Breakdown of Hay una decena de manifestantes en la plaza.
de
from / of
una
a, an (feminine)
en
in / on / at
haber
to be (there is / there are)
la plaza
the square
el manifestante
protester
la decena
about ten
Questions & Answers about Hay una decena de manifestantes en la plaza.
Does una decena mean exactly ten or approximately ten?
It can mean both, but in everyday speech it is very often used to mean 'about ten.' Words ending in the -ena suffix act as collective nouns. When used to describe a crowd or group like this, they give a strong sense of estimation, much like saying 'a dozen or so' in English.
Why do we need de between una decena and manifestantes?
Because decena is a noun, not a simple number. You cannot place two nouns directly together in Spanish without a preposition. Just like you would say 'a group OF protesters' in English, you must use de to connect the collective noun decena to manifestantes.
If I wanted to add a verb like protestar (to protest), would it be singular to match decena or plural to match manifestantes?
You can use either! When a singular collective noun is linked to a plural noun by de, Spanish allows both the singular protestaba (matching the grammar of decena) and the plural protestaban (matching the plural meaning of the people). The plural is generally more common in everyday speech.
Can I add the -ena suffix to any number to make it an approximation?
No, it only applies to specific numbers. The most common ones are decena (10), docena (12), quincena (15), veintena (20), treintena (30), cuarentena (40), and cincuentena (50). For a hundred, the equivalent word is centenar.
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