cinco
“cinco” means “five” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
five
📝 In Action
Tengo cinco hermanos.
A1I have five siblings.
La reunión es a las cinco de la tarde.
A1The meeting is at five in the afternoon.
Este hotel tiene cinco estrellas.
A2This hotel has five stars.
five
📝 In Action
Mi número de la suerte es el cinco.
A1My lucky number is five.
Escribe un cinco en el papel.
A1Write a five on the paper.
La carrera es el cinco de mayo.
A2The race is on the fifth of May.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: cinco
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'cinco' to talk about the number *itself*, rather than counting five items?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin word 'quinque', which also means 'five'. It's a very old word that has changed very little over the centuries.
First recorded: 9th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pronounce the 'c' in 'cinco'?
Great question! In most of Latin America, it's a soft 's' sound, like 'SEEN-ko'. In much of Spain, it's a 'th' sound, like 'THEEN-ko'. Both pronunciations are perfectly correct!
Why is it 'quinto' for 'fifth' instead of something like 'cinco-to'?
Spanish often pulls from different but related Latin words for counting and ordering. 'Cinco' comes from the Latin 'quinque' (five), while 'quinto' comes from 'quintus' (fifth). You'll see similar patterns with other numbers too!