Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Seventy in Spanish: Setenta
Setenta · noun · seh-TEN-tah
Setenta is the Spanish word for seventy, following the regular pattern for tens in Spanish: treinta, cuarenta, cincuenta, sesenta, setenta. Compound numbers from 71 to 79 are formed by adding y plus the ones digit, such as setenta y uno (71) or setenta y cinco (75). Unlike numbers 16–29, these are always written as separate words.
Pronounce setenta as seh-TEN-tah, stressing the middle syllable. Each vowel gets its full, pure Spanish sound.
Mi abuela cumplió setenta años el mes pasado.
My grandmother turned seventy last month.
How Native Speakers Use Setenta
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Talking about someone's age
Mi vecino tiene setenta y dos años y todavía corre maratones.
My neighbor is seventy-two years old and still runs marathons.
Age is one of the most common reasons learners need the number setenta.
Discussing a price
El vestido cuesta setenta y cinco dólares con el descuento.
The dress costs seventy-five dollars with the discount.
Setenta frequently appears in shopping and pricing conversations.
Referring to a decade
La música disco fue muy popular durante los años setenta.
Disco music was very popular during the seventies.
Los años setenta (the seventies) refers to the 1970s decade.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Setenta
Confusing setenta with sesenta
Incorrect: Tiene sesenta años. (meaning seventy)
Correct: Tiene setenta años.
Sesenta is sixty and setenta is seventy. They sound similar, and mixing them up is one of the most common number errors. Focus on the t in setenta versus the s in sesenta.
Writing compound numbers as one word
Incorrect: setentaycinco
Correct: setenta y cinco
Unlike numbers 16–29 (dieciséis, veintiuno), numbers from 31 onward are always written as separate words with y between the tens and ones digits.
Lock in Seventy 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 Setenta used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using setenta in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Mi abuela cumplió setenta 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 Seventy in Spanish
- How do you say seventy in Spanish?
- Seventy in Spanish is setenta. To form numbers 71 through 79, add y plus the unit: setenta y uno (71), setenta y dos (72), setenta y tres (73), and so on through setenta y nueve (79).
- How can you tell setenta and sesenta apart when listening?
- The key difference is the consonant before -enta. Sesenta starts with ses- (a soft s sound repeated), while setenta has set- with a clear t sound in the middle. Listening for that t is the fastest way to distinguish them.
- How do you say the seventies as a decade in Spanish?
- The seventies as a decade is los años setenta or simply los setenta. For example, la moda de los setenta means seventies fashion. There is no special word — you simply use the number as a noun with the article los.