Spanish Conversation · Level 46
75 words
Spanish word
decena
Pronunciation
IPA/deˈθena/
Meaning
- feminine nounabout ten
Example
En la tienda compré una decena de huevos.
I bought about ten eggs at the store.
More examples
Esperé una decena de minutos antes de llamar.
I waited around ten minutes before calling.
Core concept
A set of ten items.
Common phrases
una decena de minutos
around ten minutes
una decena de
around ten
Similar words
diez: A precise numeral representing ten units.
docena: A group of twelve items counted as one unit, often used for packaged goods.
Definition in Spanish
Unidad informal para contar en grupos de diez; puede significar exactamente diez o, con 'decenas', indicar varias decenas.
Word origin
Spanish decena derives from Latin decem 'ten' plus the Romance suffix -ena that marks a grouped set, giving the sense of a set of ten.
Usage tips
- In shopping contexts una decena de huevos often refers to ten eggs exactly, but in general decena can be used loosely and decenas means several tens.
Opposites
- unidadonenoun