Fractions

How to write and say fractions in Spanish

Fractions are composed of two elements the numerator (el numerador) and the denominator (el denominador).

The table below shows how to say the most common fractions in Spanish.

Things to know about Spanish fractions

• Spanish fractions are similar to English fractions: we read the numerator as a cardinal number and the denominator as an ordinal number.

Example:

1/4 → un cuarto

• The denominator is plural if the numerator is greater than 1.

Example:

3/4 → tres cuartos

• After fractions, use the preposition de + article (= of the).

Examples:

Nos hemos comido ya 3/4 del bizcocho.We’ve already eaten three quarters of the cake.

Me he leído ya 3/4 de la novela.I’ve already read three quarters of the novel.

• We don’t use an article with units of measurement.

Example:

1/4 de litro de leche son 250 mililitros.A quarter of a litre of milk is 250 millilitres.

not: 1/4 del litro

mitad or medio (½)

The fraction 1/2 has two different forms.

• The word medio is used before a noun and it agrees in terms of gender and number.

Examples:

medio litro de aguahalf litre of water

La tortilla lleva media docena de huevos.The tortilla contains half a dozen eggs.

• The word mitad is introduced by an article (la/una) and is followed by the preposition de + noun.

Example:

Hemos pagado ya la mitad del préstamo.We’ve already paid half of the loan.

La mitad de la clase está de vacaciones.Half of the class is on holiday.

Denominators from 3 to 10

Fractions whose denominators include the numbers 3 to 10 are expressed as ordinal numbers.

Example:

1/3 → un tercio

If the numerator is higher than 1, the denominator is plural.

Example:

4/6 → cuatro sextos

Denominators from 11

From the number 11, denominators are cardinal numbers with the ending –avo(s).

Example:

1/11 → un onceavo

For tens ending in 0 (20, 30, 40, …), we can also use ordinal numbers.

Example:

1/40 → un cuadragésimo or un cuarentavo

If the denominator is a number made up of two or more words, we write them as one word. The preposition y becomes an i.

Example:

9/99 → nueve noventainuevaovos

In the event that two vowels appear one after another, we only write one.

Examples:

1/30 → un treintavo

not: un treintaavo

5/108 → cinco cientochoavos

not: cinco cientoochovaos

For multiples of ten in the hundreds, thousands, hundred thousands etc. we always use ordinal numbers.

Example:

1/20,000 → un veintemilésimo