diez
/dyess/
ten
As an adjective, diez means ten, used to count ten distinct objects.
📝 In Action
Tengo diez años.
A1I am ten years old.
Hay diez libros en la mesa.
A1There are ten books on the table.
La reunión es a las diez.
A1The meeting is at ten o'clock.
💡 Grammar Points
Always Stays the Same
'Diez' doesn't change its ending, no matter what you're counting. It's always 'diez', not 'diezos' or 'diezas'. For example: 'diez chicos' (ten boys) and 'diez chicas' (ten girls).
⭐ Usage Tips
Telling Time
When you talk about time, you use 'las diez' for 'ten o'clock'. For example, 'Son las diez' means 'It's ten o'clock'.
As a noun, diez often refers to the concept of the number or a perfect score (like an A+), symbolized by a gold star.
diez(Noun)
ten
?The concept or figure of the number 10.
A+
?As a grade, like 10/10.
,number 10
?On a sports jersey.
📝 In Action
Mi número favorito es el diez.
A1My favorite number is ten.
Saqué un diez en el examen de matemáticas.
A2I got a ten (an A+) on the math test.
Messi usaba el diez en su camiseta.
B1Messi wore the number ten on his jersey.
⭐ Usage Tips
Talking About 'The Number Ten'
When you use 'diez' as a thing (a noun), it's treated as masculine. You'll say 'el diez' (the ten). This is true for all numbers when you talk about them as concepts.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: diez
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'diez' to talk about the number as a concept or a thing?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it 'diez' but then 'dieciséis' for sixteen?
Great question! For numbers 16 through 19, Spanish combines words. 'Dieciséis' is a smooshed-together version of 'diez y seis' (ten and six). The 'z' in 'diez' changes to a 'c' to keep the right sound.
Is 'diez' ever plural, like 'dieces'?
Almost never when you're just counting. You'd say 'diez coches' (ten cars), not 'dieces'. You might only see 'dieces' if you're talking about multiple number 10s, like 'Saqué dos dieces en mis exámenes' ('I got two tens on my exams'), but this is less common.