treinta y ocho
/tɾeinta i ot͡ʃo/from spelling rules
The English phrase thirty eight is translated into Spanish as treinta y ocho.
treinta y ocho is used to denote the number that follows thirty-seven.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of treinta (thirty), y (and) and ocho (eight).
How do you pronounce it?
/tɾeinta i otʃo/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, numbers from 31 to 99 are written as three separate words, such as treinta y ocho. This differs from the numbers 21 to 29, which are typically written as a single word like veintiocho.
- The word y used in treinta y ocho is a direct descendant of the Latin et, which also provides the root for the common English phrase 'et cetera'.
- While treinta y ocho is the formal written standard, speakers in many regions blend the words together during fast speech, making the y almost vanish.
Examples in context
- Hay treinta y ocho estudiantes en el aula.There are thirty eight students in the classroom.
- El libro tiene treinta y ocho páginas.The book has thirty eight pages.
- Tengo treinta y ocho años.I am thirty eight years old.
- El número de la casa es treinta y ocho.The house number is thirty eight.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are checking a list of prices at a market.
- Lucía¿Cuánto cuesta el queso?How much does the cheese cost?
- JavierCuesta treinta y ocho euros.It costs thirty eight euros.
- LucíaEs un poco caro, ¿verdad?It is a bit expensive, right?
- JavierSí, pero es de muy buena calidad.Yes, but it is of very good quality.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ocho, treinta, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
