Lesson 6 – Numbers 20–1,000
Unit 1: Bienvenidos | Unit Overview | Course Home
Review Flash
(5 minutes — say the Spanish before looking)
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| 5 | cinco |
| 12 | doce |
| 15 | quince |
| 20 | veinte |
| how many? | ¿cuántos/as? |
Lesson Goals
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Count from 20 to 1,000 in Spanish
- Handle prices, distances, and population numbers
- Say large numbers used in church or ministry contexts
- Form any number between 1 and 999
New Vocabulary: Tens and Hundreds
The Tens (20–90)
| Number | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | veinte | VEYN-teh |
| 30 | treinta | TREYN-tah |
| 40 | cuarenta | kwah-REHN-tah |
| 50 | cincuenta | seen-KWEHN-tah |
| 60 | sesenta | seh-SEHN-tah |
| 70 | setenta | seh-TEHN-tah |
| 80 | ochenta | oh-CHEHN-tah |
| 90 | noventa | noh-VEHN-tah |
In-Between Numbers: Add “y” (and)
- 21 = veintiuno (special compound form for 21–29)
- 22 = veintidós
- 31 = treinta y uno
- 45 = cuarenta y cinco
- 78 = setenta y ocho
21–29 are special
Like 16–19 in the last lesson, numbers 21–29 are written as one word: veintiuno, veintidós, veintitrés… But 31–99 use the pattern [tens] y [ones]: treinta y uno, cuarenta y dos.
The Hundreds (100–900)
| Number | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | cien | syehn |
| 200 | doscientos/as | dohs-SYEHN-tohs |
| 300 | trescientos/as | trehs-SYEHN-tohs |
| 400 | cuatrocientos/as | kwah-troh-SYEHN-tohs |
| 500 | quinientos/as | kee-NYEHN-tohs |
| 600 | seiscientos/as | seys-SYEHN-tohs |
| 700 | setecientos/as | seh-teh-SYEHN-tohs |
| 800 | ochocientos/as | oh-choh-SYEHN-tohs |
| 900 | novecientos/as | noh-veh-SYEHN-tohs |
| 1,000 | mil | meel |
Cien vs. ciento
- cien = exactly 100
- ciento = 100-something: ciento veinte (120), ciento cincuenta (150)
Hundreds agree in gender
When followed by a feminine noun, hundreds use the -as ending:
- doscientos hombres (200 men) vs. doscientas mujeres (200 women)
Forming Any Number 1–999
Pattern: hundreds + tens + ones
| Number | Spanish |
|---|---|
| 345 | trescientos cuarenta y cinco |
| 212 | doscientos doce |
| 567 | quinientos sesenta y siete |
| 1,000 | mil |
Grammar Focus: Prices with Numbers
To ask a price: ¿Cuánto cuesta(n)? (How much does it/do they cost?)
To state a price: Cuesta(n) ___ (It costs / They cost ___)
In most of Latin America, currencies include:
- pesos (Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, etc.)
- quetzales (Guatemala)
- colones (Costa Rica)
- dólares (Ecuador, El Salvador, Panama)
- soles (Peru)
- bolívares (Venezuela)
Examples:
- ¿Cuánto cuesta esta Biblia? — How much does this Bible cost?
- Cuesta cincuenta pesos. — It costs 50 pesos.
- ¿Cuánto cuestan los cuadernos? — How much do the notebooks cost?
- Cuestan treinta y cinco quetzales. — They cost 35 quetzales.
Story: En el Mercado con Números (At the Market with Numbers)
Marcos está en el mercado comprando materiales para la escuela dominical. Habla con la vendedora.
Marcos: — Buenos días. ¿Cuánto cuestan estos cuadernos?
Vendedora: — Cuestan quince pesos cada uno.
Marcos: — Necesito veinte cuadernos. ¿Cuánto sería en total?
Vendedora: — A ver… veinte por quince… son trescientos pesos.
Marcos: — ¿Y los lápices de colores?
Vendedora: — La caja de veinticuatro colores cuesta cuarenta y cinco pesos.
Marcos: — Necesito cuatro cajas. ¿Cuánto es todo?
Vendedora: — Los cuadernos son trescientos y las cajas son ciento ochenta. En total son cuatrocientos ochenta pesos.
Marcos: — Perfecto. Aquí tiene quinientos pesos.
Vendedora: — Y su cambio es veinte pesos. ¡Gracias!
(Marcos is at the market buying materials for Sunday school… “The notebooks are 300 and the boxes are 180. The total is 480 pesos.” “Here is 500.” “And your change is 20 pesos. Thank you!”)
Comprehension Check:
- ¿Cuánto cuesta un cuaderno? (How much does one notebook cost?)
- ¿Cuántos cuadernos compra Marcos? (How many notebooks does Marcos buy?)
- ¿Cuánto es el total? (How much is the total?)
¡Practícalo! (Speaking Practice)
Say each of these numbers out loud:
- 32 — 57 — 84 — 19 — 63
- 125 — 344 — 500 — 711 — 999
Then practice this exchange with yourself:
“¿Cuánto cuesta?” — “Cuesta [número] pesos.”
Use these amounts: 25, 50, 75, 100, 250, 500
Cultural Note
Bargaining (el regateo): In many Latin American markets, the initial price is negotiable — especially in open-air markets (mercados). It’s perfectly acceptable to say ¿Me puede dar un mejor precio? (Can you give me a better price?) or ¿No puede ser menos? (Can’t it be less?). However, in established stores, prices are usually fixed. Watch what locals do. Overpaying slightly in local markets isn’t always a loss — it’s often generosity to a family trying to earn a living.
Oración
“Porque todo lo que Dios creó es bueno, y nada es de desecharse.” (For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected.) — 1 Timoteo 4:4
Even counting pesos in a market is holy work when done in the service of the kingdom.
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