Spanish Tip of the month. Cien or Ciento?

Spanish Tip of the month. Cien or Ciento?
First thing to know: both, cien and ciento mean "one hundred" (100).

But what is the difference between them?

  • Cien is used only when we are refering to 100.
    For example:

    Tengo cien postales.
    (I have got one hundred postcards)

    En esta caja hay cien cerillas.
    (There are one hundred matches in this box.)
  • On the other hand, we use ciento when talking about 101 or more than 101.
    Examples:

    Necesitamos comprar ciento cincuenta servilletas de papel.
    (We need to buy one hundred and fifty paper napkins.)

    Juan y Ana tienen más de ciento veinte libros.
    (John and Anne have got more than one hundred and twenty books.)
Hope this helps!


Recommended material:

Watch my video Learn how to pronounce Spanish vowels. It is free!

'All about Spain' Blog, by Angeles Fernández.




You Should Also Read:
Numbers in Spanish

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