cien
/ˈθjen/
One hundred in Spanish is cien.
cien is the number that comes after ninety-nine. It can be used when the number stands alone or when it is followed directly by a noun, such as in cien libros (one hundred books) or cien unidades (one hundred units).
Which one should you use?
Use cien when the number stands alone or is followed by a noun. However, if you are followed by another number to form a larger value, such as one hundred one, you must use the form ciento instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word cien is an invariable form, meaning it does not change to reflect gender or number.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈθjen/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use ciento when they mean the exact number one hundred. Only use ciento when you are adding more numbers to it.
Did you know?
- In some regional slang, saying someone is a cien means they are feeling great or are at full capacity, similar to the English phrase 'one hundred percent'.
- The linguistic lineage of cien passes through the Latin word centum, which is where we get English words like 'century' and 'cent'.
- The word cien is actually a shortened version of the older word ciento, a process called apocopation.
Examples in context
- Un siglo tiene cien años.A century is one hundred years.This sentence shows how to use cien when describing the length of a century.Tatoeba #1059967 by hayastan, translation #73105 by CM
- Él solo llevaba cien yenes.He had only one hundred yen with him.This sentence demonstrates cien being used with a specific currency amount.Tatoeba #1574110 by Shishir, translation #480161 by CK
- Solo necesito cien dólares.I only need one hundred dollars.This sentence shows how to use cien when expressing a specific need for a currency amount.Tatoeba #2978244 by hayastan, translation #1956072 by CN
- Hay cien personas esperando en la cola.There are one hundred people waiting in line.
- Necesito cien bolos para completar mi colección.I need one hundred pins to complete my collection.
- 55 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are counting the pages in a notebook.
- LucíaYa llegamos a cien páginas.We have already reached one hundred pages.
- Javier¡Es verdad! Es un cuaderno muy grande.It's true! It is a very large notebook.
- Lucía¿Crees que tiene cien hojas en total?Do you think it has one hundred sheets in total?
- JavierParece que sí, Lucía.It seems so, Lucía.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cien, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
