Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
ZERO in Spanish: CERO
Cero · noun · SEH-roh
Zero in Spanish is cero, a straightforward cognate that sounds similar to the English word. It is used in all numerical, mathematical, and everyday contexts just as zero is used in English. In casual speech, nada (nothing) can substitute when zero emphasizes an absence rather than a quantity. Cero is masculine (el cero) and invariable—it does not change form.
SEH-roh
La temperatura bajó a cero grados anoche.
The temperature dropped to zero degrees last night.
Zero in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for zero, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| cero | zero | SEH-roh | Default, widely understood |
| nada | zero | informal — zero in the sense of nothing |
How Native Speakers Use Cero
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Temperature reading
El pronóstico dice que llegaremos a cero grados esta madrugada.
The forecast says we'll reach zero degrees early this morning.
Cero grados is the standard way to express freezing point.
Sports score
El partido terminó tres a cero a favor del equipo visitante.
The game ended three to zero in favor of the visiting team.
In sports, cero is used for scores, unlike English which sometimes says 'nil' or 'love.'
Phone number
Mi número empieza con cero seis, uno, cinco.
My number starts with zero six, one, five.
When dictating phone numbers, each digit is spoken individually.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Cero
Confusing cero with cerro
Incorrect: La temperatura llegó a cerro grados.
Correct: La temperatura llegó a cero grados.
Cero (one r) means zero. Cerro (double r) means hill or mountain. Mispronouncing or misspelling the word completely changes the meaning—you would be saying 'hill degrees' instead of 'zero degrees.'
Using nulo instead of cero for math
Incorrect: Cualquier número multiplicado por nulo es nulo.
Correct: Cualquier número multiplicado por cero es cero.
Nulo means null or void in a legal or technical sense. For mathematical zero, cero is always the correct term. Nulo is reserved for contexts like 'null and void' (nulo y sin efecto).
Lock in Zero 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 Cero used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using cero in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear La temperatura bajó a cero grados anoche. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
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Common Questions About Zero in Spanish
- How do you pronounce cero in Spanish?
- Cero is pronounced SEH-roh in Latin America (where the c before e is an /s/ sound) and THEH-roh in most of Spain (where the c before e is a /θ/ sound, like the English 'th' in 'think'). The stress falls on the first syllable in both cases.
- Is there a difference between cero and nada?
- Cero is a number and is used in mathematical, scientific, and quantitative contexts (cero grados, cero puntos). Nada means 'nothing' and is used as an indefinite pronoun to indicate absence: no tengo nada (I have nothing). While they sometimes overlap in casual speech ('I have zero patience' could become no tengo nada de paciencia), they serve different grammatical functions.
- How is cero used in phone numbers?
- When dictating phone numbers in Spanish, cero is spoken as an individual digit: cero, uno, dos, tres, etc. Country codes and area codes that begin with zero use cero explicitly—for example, Spain's country code is 'cero, cero, tres, cuatro' (0034). This differs from some English dialects where 'oh' replaces 'zero.'