Learn Spanish Numbers 1-10 and Count Everyday Objects
Say and use Spanish numbers one through ten, then count real objects like fingers, coins and cups with correct word order and plural forms.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
Spanish numbers one through ten are uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve and diez. Use these full forms when counting aloud. Before a noun, one changes to un or una: un libro means one book, and una mesa means one table. Numbers dos through diez keep the same form with masculine and feminine nouns. This lesson helps you count everyday objects, place the number before the noun, and answer ¿Cuántos? or ¿Cuántas? (How many?). Listen to the recordings, then practice the questions and replies about books, chairs and glasses.
By the end, you can…
- say the Spanish numbers one through ten clearly.
- count objects such as fingers, coins or cups using number plus noun.
- ask and answer ¿Cuántos? and ¿Cuántas? about everyday items.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco
one, two, three, four, five
OO-noh, dohs, trehs, KWAH-troh, SEEN-koh
Say these in order when counting. Uno becomes un before a masculine noun, as in un libro (one book).
seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez
six, seven, eight, nine, ten
sayss, SYEH-teh, OH-choh, NWEH-veh, dyehss
In much of Latin America, seis and diez end with a soft s sound. In careful speech, nueve has two syllables: NWEH-veh.
¿Cuántos libros hay?
How many books are there?
KWAHN-tohs LEE-brohs eye
Use cuántos before a masculine plural noun. Hay means there is or there are.
Hay tres libros.
There are three books.
eye trehs LEE-brohs
The number comes before the noun. Libros is plural because the quantity is more than one.
Tengo cinco monedas.
I have five coins.
TEHN-goh SEEN-koh moh-NEH-dahs
Tengo means I have. Monedas is feminine plural, but cinco does not change to a feminine form.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic counting pattern is number + noun: dos tazas (two cups), cuatro sillas (four chairs), diez pesos (ten pesos). The number one is special: before a masculine noun use un, as in un vaso (one glass); before a feminine noun use una, as in una mesa (one table). Numbers dos through diez stay the same for masculine and feminine nouns, so you say dos vasos and dos mesas. If you are simply counting without a noun, use the full forms uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez.
When to use it
Use these numbers for small quantities in daily situations: ordering food (dos tacos), talking about family (tres hermanos), checking money (cinco monedas), or counting objects in a classroom (diez lápices). To ask about a masculine plural noun, say ¿Cuántos...? as in ¿Cuántos vasos hay? To ask about a feminine plural noun, say ¿Cuántas...? as in ¿Cuántas sillas hay? Answer with Hay plus the number and noun: Hay seis sillas. For one item, use the singular: Hay una silla.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
¿Cuántas sillas hay en la sala?
How many chairs are there in the living room?KWAHN-tahs SEE-yahs eye ehn lah SAH-lahHay cuatro sillas.
There are four chairs.eye KWAH-troh SEE-yahs¿Y cuántos vasos hay en la mesa?
And how many glasses are there on the table?ee KWAHN-tohs BAH-sohs eye ehn lah MEH-sahHay cinco vasos y una botella.
There are five glasses and one bottle.eye SEEN-koh BAH-sohs ee OO-nah boh-TEH-yahA little context goes a long way
The counting words uno through diez work across Spanish-speaking regions. Pronunciation can vary; use the audio as one model rather than expecting every speaker to sound identical. In the dialogue, cuántas matches the feminine noun sillas, and cuántos matches the masculine noun vasos. These noun-agreement patterns are not specific to one country.
One thing to watch for
Using uno before a masculine noun, as in uno libro.
Try this instead: Before a masculine singular noun, uno shortens to un: un libro (one book). Before a feminine singular noun, use una: una mesa (one table). When counting aloud without a noun, use uno, dos, tres.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'three books' in Spanish?
Show a sample answer
tres libros
The number tres comes before the plural noun libros. Tres does not change for gender, so it works with masculine and feminine nouns.
2How do you ask 'How many coins are there?'
Show a sample answer
¿Cuántas monedas hay?
Monedas is feminine plural, so use cuántas. Hay means there are. You could also ask ¿Cuántas monedas tienes? if you mean 'How many coins do you have?'
3Translate: 'I have one table and four chairs.'
Show a sample answer
Tengo una mesa y cuatro sillas.
Mesa is feminine singular, so 'one' is una. Sillas is feminine plural, so cuatro stays the same. The verb tengo means I have.
4In the recorded dialogue, how many chairs, glasses and bottles are there? Answer in English, then repeat the two recorded replies.
Show a sample answer
Four chairs, five glasses and one bottle. Hay cuatro sillas. Hay cinco vasos y una botella.
Speaker B answers each quantity question. Cuatro goes with sillas, cinco with vasos, and una with the feminine singular noun botella. Keep the five glasses separate from the one bottle; do not describe the reply as six glasses.
Recall uno through diez without looking, then use the recordings to check. Say un or una before a singular noun, and choose cuántos or cuántas to match a plural noun. Finish by asking the two dialogue questions and giving the recorded quantities in reply.
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