‘Twenty-One’ in Spanish: Choose The Right Form Correctly Every Time

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If you’ve mastered numbers in Spanish from cero (zero) through veinte (twenty), it’s time to learn how to say veintiuno (twenty-one) in Spanish. If you’re counting or doing simple math, this might be the only word you need. However, there are slightly different forms for discussing the time, a date on the calendar, or the quantity of a feminine noun. 

In this guide, you’ll learn the tricky details of choosing between veintiuno, veintiún, or veintiuna for the correct form of “21” in Spanish. You’ll be sure to impress native speakers, who might need to think twice about what’s correct. Once you know veintiuno and a few variations, you can use other double or triple-digit numbers ending in one. 

How to say and spell the cardinal number 21

Cardinal numbers are the ones used for counting. To master Spanish numbers, get in the habit of counting stairs, timing yourself while performing everyday tasks, or even counting ovejas (sheep) before bed. 

• diecinueve (19)
• veinte (20)
• veintiuno (21) 

While it’s true that in most cases you can write numerals like “21” in Spanish, knowing how to spell them can also help your Spanish pronunciation and accuracy for when you need to read them aloud. Cultivate good habits and don’t skip over them or think them in English when you’re reading silently.

Up until the number treinta y uno (31), all cardinal numbers are written as one word, so veintiuno (21) does not contain any spaces. Remember this when you need to know how to spell twenty-one in Spanish. 

Veintiuno

If you write “twenty-one” in Spanish, masculine or feminine will make no difference, but when it’s spoken you’ll need to follow some Spanish gender rules to choose between forms like veintiuna, veintiún or veintiuno. 

Say veintiuno with no changes in the following situations:

• Counting;
  • veinte, veintiuno, veintidós, veintitrés…= 20, 21, 22, 23…
• Answering a question with the simple number and nothing following it;
  • ¿Cuántos años tienes? = How old are you? 
  • Veintiuno. = 21.
  • ¿Cuántos libros hay? = How many books are there? 
  • Veintiuno. = 21.
• Communicating the date;
  • el veintiuno de octubre = October 21
• Expressing a percentage.
  • veintiuno por ciento = 21%

Veintiún

Sometimes veintiuno is correctly shortened to veintiún. Both mean “21” in Spanish. Apocopation, a fancy term for shortening a word by omitting a sound so that it follows a grammar rule, is a fairly common feature of Spanish. Other examples of apocopation are words like primer (first) instead of primero, and algún (some) instead of alguno. 

The term for “twenty-one” in Spanish will be shortened, using el apócope (the shortened form) veintiún in the following situations: 

• In front of a masculine noun;
  • Tengo veintiún años. = I’m 21 years of age. 
  • Voy a cumplir veintiún años este mes. = I’m going to turn 21 this month.
  • Hay veintiún libros. = There are 21 books. 
  • Cuesta veintiún dólares. = It costs 21 dollars.
• In front of a feminine noun that starts with a stressed “a” or “ha” sound. (These feminine nouns also use the masculine definite article el, unlike the la you would expect).
  • veintiún aulas = 21 classrooms
  • veintiún hadas = 21 fairies

Veintiuna

The number 21 also comes in a feminine form. Use veintiuna in examples like these: 

• In front of feminine nouns that don’t fit the criteria for veintiún; 

• Leí veintiuna novelas este verano. = I read 21 novels this summer. 
• Hay veintiuna personas en el grupo. = There are 21 people in the group. 
• For telling time on a 24-hour clock, specifically for 9 pm. 
• Son las veintiuna. = It’s 21:00/It’s 9 pm. 

What is the ordinal number 21st in Spanish?

Ordinal numbers like “first,” “second,” “third,” and so on tell you where something ranks in a list or sequence. To say 21^o (21st) in Spanish, you’ll use the word vigésimo primero, which follows similar rules for apocopation and feminine forms. 

• Terminó vigésimo primero. = She finished 21st. 

Use vigésimo primer in front of masculine nouns or feminine nouns with a stressed “a.”

• el vigésimo primer paso del proceso. = the 21st step in the process. 
• su vigésimo primer cumpleaños = her 21st birthday

Vigésima primera is the feminine form. 

• Ella fue la vigésima primera persona en terminar. = She was the 21st person to finish. 

Note that when saying the date as “the 21st of the month,” Spanish employs el veintiuno de (the 21st of). For siglos (centuries), it’s correct to write them with Roman numerals, so “the 21st century” would be el siglo XXI.

Key takeaways about ‘twenty-one’ in Spanish

It’s tempting to skip the details and simply write “21” in Spanish, but with just a bit more effort you can choose correctly between veintiuna, veintiún, or veintiuno. 

• Say veintiuno if nothing follows it. 
• Say veintiún if a masculine noun follows, or a feminine noun with a stressed “a” or “ha” sound. 
• Say veintiuna if a feminine noun appears after it. 
• Forms of “21st” in Spanish include vigésimo primero, vigésimo primer, and vigésima primera.