Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
EIGHTY in Spanish: OCHENTA
Ochenta · noun · oh-CHEHN-tah
Ochenta follows the predictable Spanish pattern for tens numbers, combining the root of ocho (eight) with the -enta suffix used for decades (like cuarenta, cincuenta, sesenta). This number appears frequently in everyday contexts like ages, prices, temperatures, and measurements. Building compound numbers with ochenta is straightforward: simply add y (and) plus the ones digit, as in ochenta y tres for eighty-three.
oh-CHEHN-tah
Mi abuela cumplió ochenta años el mes pasado.
My grandmother turned eighty last month.
How Native Speakers Use Ochenta
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Age
El profesor se jubiló a los ochenta años y siguió escribiendo libros.
The professor retired at eighty and kept writing books.
Uses ochenta for someone's age.
Price
La camisa cuesta ochenta y cinco pesos.
The shirt costs eighty-five pesos.
Shows the compound number ochenta y cinco in a shopping context.
Speed limit
La velocidad máxima en esta carretera es de ochenta kilómetros por hora.
The speed limit on this road is eighty kilometers per hour.
Uses ochenta in a traffic regulation context.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Ochenta
Spelling error
Incorrect: Tengo ochenta y dos libros en mi estante.
Correct: Tengo ochenta y dos libros en mi estante.
The most common spelling mistake is writing ochenta as ochienta, adding an i that does not belong; keep the spelling exactly as ochenta.
Omitting y in compound numbers
Incorrect: Son ochenta tres personas.
Correct: Son ochenta y tres personas.
Spanish compound numbers from 31 to 99 always require y between the tens and ones digits, unlike English which uses a hyphen.
Lock in Eighty 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 Ochenta used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using ochenta in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Mi abuela cumplió ochenta años el mes pasado. 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 Eighty in Spanish
- How do I form numbers in the eighties?
- Add y plus the ones digit: ochenta y uno (81), ochenta y dos (82), ochenta y tres (83), and so on through ochenta y nueve (89), always including the conjunction y.
- Does ochenta change for gender?
- Numbers in Spanish are invariable, meaning ochenta stays the same whether describing masculine or feminine nouns, unlike words like primero/primera.
- How is ochenta related to ocho?
- Ochenta derives from ocho (eight) with the suffix -enta, following the same pattern as cuarenta from cuatro, cincuenta from cinco, and sesenta from seis.