cento
/ˈt͡ʃɛn.to/
cento is the Italian word for the number one hundred.
The word is used to express the number that is ten times ten.
How does it change in a sentence?
When forming larger numbers such as one hundred thousand, cento is combined directly with mila (thousand) to form centomila without using a conjunction between the two words.
How do you pronounce it?
The word consists of two syllables with the stress on the first syllable. The IPA is /ˈtʃɛn.to/.
Did you know?
- When wishing someone a long life, Italians say cento di questi giorni, which literally translates to 'one hundred of these days'.
- In Italian, the phrase cento per cento is frequently used as an adverb to mean 'absolutely' or 'completely', rather than just a mathematical percentage.
- If you are talking about a 'century' in terms of time, Italians use the word secolo, which is a distant relative of many 'hundred' based words through the concept of one hundred years.
Examples in context
- Il prezzo del prodotto è cento euro.The price of the product is one hundred euros.
- Abbiamo venduto cento unità del nostro prodotto.We have sold a hundred units of our product.
- Ho letto cento pagine oggi.I read one hundred pages today.
- Questo libro costa cento euro.This book costs one hundred euros.
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Giulia are discussing the price of a vintage lamp at a market.
- LorenzoQuanto costa questa lampada?How much does this lamp cost?
- GiuliaCosta esattamente cento euro.It costs exactly one hundred euros.
- LorenzoÈ un po' troppo cara per me.It is a bit too expensive for me.
- GiuliaCapisco, Lorenzo, è un pezzo raro.I understand, Lorenzo, it is a rare piece.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cento, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
