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Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn to express large Spanish numbers using key terms like "ciento" (100), "mil" (1,000), and "millón" (1,000,000). Practice forming numbers like "dos cientos cuarenta y cinco" (245) and understand Spanish numeric punctuation with examples such as "1.000" and "3,14."
  1. For the hundreds, you use "ciento", space, and add the next number. Example: Ciento diez (110)
  2. For the thousands, you use "mil", space, and add the next number. Example: Mil veinte (1.020)
  3. Mil (1,000), millón (1,000,000), mil millones (1,000,000,000), billón (1,000,000,000,000).
  4. A dot (.) is used to separate thousands. Example: 1.000
  5. A comma (,) is used to separate the whole number from the decimal part. Example: 3,14

Centenas 

Número (Number)Ejemplo (Example)
100: Cien (One hundred)101: Ciento uno (One hundred one)
200: Doscientos (Two hundred)245: Doscientos cuarenta y cinco (Two hundred forty-five)
300: Trescientos (Three hundred)379: Trescientos setenta y nueve (Three hundred seventy-nine)
400: Cuatrocientos (Four hundred)456: Cuatrocientos cincuenta y seis (Four hundred and fifty-six)
500: Quinientos (Five hundred)582: Quinientos ochenta y dos (Five hundred eighty-two)
600: Seiscientos (Six hundred)625: Seiscientos veinticinco (Six hundred twenty-five)
700: Setecientos (Seven hundred)749: Setecientos cuarenta y nueve (Seven hundred forty-nine)
800: Ochocientos (Eight hundred)873: Ochocientos setenta y tres (Eight hundred seventy-three)
900: Novecientos (Nine hundred)918: Novecientos dieciocho (nine hundred eighteen)

Exceptions!

  1. "Una centena" or "Un centenar" means 100. Example: "Un centenar de personas" (About one hundred people).
  2. "Un millar" is 1000. Example: "Un millar de personas" (Around one thousand people).
  3. The Spanish billion (1,000,000,000,000) - called billón - is not the same as the English billion (1,000,000,000).

Exercise 1: Números cardinales: centenas, miles, millones

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

cuatrocientos setenta y seis, ochocientos sesenta y cuatro, novecientos veintiuno, cientoveinticuatro, setecientos cincuenta y tres, doscientos treinta y ocho, seiscientos cuarenta y dos, quinientos ochenta y nueve

1. 589:
...
(Five hundred and eighty-nine)
2. 238:
...
(Two hundred and thirty-eight)
3. 476:
...
(Four hundred and seventy-six)
4. 753:
...
(Seven hundred and fifty-three)
5. 921:
...
(Nine hundred and twenty-one)
6. 642:
...
(Six hundred and forty-two)
7. 124:
...
(One hundred and twenty-four)
8. 864:
...
(Eight hundred and sixty-four)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Yo __________ hasta cincuenta cuando hago ejercicio.

(I __________ to fifty when I exercise.)

2. Ella tiene __________ manzanas en su cesta.

(She has __________ apples in her basket.)

3. Nosotros __________ diez y veinte para obtener treinta.

(We __________ ten and twenty to get thirty.)

4. ¿Cuántos años tienes? Tengo __________.

(How old are you? I am __________.)

5. Ellos __________ cuarenta menos diez en clase.

(They __________ forty minus ten in class.)

6. __________ es igual a cien más diez.

(__________ is equal to one hundred plus ten.)

Cardinal Numbers: Hundreds, Thousands, Millions

This lesson focuses on learning how to count and express large numbers in Spanish, particularly emphasizing the hundreds, thousands, and millions. It is designed for beginner learners at the A1 level and provides a clear explanation of number formation with practical examples.

Understanding Hundreds

In Spanish, numbers in the hundreds have unique forms for each hundred and combine with smaller numbers to form complex numbers. For example, cien means "one hundred" exactly, while ciento is used to form numbers between 101 and 199 by adding the smaller number afterwards, like ciento diez (110).

  • 100: cien
  • 101: ciento uno
  • 200: doscientos
  • 245: doscientos cuarenta y cinco
  • 300: trescientos
  • 379: trescientos setenta y nueve
  • 400: cuatrocientos
  • 456: cuatrocientos cincuenta y seis
  • 500: quinientos
  • 582: quinientos ochenta y dos
  • 600: seiscientos
  • 625: seiscientos veinticinco
  • 700: setecientos
  • 749: setecientos cuarenta y nueve
  • 800: ochocientos
  • 873: ochocientos setenta y tres
  • 900: novecientos
  • 918: novecientos dieciocho

Forming Numbers with Thousands and Millions

To express thousands in Spanish, simply use the word mil followed by the number that comes next. For example, mil veinte means 1,020. Key large number terms include:

  • Mil (1,000)
  • Millón (1,000,000)
  • Mil millones (1,000,000,000)
  • Billón (1,000,000,000,000)

Number Formatting Differences

Spanish uses a dot (.) to separate thousands in numbers, e.g., 1.000 means one thousand. A comma (,) is used to separate the whole number from the decimal part, for example, 3,14 for three point fourteen.

Useful Expressions and Terms

  • Una centena or un centenar: means approximately one hundred, e.g., Un centenar de personas (about one hundred people).
  • Un millar: means approximately one thousand, e.g., Un millar de personas (around one thousand people).

Important Notes on Large Numbers

Be aware that the Spanish billón (1,000,000,000,000) is not the same as the English "billion" (1,000,000,000). This is a significant difference in numbering conventions between the two languages.

Comparing English and Spanish Numbering

In English, the word "hundred" and the Spanish cien/ciento have similar uses, but Spanish requires careful distinction between cien (exactly 100) and ciento (used when combining with other numbers). Also, English uses commas for thousands and periods for decimals, opposite to Spanish formatting. Remember that large number naming conventions differ, especially for "billion." Understanding these differences helps avoid confusion when reading or writing numbers.

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