Lesson 59 · Lección quincuagésima novena - Lección cincuenta y nueve
Prepositions a, de, en, para and numerals from 100 to a million in Spanish
La división del tiempo
Vocablos
| la | división | division |
| ayudar | to help | |
| la | tarea | task, work, homework, assignment |
| por | for; by; through; because of; times; per | |
| tres por dos | three times two | |
| más | plus | |
| entre | divided by | |
| igual | equal, identical, the same; here: equals | |
| el | historiador | historian |
| dividir | to divide, to split | |
| la | edad | age; era |
| la | civilización | civilization |
| el | astrónomo | astronomer |
| el | siglo | century; age |
| el | minuto | minute |
| el | segundo | second |
| el | militar | military |
| la | campaña | campaign |
| el | actor | actor |
| el | cantante | singer |
| las | elecciones | election(s) |
| la | legislatura | term (legislative period), legislature |
| caer | to fall, to drop; to lose | |
| el | ministerio | ministry, department |
Notes
The meaning of words and expressions
el siglo
century; age
la edad
age (meaning: age; life; existence)
or:
historical period that
lasts several centuries
Vivimos en el siglo veintiuno.
We live in the 21st century.
¿Qué edad tienes?
How old are you? (lit.: what age do you have?)
Month names
Learn the expressions:
ciento entre veinte
one hundred divided by twenty
¿a cuántos estamos?
what’s the date (today)?
Grammar
1. Prepositions a, de, en, para (continuation)
In lesson 42 we discussed the meaning of the preposition por. In this lesson, we will examine the meanings of other frequently used prepositions.
a casa home (fixed expression)
a las dos at two o’clock (time expression)
a instancias de (mi amigo) at the request of (my friend) (adverbial expression)
a la española (in the) Spanish (style) (adverbial expression)
a 10 euros el metro at 10 euros per meter (when stating price)
Doy el libro a mi maestro. I give the book to my teacher. (indicates the dative case)
Veo a Juana. I see Juana. (indicates the accusative case when the direct object is a person)
Los vencieron a hierro. They were defeated by the sword (lit. by iron)
(indicates the instrument of the action)
A ser esto verdad, te diría...
If this were true, I would tell you...
(replaces the conjunction si in conditional sentences)
Al entrar en el cuarto vi a Juan. Upon entering the room, I saw Juan = When I entered the room, I saw Juan.
(adverbial subordinate clause of time, see lesson 38 — translated into English using the gerund or a subordinate clause with the conjunction when.)
Lo recibí de Juan. I received it from Juan. (indicates the genitive case).
Salí de casa. I left the house.
La niña de los ojos negros. The black-eyed girl.
Está allí de criada. She is there (works) as a maid (i.e. in the capacity of a maid).
El libro de Juan. Juan’s book.
(indicates possession and marks the genitive case).
Estoy en casa. I am at home (here: en casa is a fixed expression).
Entro en casa. I enter the house. (indicates the adverbial modifier of place, answering the question where to?).
De día en día. Day by day; from day to day (fixed expression).
para ganar (in order) to earn
para Juan for Juan
estar para + infinitive
estoy para ir I am about to go (I am ready to go)
2. Numerals (continuation)
In lesson 21 we explained cardinal and ordinal numbers from 1 to 100.
Numerals from 100 and above are given below.
Cardinal numbers
101 ciento uno
200 doscientos, doscientas
300 trescientos, -as
400 cuatrocientos, -as
500 quinientos, -as
600 seiscientos, -as
700 setecientos, -as
800 ochocientos, -as
900 novecientos, -as
1 000 mil
3 000 tres mil
un millón (de) 1 million
tres millones (de) 3 million
The numeral 1,000 as a multiplier does not take a plural form, and, for example, in the combination five thousand the form used is: cinco mil.
In Spanish, to denote a billion, the expression mil millones (a thousand millions) is most often used, although the word el millardo also exists.
Numerals 200, 300—900 agree in gender with nouns:
doscientos hombres
two hundred men
doscientas mujeres
two hundred women
It is also said: veintiuna personas — 21 people.
Ordinal numbers
200. ducentésimo, -а
300. tricentésimo, -а
400. cuadringentésimo, -а
500. quingentésimo, -а
600. sexcentésimo, -а
700. septingentésimo, -а
800. octingentésimo, -а
900. noningentésimo, -а
1000. milésimo, -а
From 10 and above (see lesson 21), cardinal numbers are most often used instead of ordinal numbers; however, the numerals hundredth and thousandth are used in the form: centésimo and milésimo.
In dates (days of the month) and centuries, only the numeral primero first is used as an ordinal number; the rest are used in the form of cardinal numbers (for centuries — starting from the 11th), for example:
el primero de junio
the first of June
el dos de junio
the second of June
el siglo primero y el siglo segundo de nuestra era
the first and the second century of our era
The numerals primero and tercero take the truncated form primer and tercer before masculine nouns, for example:
el primer piso
the first floor
el tercer piso
the third floor
Ordinal numbers agree in gender and number with the noun, for example:
el quinto mes
the fifth month
la quinta página
the fifth page
los primeros alumnos
the first students