Fractions in Spanish and collective numbers
We have already seen cardinal numbers and ordinal numbers, so now it is time we learn how to say fractions in Spanish and what collective numbers are.
List of collective numbers in Spanish
Some common collective numbers –los números colectivos– are:
- Un par (a couple/a pair)
- Una decena (about ten)
- Una docena (a dozen)
- Una veintena (twenty, twenty odd)
- Una treintena (thirty, thirty odd)
- Un centenar/una centena (around a hundred)
- Un millar (around a thousand)
When accompanying a noun, collective numbers are followed by preposition “de”:
Un centenar de personas asistieron a la manifestación (About 100 people attended the demonstration).
Compramos una docena de huevos (We bought a dozen eggs).
Fractions in Spanish
Fractions -las fracciones- are expressed as follows in Spanish:
- ½ medio o media (adjective)
Medio limón y media naranja (half lemon and half orange).
- La mitad (noun):
La mitad de los niños (half the children).
- 1/3 un tercio or una tecera parte
Una tercera parte de la población (a third of the population).
Dos tercios del total (two-thirds of the total).
- ¼ un cuarto or una cuarta parte
Un cuarto de litro (a quarter of a litre).
Tres cuartas partes de los entrevistados (three-quarters of those interviewed).
- 1/5 un quinto o una quinta parte
Una quinta parte de la herencia (a fifth of the inheritance).
¿Cuánto es un quinto de 100? (How much is a third of 100?)
From here we will continue following the same pattern until ten: 1/6 un sexto or una sexta parte; 1/7 un séptimo or una séptima parte; 1/8 un octavo or una octava parte; 1/9 un noveno or una novena parte and 1/10 un décimo or una décima parte.
With large numbers, the suffix -avo is added to the number to the make the fraction, e.g. 1/11 un onceavo; 5/12 cinco doceavos.
Be careful, some time is easy to mistake the fractions with the cardinal numbers: 1/15 un quinceavo, 15º decimoquinto… Even native speakers do it from time to time.