número entero
/numeɾo enteɾo/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "integer number" is número entero.
número entero refers to a whole number that is not a fraction or a decimal. In mathematical contexts, the adjective entero can often stand alone to describe a number as an integer.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of número, meaning "number" and entero, which literally means "whole" or "entire".
Which one should you use?
Use número entero to distinguish a whole number from a número decimal (decimal number).
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase plural, add -s to both the noun and the adjective, resulting in números enteros.
How do you pronounce it?
/numeɾo enteɾo/
Did you know?
- While número entero is the mathematical term, the word entero is also used as a noun to refer to a full-priced ticket, as in dos enteros y un reducido.
- If you want to describe someone as 'a person of integrity', you might use the adjective íntegro in Spanish, which shares the same ancestral roots as the 'entero' used in 'número entero'.
- The Latin root of número comes from an ancient word meaning 'to assign' or 'allot', linking the act of counting to the act of distributing things.
Examples in context
- El resultado debe ser un número entero.The result must be an integer number.
- No puedes usar decimales, solo un número entero.You cannot use decimals, only an integer number.
- Ese número entero es muy grande.That integer number is very large.
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are studying mathematics together.
- DanielElena, ¿qué es un número entero?Elena, what is an integer number?
- ElenaEs un número sin decimales, como el cinco.It is a number without decimals, like five.
- DanielEntonces, el dos también es un número entero.So, two is also an integer number.
- ElenaExacto, Daniel, lo entendiste perfectamente.Exactly, Daniel, you understood it perfectly.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries entero, número, CC BY-SA 4.0.
