' plus the unit, for example 'twenty-five'.)

4. Para restar cinco a diez, decimos 'diez ________ cinco son cinco'.

(To subtract five from ten, we say 'ten ________ five equals five'.)

5. ________ y nueve es el número anterior a cien.

(________ nine is the number before one hundred.)

6. ________ siete por diez para obtener setenta.

(________ seven by ten to get seventy.)

Cardinal Numbers: Tens in Spanish

This lesson focuses on learning how to use tens and numbers between 10 and 99 in Spanish, an essential skill for everyday communication. You will explore the names of the multiples of ten, such as Diez (10), Veinte (20), Treinta (30), and so on, up to Noventa (90).

Understanding Tens

From 10 to 19, Spanish uses specific names like dieciséis (16). Between 21 and 29, numbers combine veinti plus the unit, for example, veintiuno (21). Starting from 30 to 99, tens and units are joined by y, as in treinta y cinco (35) or cuarenta y siete (47).

Important Notes

  • Una veintena means about twenty, e.g., “Hay una veintena de personas” (There are about twenty people).
  • Una treintena means about thirty, e.g., “Una treintena de años” (About thirty years).

Key Differences from English

Unlike English, where numbers like 21, 32, or 47 are spoken as single or compound words without connectors, Spanish inserts the conjunction y (meaning “and”) between tens and units for numbers above 30, for example, treinta y dos. For 21 through 29, the words merge into one, using the prefix veinti-. Understanding these patterns helps learners pronounce and write numbers correctly.

Useful Phrases

  • Diez menos cinco son cinco — Ten minus five equals five.
  • Multiplicamos siete por diez para obtener setenta — We multiply seven by ten to get seventy.
  • Contamos hasta cien en la clase de español — We count to one hundred in Spanish class.

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