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Mi abuelo tiene setenta y dos años.

Mi abuelo tiene setenta y dos años.
My grandfather is seventy-two years old.
From Lesson 41:Compound numbers up to 99 (veintiuno, treinta y uno)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Mi abuelo tiene setenta y dos años.

Why is 72 written as three separate words (setenta y dos)?
In Spanish, numbers from 31 to 99 are always written as three separate words connected by y (and). So, 72 is literally seventy and two (setenta y dos). This is different from the twenties, which are joined into a single word like veintidós.
Why does the sentence use tiene instead of the Spanish word for is?
In Spanish, you don't be an age; you have years. Tiene means he has (from the verb tener, to have). So the sentence literally translates to: My grandfather has seventy and two years.
I always mix up 60 and 70. How can I remember that setenta is 70?
It is a very common mix-up! Look at the spelling: sesenta (60) has an s in the middle, just like seis (6). Setenta (70) has a t in the middle, just like siete (7).
Is the wavy line over the n in años really necessary?
Yes, it is extremely important! The letter ñ is a completely separate letter from n in the Spanish alphabet. If you leave off that wavy line (called a tilde), the word becomes anos, which means anuses instead of years.

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