Question 1

Why are veinticuatro and veintiséis written as single words instead of three words?

Accepted Answer

In Spanish, numbers from 16 to 29 are always written as a single word. So instead of veinte y cuatro, it becomes veinticuatro. Notice how the e at the end of veinte changes to an i to connect the two parts together.

Question 2

Why does veintiséis have an accent mark when the word seis usually doesn't?

Accepted Answer

It has to do with Spanish pronunciation rules. When seis stands alone, the spoken stress naturally falls on the e. But when you combine it into the longer word veintiséis, the natural spoken stress would normally shift to the second-to-last syllable. To make sure you still stress the seis part at the very end, a written accent mark must be added over the e.

Question 3

Do these numbers need to change their endings because mesas and sillas are feminine?

Accepted Answer

No. Most numbers, including veinticuatro and veintiséis, stay exactly the same whether they are counting masculine or feminine things. The only exception you will see in the twenties is 21 (veintiuno), which changes to veintiún for masculine nouns and veintiuna for feminine nouns.

Question 4

How do we know the translation is "we clean" if the word nosotros (we) isn't in the sentence?

Accepted Answer

In Spanish, the ending of the verb tells you exactly who is doing the action. The base verb here is limpiar (to clean). The -amos ending in limpiamos specifically means "we clean." Because this ending already makes the subject perfectly clear, the pronoun nosotros is almost always left out.

Limpiamos veinticuatro mesas y veintiséis sillas.

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