If you are searching for what is 0 in Spanish, the answer is short: cero. But cero behaves like every other Spanish number, and learning it properly is the perfect starting point for the whole system, because numbers in Spanish follow simple patterns that carry from zero to a million. This guide answers the question directly, explains how to pronounce cero in Spain and Latin America, shows how numbers build from 1 to 100, and covers the real situations where you will use them — prices, phone numbers, scores, and temperatures.
The Short Answer: Cero
Cero. It is always spelled the same, never changes gender, and works in singular and plural contexts: tres ceros means 'three zeros'. Pronunciation splits by region: in most of Spain the c sounds like the th in 'think' (THAY-ro), while in Latin America it sounds like an s (SAY-ro). Both are correct — pick one and stay consistent. The word appears in fixed expressions you will hear constantly: cero grados (zero degrees), cero a cero (0-0 in a match), and en cero (at zero).
Building Spanish Numbers: 1 to 100
Once cero is clear, the system unlocks. The numbers 1 to 15 are irregular and memorize as vocabulary: uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez, once, doce, trece, catorce, quince. From 16 to 19 use dieci-: dieciséis, diecisiete, dieciocho, diecinueve. From 20 to 29 use veinti-: veintiuno, veintidós, veintitrés, veinticuatro, veinticinco, veintiséis, veintisiete, veintiocho, veintinueve.
| 0 cero | 10 diez | 20 veinte | 30 treinta |
| 40 cuarenta | 50 cincuenta | 60 sesenta | 70 setenta |
| 80 ochenta | 90 noventa | 100 cien |
From 31 to 99, join the tens with the units using y: treinta y uno (31), sesenta y siete (67), noventa y nueve (99). At 100 the word is cien on its own or before a noun — cien años, cien pesos — and ciento before another number: ciento veinte (120), ciento cincuenta (150).
Where You Will Actually Use Numbers in Spanish
-
Prices: ¿Cuánto cuesta? — Cuesta cincuenta pesos. (How much does it cost? It costs 50 pesos.)
-
Phone numbers: read digit by digit — 600 is seis, cero, cero, so cero is everywhere.
-
Temperatures: hoy hace cero grados (it is zero degrees today).
-
Scores: el partido terminó cero a cero (the match ended 0-0).
-
Time: son las dos y media (it is 2:30), a las cinco en punto (at five sharp).
Learn Languages with YouTube
Watch videos in your target language, auto-capture words into flashcards, and track your progress — all in one place.
Start Free →Common Mistakes with Cero and Spanish Numbers
-
Pronouncing cero like 'see-ro': the e is short, like the e in 'bed'.
-
Forgetting that uno becomes un before masculine nouns: un teléfono, veintiún euros.
-
Dropping the y in compound numbers: treinta y cinco, never treinta cinco.
-
Writing accents wrong: dieciséis and veintiséis need them; diecisiete and veintiocho do not.
-
Assuming cero changes form: it never does, in any context.
Numbers 11 to 20: The Next Step
After cero and the first ten, the teens add a new pattern: once (11), doce (12), trece (13), catorce (14), quince (15) are irregular and must be memorized; dieciséis (16), diecisiete (17), dieciocho (18), diecinueve (19) build with dieci-; and veinte (20) starts the tens. From here, 21 to 29 use veinti- (veintiuno, veintidós) and 31 to 99 join tens with y: treinta y uno, cuarenta y cinco, ochenta y nueve.
Cero in Decimals and Number Formatting
Spanish writes decimals with a comma and thousands with a period: 0,5 is cero coma cinco, and 1.000 is mil. That is why prices like 0,99 (cero coma noventa y nueve) look different from English stores. Every supermarket receipt is a zero-based reading drill waiting to happen.
Why Cero Matters More Than You Think
Cero is the most common digit in phone numbers, the anchor of prices and scores, and the first brick of the whole Spanish number system. Learners who master cero and the numbers 1 to 15 can already build everything up to 100, because Spanish numbers are just combinations after that. Build the habit: read every phone number you see aloud in Spanish, digit by digit, starting with cero.
Using Numbers in Conversations
-
Asking the price: ¿cuánto cuesta? — cincuenta euros.
-
Giving your phone number: mi número es nueve, cero, cero, cuatro, uno.
-
Saying the temperature: hace cero grados en la mañana, veinticinco a mediodía.
-
Telling time: es la una, son las tres y media, a las siete en punto.
-
Buying at the market: quiero tres manzanas y dos kilos de naranjas, por favor.
Practice these patterns out loud for a week and cero will stop being a word you translate — it becomes a reflex you produce.
The Verdict
Cero is a two-syllable word that unlocks the door to all Spanish numbers: master the zero, learn the irregulars up to 15, follow the dieci- and veinti- patterns, and add y for everything else. Numbers appear in almost every conversation through prices, dates, and phones, so this short investment pays off from your very first conversation.
Metheus lets you practice numbers exactly where they appear in real life: watch Spanish videos or series with translated subtitles, hover over any number to check its written form and translation, and save the sentence as an SRS flashcard
FAQ
What is 0 in Spanish?
The number 0 in Spanish is cero. It never changes form, so you use the same word in every context: three zeros is tres ceros, zero degrees is cero grados, and a score of 0-0 is cero a cero. Pronounce it THAY-ro in most of Spain or SAY-ro in Latin America; both are correct.
How do you pronounce cero in Spanish?
The c in cero is a th sound in most of Spain (THAY-ro) and an s sound in Latin America (SAY-ro). The e is short, like the e in 'bed', and the r is lightly rolled. Avoid the typical learner pronunciation 'see-ro', which sounds like an English name rather than the Spanish number.
How do you say phone numbers in Spanish?
Spanish phone numbers are read digit by digit, so cero appears constantly: a number like 600 is said as seis, cero, cero. The same habit applies to prices and codes. Memorize cero early and you will already understand a large share of everyday numbers in Spain and Latin America.
What are the first Spanish numbers I should learn?
Start with the irregulars 1 to 15 (uno to quince) and the tens up to 100: diez, veinte, treinta, cuarenta, cincuenta, sesenta, setenta, ochenta, noventa, and cien. From there, compound numbers like treinta y uno are simple combinations of the tens and the units you already know.
Do Spanish numbers change with gender?
Only uno changes: it becomes un before a masculine noun (un libro, veintiún euros) and una before a feminine noun (una casa, veintiuna casas). All other cardinal numbers keep their form regardless of the noun. Ordinal numbers do agree in gender, but cardinals mostly do not.
Related phrases
Language learning in 2026 isn't about finishing daily streaks. The fastest path to fluency combines three elements: comprehensible input from real media you enjoy, active vocabulary capture while consuming that content, and spaced repetition to lock words into long-term memory. Gamified apps build the habit. Immersion tools build the fluency. The most effective learners use both—in that order.
Start with Metheus
Watch videos in your target language, auto-capture words into flashcards, and track your progress — all in one place.
Get Started Free →
