Numeral adjectives examples Spanish

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Numeral adjectives, or adjetivos numerales, are essential in Spanish for expressing quantity, order, and distribution of nouns. They play a critical role in providing precise information about the number and sequence of objects or people. To ensure clarity and accuracy in both formal and informal contexts, understanding and using numeral adjectives correctly is crucial.

Categories of Numeral Adjectives

Numeral adjectives are categorized into four main types:

Cardinal Numbers (Números Cardinales): Basic counting numbers.
Ordinal Numbers (Números Ordinales): Numbers indicating order or position.
Multiplicative Numbers (Números Multiplicativos): Numbers indicating multiplication or frequency.
Partitive Numbers (Números Partitivos): Numbers representing fractions or parts of a whole.

1. Cardinal Numbers (Números Cardinales)

Cardinal numbers are the most fundamental type of numeral adjectives, used to count objects or people. They must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify.

Basic Cardinal Numbers

Here are the cardinal numbers from 1 to 20:

1: uno/un/una
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

Numbers from 21 to 100

For numbers between 21 and 29, Spanish uses a unique form by combining "veinti-" with the unit digit.

21: veintiuno
22: veintidós
23: veintitrés
...
30: treinta
31: treinta y uno
...
100: cien (or ciento when followed by another number, e.g., ciento uno)

Higher Numbers

For numbers beyond 100, the pattern continues by combining hundreds, tens, and units:

101: ciento uno
200: doscientos
300: trescientos
...
1000: mil
1,000,000: un millón

Usage Tip: Ensure gender agreement for numbers like 200, 300, etc.

Example:

Doscientos libros (two hundred books)
Doscientas casas (two hundred houses)

2. Ordinal Numbers (Números Ordinales)

Ordinal numbers indicate the order or position of objects or people in a sequence. They are commonly used in formal writing, dates, and rankings.

Basic Ordinal Numbers (1st to 10th)

1st: primero/primera
2nd: segundo/segunda
...
10th: décimo/décima

Higher Ordinal Numbers

For numbers beyond 10th, the pattern combines the root of the cardinal number with an ordinal ending.

11th: undécimo/undécima or décimo primero/décima primera
12th: duodécimo/duodécima or décimo segundo/décima segunda
...

Usage Tip: The forms "primero" and "tercero" drop the final "o" before masculine singular nouns (e.g., primer día for "the first day").

3. Multiplicative Numbers (Números Multiplicativos)

These adjectives indicate the number of times something occurs or is multiplied. They are often used in mathematical contexts and everyday language.

Basic Multiplicative Numbers

Double: doble
Triple: triple
Quadruple: cuádruple
...

Usage Tip: These adjectives describe frequencies or multiples.

Example:

Ella tiene doble trabajo (She has double work)
Es un triple salto (It’s a triple jump)

4. Partitive Numbers (Números Partitivos)

Partitive numbers indicate a part or fraction of a whole. They are frequently used to describe quantities less than one.

Basic Partitive Numbers

Half: medio/media
Third: tercio/tercia
Quarter: cuarto/cuarta
...

Usage Tip: Ensure gender agreement with the noun they modify.

Example:

Media hora (half an hour)
Un tercio de la pizza (one third of the pizza)

Detailed Usage and Agreement

For cardinal numbers, ordinal numbers, and partitive numbers, agreement in gender and number with the nouns they modify is essential.

Combining Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers

Example Sentences:

Hoy es el veinticinco de diciembre (Today is the twenty-fifth of December)
Mi cumpleaños es el primero de enero (My birthday is on the first of January)