centavo
/θenˈtabo/masculine
The English word cent is translated into Spanish as centavo. Wiktionary also lists céntimo and centésimo.
Meaning: subunit of currency in US and elsewhere (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| centavo | /θenˈtabo/ /senˈtabo/ |
masculine |
| céntimo | /ˈθentimo/ /ˈsentimo/ |
masculine |
| centésimo | /θenˈtesimo/ /senˈtesimo/ |
masculine |
The term refers to a subunit of currency used in the US and elsewhere.
Which one should you use?
In Latin American Spanish, centavo is the standard term for a cent. In Spain, the standard term is céntimo. While centésimo can refer to a cent in specific mathematical contexts, its primary meaning is the ordinal number 'hundredth'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of centavo is centavos and the plural form of céntimo is céntimos.
How do you pronounce it?
/θenˈtabo/
Did you know?
- While centavo is used in Latin America, Spain uses céntimo, a word borrowed from the French 'centime'.
- The suffix -avo in centavo is a common way in Spanish to turn a number into a fractional part of a whole.
- In some Latin American regions, people may use centavo as a generic term for any small amount of money, regardless of the actual denomination of the coin.
Examples in context
- Sami pagará su deuda hasta el último céntimo.Sami will pay his debt to the last cent.This sentence shows the use of céntimo in a sentence about paying a debt.Tatoeba #8944293 by diegohn, translation #6387561 by OsoHombre
- No te daré ni un centavo.I won't give you one red cent.This sentence uses centavo to express not giving a single cent.Tatoeba #1129625 by alexmarcelo, translation #1129628 by CM
- El precio del artículo es de 50 centavosThe price of the item is 50 cents
- El cambio es de 75 céntimosThe change is 75 cents
- Me costó solo 20 centavosIt only cost me 20 cents
- El refresco cuesta 75 centavos, señorita.The soda costs 75 cents, miss.
- Claro, aquí tiene 25 centavos de vueltaSure, here's 25 cents back
- La comisión para retirar dinero de otro banco es de 50 céntimosThe commission to withdraw money from another bank is 50 cents
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are checking the change on a table.
- AlejandroMe falta un centavo para el autobús.I am missing one cent for the bus.
- LucíaToma, yo tengo uno aquí.Here, I have one here.
- AlejandroGracias, Lucía. Ahora tengo el monto exacto.Thanks, Lucía. Now I have the exact amount.
- LucíaDe nada, Alejandro. No es nada.You're welcome, Alejandro. It's nothing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cent” translations and entries centavo, céntimo, centésimo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries centavo, centésimo, céntimo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
