📝 In Action
Tengo ciento cincuenta dólares en mi cuenta.
A1I have one hundred fifty dollars in my account.
El aumento fue del cien por ciento.
A2The increase was one hundred percent.
Si sumas cien y ciento uno, tienes doscientos uno.
B1If you add one hundred and one hundred one, you have two hundred one.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Cien' Rule (Apocope)
The full form 'ciento' is only used when the number 100 is immediately followed by another number (e.g., 'ciento uno'). Otherwise, it shortens to 'cien' when standing alone or before a noun (e.g., 'cien personas').
Use with Percentages
When talking about percentages, you must use the shortened form 'cien': 'cien por ciento' (one hundred percent).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'Ciento' before nouns
Mistake: "Compré ciento libros."
Correction: Compré cien libros. (You must drop the 'to' when it comes right before the thing you are counting.)
Confusing 'Cien' and 'Ciento'
Mistake: "El número es cien tres."
Correction: El número es ciento tres. (Keep the 'to' when the number continues.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Memory Trick
Think of 'ciento' as the base block (100) that you only use when you are adding smaller blocks onto it (101, 102, etc.). If it's just the block alone, it's 'cien'.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: ciento
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses the number 100?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'ciento' change form for masculine or feminine nouns?
No, 'ciento' (and 'cien') always stays the same, regardless of whether you are counting masculine or feminine things. For example, it is 'cien hombres' (men) and 'cien mujeres' (women).
How do I say 'one hundred thousand'?
You say 'cien mil'. Notice that you use the shortened form 'cien' because it is multiplying the word 'mil' (thousand).