mil novecientos cincuenta
/mil nobeθjentos θinkwenta/from spelling rules
The English phrase nineteen fifty is translated into Spanish as mil novecientos cincuenta.
While you can use the numerical abbreviation los 50 to refer to the decade known as the fifties, the phrase mil novecientos cincuenta specifically denotes the year nineteen fifty.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is constructed literally as one thousand nine hundred fifty.
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike English, which splits the year into two two-digit numbers (nineteen fifty), Spanish expresses the year as a single large number (one thousand nine hundred fifty).
How do you pronounce it?
/mil nobeθjentos θinkwenta/
Did you know?
- The word mil shares an ancient root with the English word 'mile', as both trace back to concepts of a thousand units of measurement.
- While English speakers say 'the fifties' for the decade, Spanish speakers often use los cincuenta to refer to both the decade and the age of a person.
- The word mil is used for any thousand, but for millions, Spanish switches to millón, which behaves as a noun and requires an article.
Examples in context
- El Tratado de Derechos Humanos se estableció en mil novecientos cincuenta.The Human Rights Treaty was established in nineteen fifty.
- La Exposición Mundial se llevó a cabo en el año mil novecientos cincuenta.The World Expo took place in the year nineteen fifty.
- Fue en mil novecientos cincuenta.It was in nineteen fifty.
- Ese modelo es de mil novecientos cincuenta.That model is from nineteen fifty.
- El edificio se construyó en mil novecientos cincuenta.The building was constructed in nineteen fifty.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are looking at an old photograph.
- Javier¿De qué año es esta foto?What year is this photo from?
- SofíaEs de mil novecientos cincuenta.It is from nineteen fifty.
- JavierParece una época muy bonita.It looks like a very beautiful era.
- SofíaSí, era un tiempo diferente.Yes, it was a different time.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cincuenta, mil, CC BY-SA 4.0.
