setenta
/seˈtenta/
The Spanish word for seventy is setenta.
setenta is the cardinal number used for counting or expressing the quantity of seventy.
Meaning: cardinal number (num)
Which one should you use?
While setenta is the standard number, you may encounter the informal phrase setenta y pico to mean "seventy and a bit".
How does it change in a sentence?
As a cardinal number, setenta is invariable, meaning it does not change its form based on the gender of the noun it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
/seˈtenta/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse setenta (seventy) with sesenta (sixty), as the two words have very similar sounds.
Did you know?
- The phrase setenta y pico uses pico which literally means 'beak' or 'peak' to describe a small, remaining amount.
- The Spanish setenta shares the same ancient root as the Latin word for the 'Septuagint', the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible.
- While setenta is invariable, the word for 'seventieth' is septuagésimo, a word so rare in daily speech that most speakers use setenta or el número setenta instead.
Examples in context
- Treinta más setenta son cien.Thirty plus seventy is one hundred.This sentence shows a basic addition involving setenta.Tatoeba #13688563 by Seael, translation #12924980 by araneo
- Mi abuelo tendrá setenta este año.My grandfather will be seventy this year.This sentence uses setenta to express an age.Tatoeba #7745638 by carloschunga, translation #251340 by CK
- Tom falleció a la edad de setenta.Tom passed away at the age of seventy.This sentence uses setenta to indicate the age at which someone passed away.Tatoeba #9475753 by hayastan, translation #9387449 by AlanF_US
- setenta añosSeventy years
- el número setenta como siete decenasThe number seventy as seven tens
- setenta y nueve79
- ¿Tienes cerca de setenta años?Are you around seventy years old?
- Tiene setenta y tantos añosHe/She is in their seventies
- Está en los setentaHe/She is in the seventies
- 26 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are looking at a price tag in a store.
- MateoMira, esta camisa cuesta setenta euros.Look, this shirt costs seventy euros.
- Lucía¡Es muy cara para ser tan sencilla!It is very expensive for being so simple!
- MateoTienes razón, busquemos otra de setenta o menos.You are right, let's look for another one for seventy or less.
- LucíaDe acuerdo, vamos a la otra sección.Agreed, let's go to the other section.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “seventy” translations and entries setenta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries setenta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
