How to Say "counted" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “counted” is “contado” — use 'contado' when describing the state of something that has already been tallied or enumerated, often referring to a quantity..
English → Spanish
contado
/kon-TAH-doh//konˈtaðo/
AdjectiveA2general
Use 'contado' when describing the state of something that has already been tallied or enumerated, often referring to a quantity.
Examples
Necesito saber si el dinero está contado.
I need to know if the money has been counted.
Esa es una historia muy contada en mi familia.
That is a very often-told story in my family.
Participle Agreement
When 'contado' is used as an adjective (not part of a perfect tense with 'haber'), it must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes: 'la historia contada' (f.) or 'los días contados' (m. plural).
contó
Verb (Past Tense)A2general
Use 'contó' to describe the action of someone having enumerated or tallied something in the past.
Examples
El tesorero contó el dinero de la caja.
The treasurer counted the money in the register.
Adjective vs. Verb
The most common mistake is confusing the adjective 'contado' (counted, tallied) with the past tense verb 'contó' (he/she/it counted). Remember, 'contado' describes a state, while 'contó' describes a past action performed by a subject.
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