[Numbers and Time] Uno becomes una others do not change?

Question

Hola, beginner in Spanish here. I am taking the lessons and just finished "1.8 Numbers and Time". One thing there took my attention.

When telling the time Cuatro remains same (Son las cuatro) but when it comes to Uno it changes "es la una".

Is it because of singularity and plurality effects the F or M form of words or is there a special case with uno?

Thank you in advance

Answer 1

The number one in Spanish can be either masculine or feminine. For example "Hay un hombre"or "Hay una mujer". Notice that before masculine nouns "uno" is shortened to "un". The rest of the Spanish numbers from 1-99 always masculine. Notice that when you say "Son las cuatro", that the "las" is feminine referring to hours (horas). "Es la una" is used because "1" is singular.

Now I understand the question. Why does the number one change with gender, but no other number under 100? The time context threw me off. - 0074b507, Aug 12, 2011

Not as far as I know. I think there is even a debate about if they change after a hundred. I had always heard it was after 200 until the head of my Spanish dept. told me different. - pescador1, Aug 12, 2011

Sorry, I don't thin you were actually asking me a question. - pescador1, Aug 12, 2011

Actually all of the ....one's show gender veintiun@, treinta y un@ cuarenta y un@, same with after one hundred. ciento veintiuna manzanas - 0074b507, Aug 12, 2011

Answer 2

I don't quite follow your question. It is not cuatro or una that changes; it is the form of Ser that is used with the hour that changes.. All of the hours of the day use son (son las dos, tres, etc,), but una uses es (es la una). All of the hours (horas) are feminine: son las dos, son las tres, es la una, etc.

Think of it as an abbreviated sentence:

Son las ocho [horas después de medianoche o mediodía.]

Es la una [hora después de medianoche o mediodía]

I knew there must be more to it. Thanks for filling in the blanks. - MrSillyInc, Aug 12, 2011

Answer 3

Any number ending in uno or containing ciento will change before feminine nouns.

The rules are explained here

and here

It should be noted that when you are counting, numbers are nouns, but when a number precedes a noun, it is an adjective. In the case of telling time, the adjective form is used and the feminine noun hora(s) is implicit. The article is la(s).

Answer 4

I think there is a little confusion in the answers you have received between the indefinite article (uno/una + noun) and the numbers.

With time, all the hours use the cardinal numbers (dos, tres, cuatro etc) except that the cardinal number for one is uno, never (I believe this is right) una. Una is the indefinite article.

I agree with you that a las cuatro (horas) seems to be different in construction from a la una. As will often be the case, one must accept this and move on.

Answer 5

The number one also changes in English. Both "a" and "one" come from "an":

an ? a

an ? one

Answer 6

Got it now, thank you for your answers