The difference between "cien y ciento" and how you say the year "19 whatever" in Spanish

Question

Ok guys, this is probably trivial but it's one of those things that goes through my head at 3:00 in the morning... So here goes:

When I was learning how to count in Spanish, I was taught that 100 was "cien" but when I try to say 101 I'm not sure how to say that. Is it: uno cien y uno, o ciento uno, o un cien y uno? and do you say 200 as "dos cien" or "dos cientos"?

Next, when I say that my daughter was born in 1998, in English I say "nineteen ninety-eight" but in spanish I was taught to say one thousand nine hundred ninety eight. Do they ever say "diecinueve noventa y ocho"? Do you say 2009 as dos mil nueve or could you say veinte cero nueve or even just cero nueve?

Answer 1

When standing alone (that is, being 100 exactly) ciento is shortened to cien before preceding a noun of either gender; the longer form is used within longer numbers (except when preceding mil).

Examples: cien lápices (100 pencils), cien plumas (100 pens), ciento tres lápices (103 pencils), ciento tres plumas (103 pens), cien mil lápices (100,000 pencils), cien mil plumas (100,000 pens)

source

1999 - mil novecientos noventa y ocho

2008 - dos mil nueve

• ¡Muy bien Issabela! Excelente explicación - RicardoP Oct 29, 2009
• Muchas gracias Issabela! - mthrsupior Oct 29, 2009

Answer 2

Hi mth, welcome to the forum

Ciento uno is the correct form. Doscientos , one word.

El año dos mil nueve, we do not say the year like in English, just as a normal number

• "El año dos mil nueve" mi querida Heidita - RicardoP Oct 29, 2009
• jejejeje, I had to read that over and over .....Jesus, no lo veía, jejeje, soy un desastre! - Heidita Oct 29, 2009
• Aquí no perdonamos ni media, como decimos en Colombia - RicardoP Oct 29, 2009
• as in English (or in the English way) not like in English. Finally got my chance! - 00515f39 Oct 29, 2009
• Heidita, por favor no digas eso (soy un desastre), no es para tanto - RicardoP Oct 29, 2009
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