Do you know how to say years in Spanish? Whether you're discussing historical events or talking about recent years, knowing how to express years correctly in Spanish is essential. In English, we know that 1985 is written "nineteen eighty-five." What about saying years in Spanish? Let's explore the rules you need to know for writing and pronouncing years in Spanish correctly. Make sure you listen carefully to the clips in this lesson so you master how to say years in Spanish with proper pronunciation.
If you want to learn how to say years in Spanish, you must first master cardinal numbers in Spanish from 1 to 1,000. There's simply no way around this fundamental requirement for expressing years in Spanish.
Do you want to refresh your knowledge of Spanish numbers from 1 to 100? If you do, please check out the following lesson:
Now, let's recall the hundreds in Spanish. For numbers from 101 to 199, you will need to use the word "ciento." Let's check out some examples of how to say these numbers in Spanish:
Madrid AB ciento treinta y cinco con destino Nueva York, John F. Kennedy.
Madrid AB one hundred thirty-five to New York, John F. Kennedy."
Captions 32-33, Raquel Avisos de Megafonía
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Cuenta con una vista privilegiada de toda la ciudad de alrededor de ciento ochenta grados.
It has an extraordinary one-hundred-eighty-degree view of the whole city.
Caption 65, Quito El Panecillo
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For expressing years in Spanish from 200 to 999, you will need to use the multiples of 100 in Spanish. Let's review them:
doscientos (two hundred)
trescientos (three hundred)
cuatrocientos (four hundred)
quinientos (five hundred)
seiscientos (six hundred)
setecientos (seven hundred)
ochocientos (eight hundred)
novecientos (nine hundred)
And, of course, let's not forget about mil (one thousand)!
Now that we have reviewed these numbers, let's see how to write and pronounce some historical years in Spanish.
Learning to say historical years in Spanish is crucial for discussing important events. Here are some examples of how to express historical years in Spanish:
Cristóbal Colón descubrió América en mil cuatrocientos noventa y dos.
Christopher Columbus discovered America in fourteen ninety-two.
Caption 34, Carlos explica El pretérito Cap. 1: Perfecto simple o Indefinido
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Mil seiscientos noventa y siete, invasión francesa a Cartagena,
Sixteen ninety-seven, French invasion of Cartagena,
Caption 12, Cartagena de Indias Fuerte de San Felipe de Barajas
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El ingenio más antiguo de Europa, que data del año mil setecientos veintiocho,
The oldest factory in Europe, which dates back to the year seventeen hundred twenty-eight,
Captions 36-37, Viajando con Fermín Frigiliana, Málaga
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The twentieth century was one of the most defining centuries in human history. For this reason, we often need to express years from that century in Spanish. If you want to write and pronounce those years in Spanish correctly, you will need to use the following formula for saying years in Spanish:
mil + novecientos + the number
Let's examine some examples of how to say twentieth-century years in Spanish:
y fue construida en el año mil novecientos.
and was built in nineteen hundred.
Caption 77, Viajando con Fermín Mijas Pueblo
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Fue realizado en mil novecientos veintidós
It was made in nineteen twenty-two
Caption 37, Marisa en Madrid Parque de El Retiro
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En mil novecientos ochenta y cinco, sucedieron muchas cosas buenas.
In nineteen eighty-five, many good things happened.
Caption 2, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 1 - Part 2
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If you want to know how to say years in Spanish after the year 2000, you need to use this simple formula for modern years in Spanish:
dos + mil + the number
Let's look at some examples to see just how easy it is to express these contemporary years in Spanish:
y murió hace algunos años en el dos mil dos.
and died some years ago in two thousand two.
Caption 9, San Sebastián Peine del viento
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En dos mil trece, recibió más de cuatro millones de visitantes,
In two thousand thirteen, it received more than four million visitors,
Captions 6-7, Marisa en Madrid Parque de El Retiro
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Y este dos mil veinte, que es un año bisiesto,
And this two thousand twenty, which is a leap year,
Caption 7, El coronavirus Introducción y vocabulario
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As you can see, learning how to say years in Spanish is quite manageable once you understand the patterns! By mastering Spanish cardinal numbers and these simple formulas, you'll be able to express any year in Spanish with confidence. We hope this comprehensive guide on how to say years in Spanish has been helpful, and please feel free to reach out with any questions or suggestions you might have! ¡Hasta la próxima!
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