decena

ten, group of ten

noun deh-SEH-nah Less Common

Usage Note

Decena denotes an approximate or exact group of ten, used much like English 'a dozen' but for ten: una decena de personas (about ten people). In the plural, decenas de means 'tens of' or 'dozens of', implying a sizable but uncounted quantity. It is a feminine noun despite ending in -a on a neutral-seeming count word.

Examples

"Había una decena de personas esperando."

Natural Translation

There were about ten people waiting.

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