Cardinal numerals name an exact quantity: uno, dos, tres, veinte, cien. They answer the question of how many there are and accompany the noun to count people, objects, days or ideas: tres libros, veinte minutos, cien estudiantes. Without them, the phrase loses the precise quantity and becomes more general. In Spanish, cardinal numbers form part of the Adjetivos and usually function as direct modifiers of the noun, just like other quantifiers studied in Adjetivos Cuantitativos.

unoseisdosnuevetresdiezochosietecuatrocinco

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Indica la cantidad exacta de cuatro unidadesIndica la cantidad exacta de cinco unidadesIndica la cantidad exacta de nueve unidadesIndica la cantidad exacta de una sola unidadIndica la cantidad exacta de dos unidadesIndica la cantidad exacta de seis unidadesIndica la cantidad exacta de siete unidadesIndica la cantidad exacta de diez unidadesIndica la cantidad exacta de ocho unidadesIndica la cantidad exacta de tres unidades

Everyday cardinal numerals

Word	Definition
uno	Indicates the exact quantity of one single unit.
dos	Indicates the exact quantity of two units.
tres	Indicates the exact quantity of three units.
cuatro	Indicates the exact quantity of four units.
cinco	Indicates the exact quantity of five units.
seis	Indicates the exact quantity of six units.
siete	Indicates the exact quantity of seven units.
ocho	Indicates the exact quantity of eight units.
nueve	Indicates the exact quantity of nine units.
diez	Indicates the exact quantity of ten units.

Scramble

Most cardinal numbers do not change for gender or number: dos mesas, dos sillas, veinte alumnos, veinte alumnas. They are also used the same before masculine and feminine nouns, and before nouns in singular or plural. Only uno and veintiuno change when they come before a masculine singular noun: un amigo, veintiún días. Before a feminine singular noun, the form is una and veintiuna: una casa, veintiuna páginas. When the numeral does not directly accompany the noun, the full form is maintained: uno de los amigos, veintiuno llegaron. The nominal agreement of these forms follows the rules of Género Nominal and Número Nominal.

Special cardinal agreement

Idea
Cardinals are usually invariable before the noun.
One changes to un before a masculine singular noun.
One changes to una before a feminine singular noun.
Veintiuno changes to veintiún before a masculine singular noun.
Veintiuno changes to veintiuna before a feminine singular noun.

Ordinal numerals indicate order or position: primero, segundo, tercero, cuarto. They do not say how many elements there are, but in what place one appears within a series: el primer capítulo, la segunda puerta, el tercer intento. They are used in lists, dates, competitions, building floors and any ordered sequence. Against capítulo uno, which only counts, primer capítulo places that chapter within a series. Ordinals relate to Adjetivos Descriptivos because they also accompany the noun, but they contribute order and not quality.

décimooctavoséptimoprimeroquintonovenosegundosextocuartotercero

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Indica el lugar número diez en una serieIndica el lugar número tres en una serieIndica el lugar número cinco en una serieIndica el lugar número nueve en una serieIndica el lugar número dos en una serieIndica el lugar número siete en una serieIndica el lugar número seis en una serieIndica el lugar número uno en una serieIndica el lugar número cuatro en una serieIndica el lugar número ocho en una serie

Ordinal numerals for expressing order

Word	Definition
primero	Indicates the number one place in a series.
segundo	Indicates the number two place in a series.
tercero	Indicates the number three place in a series.
cuarto	Indicates the number four place in a series.
quinto	Indicates the number five place in a series.
sexto	Indicates the number six place in a series.
séptimo	Indicates the number seven place in a series.
octavo	Indicates the number eight place in a series.
noveno	Indicates the number nine place in a series.
décimo	Indicates the number ten place in a series.

Scramble

Ordinal numbers agree with the noun in gender and number: primer premio, primera vez, segundos platos, terceras partes. When the noun is masculine singular, primero and tercero are shortened to primer and tercer before the noun: el primer día, el tercer piso. If the ordinal appears after the noun or functions as an independent word, the full form is preserved: día primero, llegó tercero. In feminine, they are not shortened: la primera clase, la tercera calle. The form and position work together, as in all Concordancia Adjetival.

Agreement and elision of ordinals

Idea
Ordinals agree with the noun in gender and number.
Primero is shortened to primer before a masculine singular noun.
Tercero is shortened to tercer before a masculine singular noun.
Before a plural noun, the ordinal keeps its full form.

Fractional numerals express parts of a whole: medio litro, un tercio de la pizza, un cuarto de hora. They are used when something is divided into equal portions and the numeral denotes that exact part. Medio is the most frequent form and usually goes before the noun: media naranja, medio kilo. Tercio, cuarto, quinto and other fractional numerals often appear with a fraction structure: tres cuartos de litro, dos tercios del total. Here the numeral does not count complete objects, but a measured portion of them.

décimotercioquintocuartomedio

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Expresa una de tres partes iguales de algoExpresa una de dos partes iguales de algoExpresa una de diez partes iguales de algoExpresa una de cuatro partes iguales de algoExpresa una de cinco partes iguales de algo

Fractional numerals for parts of a whole

Word	Definition
medio	Expresses one of two equal parts of something.
tercio	Expresses one of three equal parts of something.
cuarto	Expresses one of four equal parts of something.
quinto	Expresses one of five equal parts of something.
décimo	Expresses one of ten equal parts of something.

Scramble

Multiplicative numerals indicate repetition or increase by a fixed amount: doble, triple, cuádruple. They appear in expressions such as el doble de trabajo, una dosis triple. Collective nouns name a set as a unit: docena, centenar, millar. They are used to talk about groups of elements that appear together: una docena de huevos, un centenar de personas. Multiplicatives are usually related to comparisons and measures; collectives, to groupings. In both cases, the noun that accompanies the numeral is usually introduced by de when expressing the amount of the set: docena de, centenar de. These forms are also useful to understand Pronombres Numerales, because the same idea of quantity can function as an adjective or as a pronoun.

cuádruplecentenardocenadobletriple

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Nombra una cantidad multiplicada por dosNombra una cantidad multiplicada por cuatroNombra una cantidad multiplicada por tresNombra un conjunto de cien unidadesNombra un conjunto de doce unidades

Common multiplicative and collective numerals

Word	Definition
doble	Names a quantity multiplied by two.
triple	Names a quantity multiplied by three.
cuádruple	Names a quantity multiplied by four.
docena	Names a set of twelve units.
centenar	Names a set of one hundred units.

Scramble

The position of the numeral changes according to its type and what you want to emphasize. Cardinal numbers go before the noun: tres mesas, veinticinco alumnos. Ordinal numbers can go before or after, but before they are more common in everyday use: el cuarto intento, la séptima planta; after they appear in more formal registers or in certain sequences: capítulo cuarto, siglo veintiuno. Some quantifiers allow a placement that changes the emphasis of the sentence: una sola respuesta puts the focus on the limitation, while la respuesta una is not the normal form. Numerals also participate in constructions with adjectives and other modifiers, as in Posición del adjetivo, where order affects the meaning and naturalness of the expression.

Order of numerals according to emphasis

Usage	Explanation
Cardinal with noun	Used before the noun when you want to indicate exact quantity.
Ordinal with noun	Used before the noun when you want to indicate position in a series.
Descriptive emphasis	Used after the noun in some literary or emphatic contexts.
Fixed formula	Some expressions retain a traditional order that sounds natural for the language.