Why Learn Numbers in Galician?
Numbers are everywhere: from asking the time to buying groceries or giving your phone number. Knowing how to use numbers in Galician will boost your confidence and help you interact more naturally with native speakers. Plus, as you’ll discover on the Talkpal AI language learning blog, numbers are often the foundation for understanding more complex grammar and vocabulary in any new language.
Galician Numbers 1 to 10
Let’s start with the basics. Here are the numbers from one to ten in Galician, along with their pronunciations:
- 1 – un (oon)
- 2 – dous (dohs)
- 3 – tres (trehs)
- 4 – catro (KAH-troh)
- 5 – cinco (THEEN-koh or SEEN-koh, depending on the region)
- 6 – seis (saysh)
- 7 – sete (SEH-teh)
- 8 – oito (OY-toh)
- 9 – nove (NOH-veh)
- 10 – dez (des)
Numbers 11 to 20
As in many Romance languages, Galician numbers from 11 to 20 have unique forms. Here they are:
- 11 – once (ON-theh or ON-seh)
- 12 – doce (DOH-theh or DOH-seh)
- 13 – trece (TREH-theh or TREH-seh)
- 14 – catorce (kah-TOR-theh or kah-TOR-seh)
- 15 – quince (KEEN-theh or KEEN-seh)
- 16 – dezaseis (des-a-SAYS)
- 17 – dezasete (des-a-SEH-teh)
- 18 – dezaoito (des-a-OY-toh)
- 19 – dezanove (des-a-NOH-veh)
- 20 – vinte (VEEN-teh)
Counting by Tens: 20 to 100
After 20, Galician follows a logical pattern similar to other Romance languages. Here are the multiples of ten:
- 20 – vinte
- 30 – trinta
- 40 – corenta
- 50 – cincuenta
- 60 – sesenta
- 70 – setenta
- 80 – oitenta
- 90 – noventa
- 100 – cen
To form numbers in between, simply add “e” (and) followed by the unit. For example, 23 is “vinte e tres,” and 57 is “cincuenta e sete.”
Counting Beyond 100
Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can easily form larger numbers in Galician. Here are some useful terms:
- 100 – cen
- 101 – cento un
- 200 – douscentos (masculine) / douscentas (feminine)
- 300 – trescentos / trescentas
- 400 – catrocentos / catrocentas
- 500 – cincocentos / cincocentas
- 1,000 – mil
- 10,000 – dez mil
- 1,000,000 – un millón
Notice how the hundreds change according to the gender of the noun they refer to, a feature inherited from Latin.
Tips for Learning Galician Numbers
- Practice regularly: Use everyday opportunities—like reading prices, dates, or phone numbers—to reinforce your learning.
- Listen and repeat: Find audio resources or native speakers to hear the correct pronunciation. The Talkpal app is a great tool for practicing Galician numbers interactively.
- Play games: Try counting objects around you or playing number-based games in Galician to build confidence.
- Write them out: Practice writing numbers in both numerals and words to strengthen your memory.
Common Uses of Numbers in Daily Galician
Incorporating numbers into your daily life is essential for fluency. Here are a few common scenarios:
- Giving your age: Teño vinte anos (I am twenty years old)
- Telling the time: Son as tres (It’s three o’clock)
- Shopping: Canto custa? (How much does it cost?)
- Phone numbers: Cal é o teu número de teléfono? (What’s your phone number?)
Conclusion
Learning the numbers in Galician is a practical and rewarding step for any language learner. With consistent practice and the right resources—like those offered by Talkpal—you’ll soon find yourself counting, shopping, and conversing with ease in Galician. Whether you’re visiting Galicia or connecting with Galician speakers online, mastering numbers will be your gateway to deeper language understanding and cultural immersion. Happy counting!
