How do you say century in Spanish?

Century is siglo (SEE-gloh). It is a masculine noun: el siglo XX (the 20th century). Spanish tradition uses Roman numerals for centuries in formal and academic writing.

How do you write 21st century in Spanish?

The standard way is el siglo XXI. When reading it aloud, you say el siglo veintiuno. In academic papers and formal texts, Roman numerals are expected.

What does Siglo de Oro mean?

Siglo de Oro (Golden Century or Golden Age) refers to the period of Spanish literature and art roughly spanning the 16th and 17th centuries, from the rise of the Renaissance in Spain through the Baroque. Despite the name siglo (century), the era actually covers about 150 years.

Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

Century in Spanish: Siglo, Roman Numerals, and How to Talk About Eras

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Siglo · noun (masculine) · SEE-gloh

Century in Spanish is siglo (SEE-gloh), a masculine noun meaning a span of one hundred years. Spanish conventionally writes centuries using Roman numerals: el siglo XXI (the 21st century). Centenario refers to a centennial or hundredth anniversary. The archaic term centuria refers to the Roman military unit and is rarely used for time periods today.

SEE-gloh — two syllables with stress on SEE. The g before l is a hard g, similar to the g in English glow.

Estamos en el siglo veintiuno.

We are in the twenty-first century.

Century in Spanish: Quick Reference

Below are the most common Spanish words for century, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.

Spanish	English	Pronunciation	Region / Register
siglo	century	SEE-gloh	Default, widely understood
centenario	century		centennial / hundredth anniversary
centuria	century		archaic/military term for a Roman century

How Native Speakers Use Siglo

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

Current century

La tecnología del siglo XXI ha transformado la comunicación.

Twenty-first-century technology has transformed communication.

Centuries in Spanish are written with Roman numerals in formal and academic writing: siglo XXI, siglo XIX, siglo XV.

Historical reference

El Quijote se publicó a principios del siglo XVII.

Don Quixote was published at the beginning of the 17th century.

A principios del (at the beginning of), a mediados del (in the middle of), and a finales del (at the end of) are common phrases used with siglo.

Idiomatic expression

Hace siglos que no hablo con ella.

I haven't spoken to her in ages.

Hace siglos (literally it makes centuries) is an informal expression meaning a very long time, similar to ages ago in English.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Siglo

Using Arabic numerals for centuries

Incorrect: El siglo 21 trajo muchos cambios.

Correct: El siglo XXI trajo muchos cambios.

In formal Spanish writing, centuries are conventionally expressed with Roman numerals. While Arabic numerals are occasionally seen in informal texts, Roman numerals remain the standard.

Confusing siglo with centuria

Incorrect: Vivimos en la centuria veintiuno.

Correct: Vivimos en el siglo veintiuno.

Centuria is an archaic word mostly associated with the Roman military. The standard modern word for century as a time period is siglo.

Lock in Century Vocabulary with the Parrot Method

Why word lists alone don't stick

Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.

See Siglo used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using siglo in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Estamos en el siglo veintiuno. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.

Save, review, repeat, stay consistent

Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.

Common Questions About Century in Spanish

How do you say century in Spanish?: Century is siglo (SEE-gloh). It is a masculine noun: el siglo XX (the 20th century). Spanish tradition uses Roman numerals for centuries in formal and academic writing.
How do you write 21st century in Spanish?: The standard way is el siglo XXI. When reading it aloud, you say el siglo veintiuno. In academic papers and formal texts, Roman numerals are expected.
What does Siglo de Oro mean?: Siglo de Oro (Golden Century or Golden Age) refers to the period of Spanish literature and art roughly spanning the 16th and 17th centuries, from the rise of the Renaissance in Spain through the Baroque. Despite the name siglo (century), the era actually covers about 150 years.