cento 30초 만에
- Cento is the form of 100 used in compound numbers (101-199).
- It is always used in the expression 'por cento' (percent).
- As a noun, it means a set of 100 items (e.g., um cento de doces).
- Never use 'cem' if followed by 'e' and another number.
The word cento is a fundamental numeral in the Portuguese language, serving as the specific form of the number one hundred when it is followed by another number or used in certain collective contexts. While the word cem is used for the exact quantity of 100, cento acts as the bridge for compound numbers ranging from 101 to 199. Understanding this distinction is a hallmark of early fluency in Portuguese.
- Grammatical Category
- Determiner / Numeral / Noun
- Primary Function
- Used to form compound numbers (101-199) and in percentages.
- Morphological Origin
- Derived from the Latin 'centum', maintaining the 't' in compound structures.
In everyday life, you will encounter cento every time you count beyond one hundred. It is not merely a mathematical term but a linguistic pivot point. For instance, if you are buying 105 items, you say cento e cinco. This rule is rigid; saying cem e cinco is considered a grammatical error in all dialects of Portuguese, from Lisbon to Luanda to São Paulo.
O livro tem cento e vinte páginas no total.
Beyond its role as a determiner, cento also functions as a masculine noun referring to a group of one hundred units, particularly common in commerce. When you go to a bakery in Brazil or Portugal, you might order a cento de salgadinhos (a hundred snacks). This collective usage is distinct from the simple numeral and highlights the word's versatility.
O preço subiu dez por cento este mês.
Existem cento e uma razões para aprender português.
Comprei um cento de ovos para a festa.
Ele correu cento e dez metros.
- Usage in Math
- Used in addition and multiplication contexts involving numbers 101-199.
- Usage in Commerce
- Refers to a wholesale unit of 100 pieces.
Using cento correctly requires understanding its relationship with the conjunction e (and). In Portuguese, compound numbers are linked by e, and cento is the required form of 100 in these sequences. This section explores the syntactic environments where cento thrives.
1. Compound Numerals (101-199)
When you want to express any number between 101 and 199, you must use cento followed by e and the subsequent number. This applies regardless of whether you are counting people, money, or abstract concepts.
- 101: cento e um
- 150: cento e cinquenta
- 199: cento e noventa e nove
- Rule of Thumb
- If there is an 'e' after the hundred, use 'cento'.
2. Percentages
The term for 'percent' is por cento. This is a fixed expression. Even though it refers to 'per hundred', the word cem is never used in this specific locution. This is vital for business, statistics, and daily shopping.
A taxa de juros é de cinco por cento.
3. As a Collective Noun
In informal and commercial Portuguese, cento can be a noun. It is often used with the preposition de. For example, um cento de laranjas (a hundred oranges). This is particularly common in street markets (feiras) and when ordering party supplies.
You will encounter cento in almost every facet of Lusophone life. From the financial districts of Luanda to the beaches of Rio, the word is ubiquitous. Here are the most common environments:
In the Marketplace
When shopping, especially for items sold in bulk, cento is the standard unit. If you are organizing a 'festa de aniversário' (birthday party), you will order centos de salgadinhos (hundreds of savory snacks). The vendor will ask, 'Quantos centos você quer?' (How many hundreds do you want?).
In News and Media
Financial news is saturated with the word cento because of percentages. Phrases like inflação de dez por cento (ten percent inflation) or crescimento de dois por cento (two percent growth) are daily occurrences in newspapers like 'Público' or 'Folha de S.Paulo'.
O PIB cresceu três por cento no último trimestre.
In Education
In classrooms, students learn to count and perform calculations. Teachers will say, 'Abram o livro na página cento e quatro' (Open the book to page 104). It is one of the first numeric distinctions children learn in school.
- Common Setting
- Supermarkets, Banks, Schools, Bakeries.
- Frequency
- Extremely High (Top 500 words).
Even intermediate learners often stumble on the cem vs. cento distinction. Avoiding these pitfalls will make your Portuguese sound much more natural.
Mistake 1: Using 'Cem' in Compound Numbers
The most frequent error is saying cem e um instead of cento e um. In Portuguese, cem is 'atomic'—it cannot be combined with other numbers using 'e'.
Mistake 2: Using 'Cento' Alone
Conversely, you cannot use cento to mean exactly 100 unless it's the collective noun. If someone asks how many people are there and there are exactly 100, you say cem.
Mistake 3: 'Por Cem'
Learners often translate 'percent' literally from other languages. In Portuguese, it is always por cento.
- Confusion Source
- Spanish uses 'ciento' similarly, but English 'hundred' doesn't change form, which confuses English speakers.
To fully master cento, it helps to see it within its linguistic family. Portuguese has several words related to the number 100, each with a specific nuance.
- Cem
- The cardinal number 100 used in isolation or before a noun (e.g., cem livros).
- Centena
- A noun meaning 'a hundred' or 'a century' (in some contexts), often used for counting hundreds (e.g., duas centenas).
- Centésimo
- The ordinal number 'hundredth'.
- Centavo
- One hundredth of a currency unit (cent).
- Centenário
- Centenary; relating to a 100-year period.
While centena and cento both refer to a group of 100, cento is more common in informal commerce, while centena is more formal or mathematical. You would say uma centena de manifestantes (a hundred protesters) in a news report, but um cento de coxinhas at a snack bar.
Este é o centésimo aniversário da cidade.
How Formal Is It?
난이도
알아야 할 문법
Cardinal numbers
Compound numerals
Preposition 'por' with numerals
Collective nouns
수준별 예문
Eu tenho cento e cinco reais.
I have 105 reais.
Use 'cento' because it's followed by 'e cinco'.
O ônibus número cento e dez chegou.
Bus number 110 arrived.
Numbers of buses or rooms use 'cento' if they are 101-199.
Cento e dois, cento e três...
102, 103...
Basic counting sequence.
A página cento e um é importante.
Page 101 is important.
Ordinal use in page numbers.
Cento e vinte minutos.
120 minutes.
Compound number for time.
Ela mora no número cento e sete.
She lives at number 107.
Address numbering.
Cento e quatro crianças.
104 children.
Counting people.
Dez por cento de desconto.
10 percent discount.
Fixed expression 'por cento'.
O bolo custa cento e cinquenta meticais.
The cake costs 150 meticais.
Currency in Mozambique.
Quero um cento de salgadinhos.
I want a hundred snacks.
'Cento' as a collective noun.
Há cento e quarenta alunos na escola.
There are 140 students in the school.
Quantifying a group.
O hotel tem cento e trinta quartos.
The hotel has 130 rooms.
Compound number.
Vinte por cento da turma faltou.
20 percent of the class was absent.
Percentage usage.
Cento e sessenta gramas de açúcar.
160 grams of sugar.
Measurements.
Ele pesa cento e dois quilos.
He weighs 102 kilos.
Body weight.
Cento e oitenta dias de garantia.
180 days of warranty.
Time duration.
A inflação subiu um por cento.
Inflation rose by one percent.
Economic context.
Comprei dois centos de doces para o batizado.
I bought two hundred sweets for the christening.
Plural noun 'centos'.
O carro está a cento e vinte quilómetros por hora.
The car is at 120 km/h.
Speed measurement.
Cento e noventa pessoas assinaram a petição.
190 people signed the petition.
Formal counting.
A probabilidade é de noventa por cento.
The probability is 90 percent.
Probability.
Ele já leu cento e doze livros este ano.
He has already read 112 books this year.
Compound number.
O apartamento mede cento e dez metros quadrados.
The apartment measures 110 square meters.
Area measurement.
Cento e quarenta e cinco euros, por favor.
145 euros, please.
Complex price.
Apenas dez por cento dos lucros foram reinvestidos.
Only ten percent of profits were reinvested.
Business terminology.
O evento reuniu cento e oitenta especialistas.
The event gathered 180 specialists.
Formal reporting.
O preço do cento de tijolos aumentou.
The price of a hundred bricks increased.
Industrial/Commercial noun.
Cento e setenta e cinco países ratificaram o acordo.
175 countries ratified the agreement.
International relations.
A bateria está em cento por cento.
The battery is at 100 percent.
Idiomatic '100%'.
Ele pagou cento e trinta e seis mil kwanzas.
He paid 136,000 kwanzas.
Large compound numbers.
Cento e sessenta e quatro degraus até o topo.
164 steps to the top.
Precise counting.
O desconto de quinze por cento é tentador.
The 15 percent discount is tempting.
Marketing context.
Cento e noventa e oito milímetros de chuva.
198 millimeters of rain.
Scientific measurement.
A obra contém cento e doze gravuras originais.
The work contains 112 original engravings.
Academic/Artistic description.
Vendeu-se o cento de ovos por um preço irrisório.
The hundred eggs were sold for a derisory price.
Literary register.
Cento e trinta e dois anos de história.
132 years of history.
Historical duration.
A taxa de juros subiu zero vírgula cinco por cento.
The interest rate rose 0.5 percent.
Decimal percentage.
Cento e cinquenta e quatro sonetos de Shakespeare.
154 sonnets by Shakespeare.
Literary reference.
O navio transportava cento e noventa passageiros.
The ship carried 190 passengers.
Formal narrative.
Cento e vinte e cinco mil pessoas na manifestação.
125,000 people in the demonstration.
Large scale quantification.
A precisão do relógio é de cem por cento.
The clock's precision is 100 percent.
Note: 'Cem por cento' is used for exactly 100%.
Cento e noventa e nove: o limite do impossível.
199: the limit of the impossible.
Philosophical usage.
O autor discorre sobre o cento de problemas da época.
The author discusses the hundred problems of the era.
Metaphorical collective noun.
Cento e sessenta e oito horas de pura agonia.
168 hours of pure agony.
Intense narrative style.
A variação de um por cento pode ser catastrófica.
A one percent variation can be catastrophic.
Precision in science.
Cento e quarenta e sete: um número primo?
147: a prime number?
Mathematical inquiry.
O custo por cento de produção deve ser reduzido.
The cost per hundred of production must be reduced.
Industrial economics.
Cento e doze: a sinfonia inacabada.
112: the unfinished symphony.
Cultural reference.
자주 쓰는 조합
자주 쓰는 구문
자주 혼동되는 단어
관용어 및 표현
혼동하기 쉬운
Used only for exactly 100.
Means 'belt', pronounced similarly.
Means 'I feel', pronounced the same.
문장 패턴
어휘 가족
관련
사용법
Cem is for 100 exactly. Cento is for 101-199 and percentages.
- Saying 'cem e dois'.
- Writing 'por cem' instead of 'por cento'.
- Using 'cento' for exactly 100 items (e.g., 'Tenho cento livros').
- Confusing 'cento' with the verb 'sentar' (to sit).
- Misspelling it as 'sento'.
팁
The 'E' Connection
Whenever you see the word 'e' after 100, use 'cento'.
Party Planning
Order snacks by the 'cento' in Brazil.
Percentages
Always use 'por cento' for statistics.
Don't confuse with Cinto
Cento is a number; Cinto is a belt.
Soft 'U'
The final 'o' sounds like 'u'.
Addition
100 + 5 = cento e cinco.
Page Numbers
Page 101 is 'página cento e uma' (if page is feminine).
Prices
110 reais = cento e dez reais.
Minutes
120 minutes = cento e vinte minutos.
Consistency
The rule never changes for 101-199.
암기하기
어원
Latin
문화적 맥락
Used heavily in street food culture.
Standard in formal and informal counting.
실생활에서 연습하기
실제 사용 상황
대화 시작하기
"Quanto custa um cento de brigadeiros?"
"Você sabia que cento e um é um número primo?"
"A bateria do seu celular está em quantos por cento?"
"Qual é a página cento e dois do livro?"
"Você mora no número cento e quanto?"
일기 주제
Escreva sobre algo que você faria se tivesse cento e um anos.
Descreva uma festa onde você precisou comprar um cento de algo.
Como você se sente quando seu celular tem apenas um por cento de bateria?
Liste cento e uma coisas que você ama.
Explique a importância de dez por cento de algo na sua vida.
자주 묻는 질문
10 질문No, it is always 'cento e um'.
Yes, it can be a noun meaning a group of 100.
You say 'cem por cento'.
Yes, it is standard in all Portuguese-speaking countries.
Yes, 'centos', used when referring to multiple groups of 100.
It's an etymological remnant from Latin 'centum'.
No, 200 is 'duzentos'.
Yes, e.g., 'ano cento e dez'.
It means 'percent'.
It is masculine (o cento).
셀프 테스트 180 질문
/ 180 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
Mastering 'cento' is essential for counting, shopping, and understanding statistics in Portuguese. It replaces 'cem' the moment you add even a single unit, ensuring your speech sounds grammatically correct and natural.
- Cento is the form of 100 used in compound numbers (101-199).
- It is always used in the expression 'por cento' (percent).
- As a noun, it means a set of 100 items (e.g., um cento de doces).
- Never use 'cem' if followed by 'e' and another number.
The 'E' Connection
Whenever you see the word 'e' after 100, use 'cento'.
Party Planning
Order snacks by the 'cento' in Brazil.
Percentages
Always use 'por cento' for statistics.
Don't confuse with Cinto
Cento is a number; Cinto is a belt.
관련 콘텐츠
이 단어를 다른 언어로
general 관련 단어
a cerca de
B1거리나 미래의 시간에 대해 '약' 또는 '대략'을 의미합니다.
à direita
A2오른쪽으로 또는 오른쪽에. 방향이나 위치를 나타낼 때 사용됩니다.
à esquerda
A2왼쪽에. 방향을 제시하거나 위치를 설명할 때 사용됩니다.
a fim de
A2~하기 위해서, ~하고 싶다. '합격하기 위해서 공부한다.' / '피자가 먹고 싶다.'
à frente
A2앞에 (Ape). '그는 내 앞에 있다.'
a frente
A2앞에; 앞으로
À frente de
A2~의 앞에, 또는 ~의 선두에. '집 앞에 차가 있습니다'.
a tempo
A2제시간에, 늦지 않게. 어떤 일이 마감 시간이나 특정 사건 전에 일어남을 나타냅니다.
à volta de
A2~ 주변에. 장소(테이블 주변)나 추정치(약 10유로)에 사용됩니다.
abaixo
A1~의 아래에; 밑에.
