Understanding how to express numbers in Spanish is crucial for effective communication, whether you’re ordering food, asking for directions, or discussing dates. Saying “21” might seem simple, but it introduces a unique grammatical rule in Spanish.
Mastering this number and its nuances will significantly improve your fluency and confidence. This guide is designed for anyone learning Spanish, from beginners to intermediate learners, providing a clear and comprehensive explanation of how to properly say and use “21” in various contexts.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Definition of “Veintiuno”
- Structural Breakdown
- Gender Agreement
- Examples of “Veintiuno” in Use
- Usage Rules
- Common Mistakes
- Practice Exercises
- Advanced Topics
- FAQ
- Conclusion
Definition of “Veintiuno”
In Spanish, “21” is generally translated as veintiuno. However, its usage is not as straightforward as simply memorizing the word. The form of the word changes depending on the noun it modifies. The key concept to grasp is that “veintiuno” shortens to “veintiún” before masculine nouns and “veintiuna” before feminine nouns. This grammatical agreement is fundamental to using the number correctly. It’s a cardinal number, used for counting and indicating quantity.
Understanding this grammatical agreement is essential for accurate communication. Failing to apply the correct form of “veintiuno” can lead to confusion and misinterpretation.
Therefore, careful attention to the gender of the noun being modified is crucial. This is not unique to 21; it also applies to the number 1 (uno, una).
Structural Breakdown
The word veintiuno is a compound word formed from the combination of veinte (twenty) and uno (one). As mentioned above, the last part of the word, “uno,” changes based on the gender of the noun it precedes. Let’s break down the three possible forms:
- Veintiuno: This is the base form and is used when the number stands alone, is followed by a preposition, or doesn’t directly modify a noun.
- Veintiún: This shortened form is used before masculine singular nouns. The -o is dropped, and an accent mark (´) is added to the u.
- Veintiuna: This form is used before feminine singular nouns. The -o changes to -a to agree with the feminine gender.
Gender Agreement
The gender agreement with “veintiuno” is critical. Spanish nouns are either masculine or feminine, a grammatical characteristic that affects the adjectives and articles used with them.
The correct form of “veintiuno” must match the gender of the noun it modifies. Here’s a more detailed explanation:
Masculine Nouns: When “21” precedes a masculine singular noun, “veintiuno” becomes “veintiún.” For example, “veintiún libros” (twenty-one books). Note the accent mark on the ‘u’.
Feminine Nouns: When “21” precedes a feminine singular noun, “veintiuno” becomes “veintiuna.” For example, “veintiuna casas” (twenty-one houses).
No Noun Follows: When “21” stands alone or is followed by a preposition, the base form “veintiuno” is used. For example, “Tengo veintiuno” (I am twenty-one) or “De veintiuno a treinta” (From twenty-one to thirty).
Examples of “Veintiuno” in Use
To fully understand how to use “veintiuno,” let’s look at various examples categorized by common scenarios.
Counting
When counting, “veintiuno” is used in its base form unless it’s directly modifying a noun. The table below presents several examples of “veintiuno” in different counting contexts:
| Example | Translation |
|---|---|
| Conté hasta veintiuno. | I counted up to twenty-one. |
| Uno, dos, tres… veintiuno. | One, two, three… twenty-one. |
| Hay veintiún estudiantes en la clase. | There are twenty-one students in the class. (masculine) |
| Hay veintiuna sillas en el salón. | There are twenty-one chairs in the room. (feminine) |
| Tengo veintiuno en mi examen. | I got twenty-one on my exam. |
| Necesito veintiún días para terminar. | I need twenty-one days to finish. (masculine) |
| Compré veintiuna manzanas. | I bought twenty-one apples. (feminine) |
| Veintiuno es un número importante. | Twenty-one is an important number. |
| Llegué al número veintiuno. | I reached number twenty-one. |
| Del uno al veintiuno. | From one to twenty-one. |
| Salté del piso uno al veintiuno. | I skipped from floor one to twenty-one. |
| Veintiuno de nosotros iremos. | Twenty-one of us will go. |
| Tenemos veintiuno en total. | We have twenty-one in total. |
| El número ganador es veintiuno. | The winning number is twenty-one. |
| Añade veintiuno a la cuenta. | Add twenty-one to the bill. |
| Veintiún hombres y veintiuna mujeres. | Twenty-one men and twenty-one women. |
| Había veintiún coches en el estacionamiento. | There were twenty-one cars in the parking lot. (masculine) |
| Encontré veintiuna monedas en el suelo. | I found twenty-one coins on the ground. (feminine) |
| Veintiuno es mi número favorito. | Twenty-one is my favorite number. |
| El autobús número veintiuno. | Bus number twenty-one. |
| La página veintiuno del libro. | Page twenty-one of the book. |
| El capítulo veintiuno es interesante. | Chapter twenty-one is interesting. |
| La lección veintiuna es fácil. | Lesson twenty-one is easy. |
Age
When expressing age, “veintiuno” follows specific rules. If you are stating someone is 21 years old and no noun immediately follows, use “veintiuno.” If you are using “años” (years), which is masculine, use “veintiún años”.
The most common phrase is “Tengo veintiún años” (I am twenty-one years old).
| Example | Translation |
|---|---|
| Tengo veintiuno. | I am twenty-one. |
| Tengo veintiún años. | I am twenty-one years old. |
| Ella tiene veintiuna. | She is twenty-one. |
| Él tiene veintiuno. | He is twenty-one. |
| Mi hermano tiene veintiún años. | My brother is twenty-one years old. |
| Mi hermana tiene veintiuna años. (Incorrect) | My sister is twenty-one years old. (Incorrect, should be “años”) |
| Mi hermana tiene veintiuno. | My sister is twenty-one. |
| Cumpliré veintiuno mañana. | I will turn twenty-one tomorrow. |
| Cumpliré veintiún años mañana. | I will turn twenty-one years old tomorrow. |
| ¿Cuántos años tienes? Tengo veintiuno. | How old are you? I am twenty-one. |
| ¿Cuántos años tiene tu hermano? Tiene veintiún años. | How old is your brother? He is twenty-one years old. |
| Cuando tenga veintiuno, viajaré. | When I am twenty-one, I will travel. |
| Cuando tenga veintiún años, viajaré. | When I am twenty-one years old, I will travel. |
| Celebré mi veintiuno cumpleaños. | I celebrated my twenty-first birthday. |
| Él celebró su veintiún cumpleaños. | He celebrated his twenty-first birthday. |
| Ella celebró su veintiuna cumpleaños. | She celebrated her twenty-first birthday. |
| La edad mínima es veintiuno. | The minimum age is twenty-one. |
| La edad mínima es veintiún años. | The minimum age is twenty-one years. |
| A los veintiuno, me mudé. | At twenty-one, I moved. |
| A los veintiún años, me mudé. | At twenty-one years old, I moved. |
| Tiene más de veintiuno. | He/She is over twenty-one. |
| Tiene más de veintiún años. | He/She is over twenty-one years old. |
| No aparenta tener veintiuno. | He/She doesn’t look twenty-one. |
| No aparenta tener veintiún años. | He/She doesn’t look twenty-one years old. |
Time
In the context of time, “veintiuno” isn’t typically used directly. Time is usually expressed using numbers up to twelve (for telling time on a clock) or using a 24-hour format.
However, you might use it to refer to a specific number of minutes or hours.
| Example | Translation |
|---|---|
| Llegaré en veintiún minutos. | I will arrive in twenty-one minutes. (masculine) |
| El programa dura veintiuna horas. | The program lasts twenty-one hours. (feminine) |
| Son las tres y veintiuno. | It’s three twenty-one. |
| Tardé veintiún minutos en llegar. | It took me twenty-one minutes to arrive. |
| Tardé veintiuna horas en terminar el proyecto. | It took me twenty-one hours to finish the project. |
| Nos vemos a las veintiuna horas. (21:00) | We’ll see each other at 21:00 hours. |
| Trabajé veintiún días seguidos. | I worked twenty-one days straight. |
| Trabajé veintiuna horas extras este mes. | I worked twenty-one extra hours this month. |
| Esperé durante veintiún minutos. | I waited for twenty-one minutes. |
| Esperé durante veintiuna horas. | I waited for twenty-one hours. |
| El vuelo dura veintiún horas. | The flight lasts twenty-one hours. |
| El vuelo dura veintiuna horas. | The flight lasts twenty-one hours. |
| Tenemos veintiún minutos para prepararnos. | We have twenty-one minutes to prepare. |
| Tenemos veintiuna horas para terminar. | We have twenty-one hours to finish. |
| La reunión duró veintiún minutos. | The meeting lasted twenty-one minutes. |
| La reunión duró veintiuna horas. | The meeting lasted twenty-one hours. |
| Llevo veintiún minutos corriendo. | I’ve been running for twenty-one minutes. |
| Llevo veintiuna horas estudiando. | I’ve been studying for twenty-one hours. |
| Necesito veintiún minutos más. | I need twenty-one more minutes. |
| Necesito veintiuna horas más. | I need twenty-one more hours. |
| En veintiún minutos salimos. | We leave in twenty-one minutes. |
| En veintiuna horas llegaremos. | We will arrive in twenty-one hours. |
| A las veintiuna horas, cenamos. | At 21:00 hours, we have dinner. |
| Terminaré en veintiún minutos. | I will finish in twenty-one minutes. |
Measurements
When expressing measurements, the form of “veintiuno” must agree with the gender of the unit of measurement. For instance, “metros” (meters) is masculine, while “centímetros” (centimeters) is also masculine.
“Pulgadas” (inches) is feminine.
| Example | Translation |
|---|---|
| Mide veintiún metros. | It measures twenty-one meters. |
| Mide veintiuna pulgadas. | It measures twenty-one inches. |
| Pesa veintiún kilos. | It weighs twenty-one kilos. |
| Tiene veintiún centímetros de largo. | It is twenty-one centimeters long. |
| La mesa mide veintiún metros. | The table measures twenty-one meters. |
| La tela mide veintiuna pulgadas. | The fabric measures twenty-one inches. |
| El paquete pesa veintiún kilos. | The package weighs twenty-one kilos. |
| La caja tiene veintiún centímetros de alto. | The box is twenty-one centimeters high. |
| Necesito veintiún metros de tela. | I need twenty-one meters of fabric. |
| Necesito veintiuna pulgadas de madera. | I need twenty-one inches of wood. |
| Compré veintiún kilos de arroz. | I bought twenty-one kilos of rice. |
| Compré veintiuna botellas de agua. | I bought twenty-one bottles of water. |
| El edificio tiene veintiún pisos. | The building has twenty-one floors. |
| El edificio tiene veintiuna ventanas. | The building has twenty-one windows. |
| La cuerda mide veintiún metros. | The rope measures twenty-one meters. |
| La cuerda mide veintiuna pulgadas. | The rope measures twenty-one inches. |
| El tanque contiene veintiún litros. | The tank contains twenty-one liters. |
| El tanque contiene veintiuna galones. | The tank contains twenty-one gallons. |
| El camino tiene veintiún kilómetros. | The road is twenty-one kilometers long. |
| El camino tiene veintiuna millas. | The road is twenty-one miles long. |
| Gasté veintiún euros. | I spent twenty-one euros. |
| Gasté veintiuna dólares. | I spent twenty-one dollars. |
| Recibí veintiún votos. | I received twenty-one votes. |
| Recibí veintiuna cartas. | I received twenty-one letters. |
Usage Rules
The key to correctly using “veintiuno” lies in understanding its agreement with nouns. Here are the main rules to follow:
Rule 1: Before Nouns
When “veintiuno” comes directly before a noun, it must agree in gender. Use “veintiún” before masculine singular nouns and “veintiuna” before feminine singular nouns.
Example: Veintiún libros (twenty-one books), Veintiuna casas (twenty-one houses)
Rule 2: After Nouns
When “veintiuno” comes after a noun or stands alone, use the base form “veintiuno.”
Example: El número es veintiuno (The number is twenty-one), Tengo veintiuno (I am twenty-one).
Rule 3: As a Pronoun
When “veintiuno” acts as a pronoun, referring to a quantity without explicitly stating the noun, use the base form “veintiuno”.
Example: Veintiuno de ellos vendrán (Twenty-one of them will come).
Common Mistakes
One of the most frequent mistakes is not properly adjusting “veintiuno” to agree with the gender of the noun. Here are some common errors and their corrections:
| Incorrect | Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Veintiuno libros | Veintiún libros | “Libros” is masculine, so “veintiuno” should be “veintiún.” |
| Veintiuno casas | Veintiuna casas | “Casas” is feminine, so “veintiuno” should be “veintiuna.” |
| Tengo veintiún. | Tengo veintiuno. | When standing alone, use the base form “veintiuno.” |
| Veintiuna años | Veintiún años | Although not directly before the noun, “años” is masculine and requires “veintiún.” |
Practice Exercises
Test your understanding with these practice exercises. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of “veintiuno” (veintiuno, veintiún, or veintiuna).
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. Tengo _______ años. | Veintiún |
| 2. Hay _______ mesas en el restaurante. | Veintiuna |
| 3. _______ estudiantes fueron a la excursión. | Veintiún |
| 4. El número ganador es _______. | Veintiuno |
| 5. Necesito _______ metros de tela. | Veintiún |
| 6. Compré _______ manzanas. | Veintiuna |
| 7. _______ de mis amigos vendrán. | Veintiuno |
| 8. La clase tiene _______ sillas. | Veintiuna |
| 9. Él tiene _______. | Veintiuno |
| 10. _______ días de vacaciones. | Veintiún |
More Practice:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. Leí _______ páginas del libro. | Veintiuna |
| 2. Gasté _______ dólares en la tienda. | Veintiún |
| 3. _______ personas asistieron al evento. | Veintiuna |
| 4. ¿Cuántos años tienes? Tengo _______. | Veintiuno |
| 5. _______ coches participaron en la carrera. | Veintiún |
| 6. Ella tiene _______ razones para estar feliz. | Veintiuna |
| 7. _______ de los invitados no llegaron. | Veintiuno |
| 8. El edificio tiene _______ pisos. | Veintiún |
| 9. Necesito _______ minutos más. | Veintiún |
| 10. Compré _______ botellas de agua. | Veintiuna |
Advanced Practice:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. Hay _______ razones por las cuales amo este lugar. | Veintiuna |
| 2. _______ caballeros me escoltaron hasta la puerta. | Veintiún |
| 3. _______ damas esperaban pacientemente su turno. | Veintiuna |
| 4. De los cincuenta candidatos, solo _______ fueron seleccionados. | Veintiuno |
| 5. _______ soldados defendieron la fortaleza con valentía. | Veintiún |
| 6. _______ flores adornaban el altar en la iglesia. | Veintiuna |
| 7. _______ proyectos fueron aprobados por el comité. | Veintiún |
| 8. _______ ideas fueron presentadas durante la reunión. | Veintiuna |
| 9. _______ de los participantes ganaron un premio. | Veintiuno |
| 10. _______ canciones fueron interpretadas durante el concierto. | Veintiuna |
Advanced Topics
For advanced learners, there are a couple of additional points to consider.
Compound Numbers
When constructing larger numbers that include “veintiuno” as part of a compound number (e.g., 121, 221), the rules of agreement still apply to the “uno” portion. For example, “ciento veintiún libros” (one hundred and twenty-one books) and “doscientas veintiuna casas” (two hundred and twenty-one houses).
Regional Variations
While the rules outlined above are standard, some slight regional variations might exist in colloquial speech. However, adhering to the standard rules will ensure clear and correct communication in most contexts.
FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about using “veintiuno” in Spanish:
Q1: Why does “veintiuno” change its form?
A1: “Veintiuno” changes form to agree in gender with the noun it modifies, a common characteristic of adjectives and some pronouns in Spanish. This ensures grammatical correctness and clarity.
Q2: How do I know if a noun is masculine or feminine?
A2: Noun gender is often indicated by the noun’s ending. Many nouns ending in “-o” are masculine, and those ending in “-a” are feminine.
However, there are exceptions, so it’s best to learn the gender of each noun as you learn the word itself. Dictionaries will always indicate the gender with ‘el’ (masculine) or ‘la’ (feminine) before the word.
Q3: What if I’m not sure of the noun’s gender?
A3: If you’re unsure, it’s best to look up the noun in a dictionary. Using the wrong gender can lead to confusion, so it’s better to be accurate.
Q4: Can I use “veintiuno” in formal writing?
A4: Yes, “veintiuno” is perfectly acceptable in formal writing, as long as you follow the rules of gender agreement.
Q5: Is it ever acceptable to not use the correct form of “veintiuno”?
A5: While colloquial speech might sometimes deviate, it’s always best to use the correct form, especially in formal settings or when writing, to ensure clarity and grammatical accuracy.
Q6: How does this rule apply to numbers like 31, 41, 51, etc?
A6: This rule applies to all numbers ending in ‘uno’. For example, 31 is *treinta y uno*, which becomes *treinta y un* before a masculine noun and *treinta y una* before a feminine noun.
This pattern continues for 41, 51, and so on.
Q7: What if I am talking about a group of people of mixed genders?
A7: In Spanish, a group of mixed genders defaults to the masculine plural form. If you were talking about 21 people, a mix of men and women, you’d say something like “Hay veintiún personas” (using the masculine form).
While *personas* is feminine, the group pronoun is grammatically masculine. However, it’s better to be specific: “Hay veintiún hombres y mujeres” (There are 21 men and women), where you use veintiún for the men and veintiuna for the women.
Q8: Is there a difference between “veintiuno” and “vigésimo primero”?
A8: Yes. “Veintiuno” is the cardinal number (used for counting), while “vigésimo primero” is the ordinal number (used to indicate position).
You would use “veintiuno” to say “I have twenty-one books,” but you would use “vigésimo primero” to say “He is the twenty-first person in line.”
Conclusion
Mastering the use of “veintiuno” in Spanish is a significant step towards fluency. While the gender agreement rules might seem challenging at first, consistent practice and attention to detail will make them second nature.
Remember to consider the gender of the noun being modified and apply the appropriate form: “veintiún” for masculine nouns and “veintiuna” for feminine nouns. With these guidelines and the examples provided, you’ll be well-equipped to confidently use “veintiuno” in your Spanish conversations and writing.
Continue practicing with different scenarios and contexts to solidify your understanding. The more you use “veintiuno” correctly, the more natural it will become.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – they’re a natural part of the learning process. Keep practicing, and you’ll soon master this important aspect of Spanish grammar.
Good luck!