Numbers, dates and telling the time

Q: What makes numbers from 16 to 29 different in spelling from numbers 31 to 99 in Spanish?

Numbers 16 to 29 are written as a single word (e.g. dieciséis , veinticuatro ), whereas numbers 31 to 99 are written as three separate words joined by y (e.g. treinta y cuatro ).

Q: How does the number uno change when it comes directly before a masculine or feminine noun?

It shortens to un before a masculine noun (e.g. un libro ) and changes to una before a feminine noun (e.g. una mesa ).

Q: What two key grammar rules apply to the days of the week and months of the year in Spanish?

They are not capitalised , and to say "on" a day of the week, you use the masculine article el (singular) or los (plural/repeating) instead of a preposition.

Q: What formula is used to state the date in Spanish, and what is the special rule for the first day of the month?

Use el + [cardinal number] + de + [month] ; for the 1st of the month, use the ordinal word primero (e.g. el primero de mayo ).

Q: When telling the time, when do you use Es la versus Son las ?

Use Es la for 1 o'clock (singular) and Son las for all other hours from 2 to 12 (plural).

Q: How do you express minutes past the hour versus minutes to the next hour in Spanish?

Use [Hour] + y + [minutes] for minutes past (up to 30), and [Next Hour] + menos + [minutes remaining] for minutes to the next hour (31 to 59).

Q: How do you say that an event happens at a specific time in Spanish?

Use a la una for 1 o'clock and a las + [number] for all other hours.

Q: What is the difference in usage between cuatro and cuarto in Spanish?

Cuatro is the number four (\[4\]), while cuarto means a quarter (15 minutes or 1/4).

Spanish · Key Stage 3 (KS3) · 7 min read · Updated: 27 Aug 2026

¡Hola! Welcome to Numbers, Dates, and Telling the Time

Ever wondered how to tell someone your birthday in Spanish, ask when the football match starts, or count your change at a café? In this chapter, we will master three essential building blocks of the Spanish language: cardinal numbers, days, months and dates, and telling the time. Don't worry if this seems like a lot to take in at first—we will break everything down step-by-step with clear patterns, helpful tricks, and easy-to-remember rules!

1. Cardinal Numbers (Los números cardinales)

Numbers are everywhere! Learning how to build Spanish numbers is just like building with blocks: once you know the small pieces, you can snap them together to make bigger numbers.

A. The Foundation: Numbers 0 to 15

These first numbers have unique individual words, so it helps to practise them until they feel natural:

• 0: cero
• 1: uno
• 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

B. Numbers 16 to 29 (Written as Single Words)

Notice a special pattern here: numbers from 16 to 29 are written as one single word. Watch out for the written accents on some of them!

• 16–19: dieciséis (note the accent on the é!), diecisiete, dieciocho, diecinueve.
• 20: veinte
• 21–29: veintiuno, veintidós (accent on ó), veintitrés (accent on é), veinticuatro, veinticinco, veintiséis (accent on é), veintisiete, veintiocho, veintinueve.

C. Counting in Tens: 30 to 100

Learning the tens makes counting up to 100 super easy:

• 30: treinta
• 40: cuarenta
• 50: cincuenta
• 60: sesenta
• 70: setenta
• 80: ochenta
• 90: noventa
• 100: cien

D. Compound Numbers from 31 to 99

From 31 onwards, numbers are split into three separate words using the formula:

[Tens] + y + [Units]

Let's look at some examples:

• 31 = treinta y uno
• 45 = cuarenta y cinco
• 99 = noventa y nueve

E. Special Gender Rule for "Uno" (1)

When the number uno comes directly in front of a noun, it changes to match the gender of that noun:

• In front of a masculine noun, drop the -o to make un: un libro (one book / a book).
• In front of a feminine noun, change to una: una mesa (one table / a table).

Key Takeaway for Numbers:

Numbers 16–29 are joined into one word (e.g. veinticuatro), but numbers 31–99 are separated with y (e.g. treinta y cuatro). Remember that y is only used between tens and units!

2. Days, Months, and Dates (Los días, los meses y las fechas)

A. Days of the Week (Los días de la semana)

• Monday: lunes
• Tuesday: martes
• Wednesday: miércoles
• Thursday: jueves
• Friday: viernes
• Saturday: sábado
• Sunday: domingo

Important Grammar Rules for Days:

1. No capital letters: In Spanish, days of the week do not start with a capital letter (unless they are at the very start of a sentence).
2. Saying "on Monday": Spanish does not use a word like "on". Instead, use the masculine article el (for singular) or los (for repeating actions / plural):
• el lunes = on Monday
• los sábados = on Saturdays

B. Months of the Year (Los meses del año)

Just like days of the week, months are not capitalised in Spanish:

• January: enero
• February: febrero
• March: marzo
• April: abril
• May: mayo
• June: junio
• July: julio
• August: agosto
• September: septiembre
• October: octubre
• November: noviembre
• December: diciembre

C. How to State the Date (La fecha)

To give any date in Spanish, use this simple formula:

el + [cardinal number] + de + [month] (+ de + [year])

Examples:

• 12th October = el 12 de octubre
• 5th May 2026 = el 5 de mayo de 2026

The 1st of the Month Rule: For the very first day of any month, use the special ordinal word primero instead of the number uno:
• 1st May = el primero de mayo (or written as el 1º de mayo).

Key Takeaway for Dates:

Never capitalise days or months in Spanish! To say "on [day]", use el (e.g. el viernes). To give a date, use el [number] de [month].

3. Telling the Time (La hora)

A. Asking the Time

• ¿Qué hora es? = What time is it?
• ¿A qué hora es...? = At what time is...? (e.g. ¿A qué hora es la clase?)

B. Telling the Current Time: "Es la" vs "Son las"

Because the word for hour (la hora) is feminine, we always use the feminine articles la or las with the verb ser:

• For 1 o'clock (singular): Es la una (e.g. Es la una en punto = It is one o'clock exactly).
• For 2 to 12 o'clock (plural): Son las + [number] (e.g. Son las dos = It is 2 o'clock; Son las ocho = It is 8 o'clock).

C. Minutes Past the Hour (1 to 30 minutes)

To express minutes past the hour, use the formula: [Hour] + y + [minutes]

• Quarter past (15 mins): y cuarto
  Example: 3:15 = Son las tres y cuarto
• Half past (30 mins): y media
  Example: 5:30 = Son las cinco y media
• Other minutes past:
  Example: 2:10 = Son las dos y diez

D. Minutes To the Hour (31 to 59 minutes)

When the clock passes the half-hour mark, Spanish looks forward to the next hour and subtracts the remaining minutes using menos (minus):

[Next Hour] + menos + [minutes remaining]

• Quarter to (45 mins): menos cuarto
Example: 6:45 (quarter to 7) = Son las siete menos cuarto
• Other minutes to the hour:
Example: 8:50 (ten to 9) = Son las nueve menos diez

E. Stating at What Time an Event Takes Place

When you want to say that something happens at a certain time, use the preposition a:

• At 1 o'clock = a la una
• At any other time = a las + [number]
Example: La clase empieza a las nueve. (The lesson starts at nine o'clock.)

F. Times of Day Expressions

To make it clear whether you mean morning, afternoon, or night with a specific time, add these phrases:

• de la mañana = in the morning / a.m. (e.g. a las ocho de la mañana)
• de la tarde = in the afternoon/evening / p.m. until dusk
• de la noche = at night / p.m. after dark
• al mediodía = at midday / noon
• a la medianoche = at midnight

Key Takeaway for Time:

Use Es la una for 1 o'clock, but Son las... for all other hours. Use y for minutes past the hour, and menos for minutes to the next hour!

4. Common Pitfalls to Avoid!

Check through these frequent stumbling blocks to keep your Spanish writing completely error-free:

1. Capital letters on calendar words: Remember that lunes and mayo do not take capital letters in Spanish.
2. Saying "on Monday": Don't translate directly as "en lunes". Always write el lunes or los lunes.
3. Singular vs Plural 1 o'clock: Never say "Son las una"; 1 is singular, so it must always be Es la una (or a la una).
4. "Cuarto" vs "Cuatro": Be careful with your spelling! cuatro means four (\(4\)), while cuarto means a quarter (\(15\text{ minutes}\)).
5. Extra "y" in numbers: Don't write "ciento y cinco". The connector y is only placed between tens and units (e.g. treinta y cinco), never after hundreds.
6. "De la mañana" vs "Por la mañana": Use de la mañana when giving a specific numerical time (e.g. a las ocho de la mañana), but por la mañana for a general time phrase ("in the morning").

Quick Revision Checklist

✓ Can you count from 0 to 15 confidently?
✓ Do you remember that 16–29 are single words, but 31–99 use y?
✓ Can you write today's date using el + [number] + de + [month]?
✓ Do you know the difference between Es la una and Son las dos?
✓ Can you say both quarter past (y cuarto) and quarter to (menos cuarto)?

Quick check

Can you answer these now?

Open each question to check the key ideas from this chapter.

What makes numbers from 16 to 29 different in spelling from numbers 31 to 99 in Spanish?

Numbers 16 to 29 are written as a single word (e.g. dieciséis, veinticuatro), whereas numbers 31 to 99 are written as three separate words joined by y (e.g. treinta y cuatro).

How does the number uno change when it comes directly before a masculine or feminine noun?

It shortens to un before a masculine noun (e.g. un libro) and changes to una before a feminine noun (e.g. una mesa).

What two key grammar rules apply to the days of the week and months of the year in Spanish?

They are not capitalised, and to say "on" a day of the week, you use the masculine article el (singular) or los (plural/repeating) instead of a preposition.

What formula is used to state the date in Spanish, and what is the special rule for the first day of the month?

Use el + [cardinal number] + de + [month]; for the 1st of the month, use the ordinal word primero (e.g. el primero de mayo).

When telling the time, when do you use Es la versus Son las?

Use Es la for 1 o'clock (singular) and Son las for all other hours from 2 to 12 (plural).

How do you express minutes past the hour versus minutes to the next hour in Spanish?

Use [Hour] + y + [minutes] for minutes past (up to 30), and [Next Hour] + menos + [minutes remaining] for minutes to the next hour (31 to 59).

How do you say that an event happens at a specific time in Spanish?

Use a la una for 1 o'clock and a las + [number] for all other hours.

What is the difference in usage between cuatro and cuarto in Spanish?

Cuatro is the number four (\[4\]), while cuarto means a quarter (15 minutes or 1/4).

Ready to test yourself?

Turn these notes into exam-style practice. Get unlimited AI questions on this topic with instant marking and explanations.

Practise This Topic

More Spanish chapters

* The content provided by thinka is generated by AI and may not always be accurate or up-to-date. Please use it as a supplementary resource and verify with official materials.

Put These Notes into Practice

Reading the notes is a great start. Now practise with unlimited AI-generated questions and get instant feedback. 100,000+ students are already improving their grades.

Start Practising Now View Pricing

Done reading? Test yourself with AI practice questions

Practise This Topic Now