Numbers and Quantities
Numbers
- Cero (0): Zero
- Uno/Dos/Tres (1/2/3): One, Two, Three. Remember the pronunciation of these basic numbers.
- Diez/Veinte/Treinta (10/20/30): Ten, Twenty, Thirty. Notice the pattern for forming multiples of ten.
- Once/Doce/Trece (11/12/13): Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen. These differ slightly from the pattern of other 'teens.'
- Catorce a Diecinueve (14-19): Fourteen to Nineteen. These are formed by stating 'ten' (diez) plus the unit (cuatro, cinco, etc.).
- Cientos, Miles, Millones (100s, 1000s, 1000000s): Use "cien" for exactly 100, and "ciento" when it's more than 100.
Quantities
- Mucho/Poco: Much, Little. These are important opposites, used to express quantity.
- Más/Menos: More, Less. Familiarise yourself with these common comparatives.
- Tanto/Cuanto: As much as, As many as. Use these when comparing quantities or amounts.
- Todo/Algunos/Ninguno: All, Some, None. These refer to the number in a group, useful in a wide variety of situations.
- Primero/Último: First, Last. Understand these to express numerical order.
- Cada: Each. It's useful to express repeated quantities, like prices per unit.
Use of Numbers and Quantities in Context
- Practice using quantities in context. For example: "Tengo tres hermanos" (I have three brothers).
- Explain how much there is of something, e.g., "Hay mucho tráfico" (There is a lot of traffic).
- Compare quantities using más/menos, such as "Hoy hace más calor que ayer" (Today is hotter than yesterday).
- Use todo/algunos/ninguno for describing groups, "Todos los estudiantes deben estudiar para el examen" (All students should study for the exam).
- Utilise expressions of numerical order, for example "Es el primer día de la primavera" (It's the first day of spring).
- Use cada to refer to items or happenings that occur individually or at regular intervals, like "Cuesta cinco euros cada uno" (It costs five euros each).