grammar.numbers.fractions-percentages
Fractions and percentages: la mitad, el 20 por ciento
La mitad, un tercio, un cuarto, tres cuartos; percentages take the article: el veinte por ciento de los clientes. Verb agreement may follow the of-phrase.
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Explication
The everyday fractions are la mitad ('half'), un tercio ('a third'), un cuarto ('a quarter'), tres cuartos. In measurements, half and quarter often appear as medio/cuarto: media hora, un cuarto de kilo. Multiples use doble and triple: el doble del precio, triple ración.
From a fifth onward, fractions use the ordinal (un quinto, dos quintos) or the -avo suffix for larger denominators: un doceavo, un veinteavo.
Percentages take an article: el/un + number + por ciento — subió un quince por ciento, el 20 % de los clientes. When a percentage or fraction is followed by de + a plural noun, the verb may agree singular or plural: el 30 % de los inquilinos pagó / pagaron tarde.
Exemples
Half the building is rented.
Région: global
It went up fifteen percent this year.
Région: global
More than half the clients — sixty percent — have already renewed.