veinte

Veinte is the Spanish cardinal number that denotes the value 20. It is a fundamental part of the decimal counting system and is used in everyday language for counting, ages, dates, prices, distances, and quantities. In isolation it equals twenty and sits between diecinueve (19) and veintiuno (21).

Etymology and history: Veinte derives from Latin viginti and entered Spanish through the evolution of Vulgar Latin into the Romance languages. The modern form reflects typical sound changes in Spanish, and its spelling preserves features inherited from earlier forms of the word.

Formation and usage: In contemporary Spanish, numbers above twenty are formed in two main ways. For 21–29, the form veinti- plus the unit is used, as in veintiuno, veintidós, veintitrés, veintiséis, veintinueve. When followed by a noun, the forms veintiún (before masculine nouns) or veintiuna (before feminine nouns) appear, as in veintiún libros or veintiuna horas. For thirty and above, standard tens are used with the conjunction y for the units (treinta y uno, cuarenta y dos, etc.).

Numeral system and usage: Veinte functions as a base-10 numeral and is central to descriptions of quantities, ages (tiene veinte años), dates (veinte de mayo), and measurements. It also serves as a reference point in arithmetic and education, with the pattern of forming higher numbers continuing in a regular Roman-derived sequence.