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Fractions in Spanish

21 Oct, 2018 Popular Articles
Fractions in Spanish1 votes. 5 / 5



There are different ways that you can use to express fractions in Spanish depending on the size of the value as well as the formality of the speech. This lesson explains how decimals, percentages, and fractions can be expressed in Spanish.

How to say fractions in SpanishHow to say fractions in Spanish

Fractions in Spanish

Halves and thirds

The special forms la/una mitad and el/un tercio can be used to say half and third respectively.

For example:

Una mitad y otra mitad hacen uno - One half plus another half make one
Perdió un tercio de su valor en menos de dos años - It lost a third of its value in less than two years

Fourths to tenths

From fourths to tenths, you can use the masculine form of ordinal numbers in Spanish. Check out below:

1/4 = un cuarto
1/5 = un quinto
1/6 = un sexto
1/7 = un séptimo
1/8 = un octavo
1/9 = un noveno
1/10 = un décimo

Fractions smaller than a tenth

Any fraction smaller than a tenth (eleventh and beyond) is formed by adding the suffix -avo to the cardinal numbers in Spanish.

This suffix is the equivalent of -th in English. Sometimes the stems are shortened. For instance, both veintavo and veinteavo are used for one-twentieth and centavo is used for a hundredth.

Other common fractions

2/3 = dos tercios
3/4 = tres cuartos

For example:

Marta llegó tres cuartos de hora tarde - Marta arrived three quarters of an hour late

Me comí media manzana y ella se comió la otra mitad - I ate half an apple and she ate the other half

Note:

In everyday speech, it is also common to express fractions using feminine form of ordinal numbers followed by parte which is relevant to "part" or "portion" in English.

For example:

Ella posee siete octavas partes de la casa - She owns seven-eighths of the house

Sometimes parte is ommitted

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