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década

DEH-kah-dah

nounfB1

decade?a period of ten years

Also:ten-year period?formal alternative

📝 In Action

La década de los noventa trajo muchos cambios tecnológicos.

The decade of the nineties brought many technological changes.

Necesitamos un plan que cubra la próxima década.

We need a plan that covers the next decade.

Después de una década de trabajo duro, finalmente se retiró.

After a decade of hard work, he finally retired.

Word Connections

Synonyms

decenio (decade (more formal))
diez años (ten years)

Common Collocations

la próxima década – the next decade
a lo largo de la década – throughout the decade
cambio de década – change of decade

💡 Grammar Points

Feminine Noun Rule

Even though 'diez' (ten) is a number, 'década' is always a feminine noun, so you must use 'la' or 'una' with it.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Pronunciation of the Accent

Mistake: "Pronouncing it DEH-cah-DAH (stressing the last syllable)."

Correction: The accent mark tells you to stress the first syllable: DÉ-ca-da.

⭐ Usage Tips

Formal Alternative

You might hear the word 'decenio,' which means exactly the same thing but sounds slightly more formal or technical than 'década.'

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: década

Question 1 of 2

¿Cuántos años forman una década?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

decenal(ten-year (adjective)) - adjective

decenio(decade) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

¿Es 'década' lo mismo que 'decenio'?

Sí, significan exactamente lo mismo (un periodo de diez años). 'Década' es mucho más común en el habla diaria, mientras que 'decenio' se usa a veces en textos más formales o académicos.

If I talk about the 80s, do I say 'los ochentas' or 'la década de los ochenta'?

Both are correct! 'La década de los ochenta' (the decade of the eighties) is very clear. You can also simply say 'los ochenta' (using the number as a noun) to refer to that period.