cuarenta
“cuarenta” means “forty” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
forty
📝 In Action
Mi abuela tiene cuarenta y dos años de experiencia.
A1My grandmother has forty-two years of experience.
Hay cuarenta estudiantes en la clase de historia.
A1There are forty students in the history class.
El autobús número cuarenta pasa por aquí a las ocho.
A2Bus number forty passes by here at eight o'clock.
the number forty
Also: the forties
📝 In Action
El cuarenta es un número redondo.
A2Forty is a round number.
Mucha gente se preocupa al llegar a los cuarenta.
B1Many people worry upon reaching their forties (age 40).
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: cuarenta
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'cuarenta' as a cardinal number?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
It comes from the Latin word 'quadraginta,' which was the way Romans referred to the number forty. You can still see the connection to the Spanish word 'cuatro' (four) in the root.
First recorded: Medieval Latin period
Cognates (Related words)
💡 Master Spanish
Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'cuarenta' ever change its ending for gender or number?
No, 'cuarenta' is one of the Spanish numbers that always stays the same, regardless of whether you are counting masculine or feminine items. For example, 'cuarenta hombres' and 'cuarenta mujeres'.
What is the difference between 'cuarenta' and 'cuadragésimo'?
'Cuarenta' is the quantity (forty), used for counting. 'Cuadragésimo' is the position (fortieth), used for ordering things, like floors or centuries. However, in everyday Spanish, people often just use 'cuarenta' for ordinal numbers too, like 'piso cuarenta' (fortieth floor).