Latin American Spanish español latinoamericano es-419

Lokalized supports cardinality, cardinality range, and ordinality rules for Latin American Spanish.

Additional modeled concepts for Latin American Spanish: grammatical gender; sound-dependent word forms.

Latin American Spanish is most often spoken in Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Colombia, and the Philippines.

Cardinalities

  • CARDINALITY_ONE

    Matches n = 1

    Example Integers: 1

    Example Decimals: 1.0, 1.00, 1.000, 1.0000

  • CARDINALITY_MANY

    Matches e = 0 and i != 0 and i % 1000000 = 0 and v = 0 or e != 0..5

    Example Integers: 1000000, …

  • CARDINALITY_OTHER

    Matches all other values

    Example Integers: 0, 2, 16, 100, 1000, 10000, 100000, …

    Example Decimals: 0.0, 0.9, 1.1, 1.6, 10.0, 100.0, 1000.0, 10000.0, 100000.0, 1000000.0, …

Cardinality example

This localized strings file selects the localized form of “day” for a delivery estimate. Raw numbers choose the CLDR category; values formatted with the JDK NumberFormat are interpolated for display.

Sample localized strings file
es-419.json Localized Strings File (Latin American Spanish) 
{
  "Delivery.LeadTime": {
    "commentary": "Estimated delivery time, expressed in days.",
    "translation": "{{leadTime}}",
    "placeholders": {
      "leadTime": {
        "value": "dayCount",
        "translations": {
          "CARDINALITY_ONE": "{{formattedDayCount}} día",
          "CARDINALITY_MANY": "{{formattedDayCount}} días",
          "CARDINALITY_OTHER": "{{formattedDayCount}} días"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
Usage and expected results

The Java code passes each raw number for cardinality selection and formats its display value separately with NumberFormat. The exact-tag 1,000,000 assertion records JDK 26 output; older JDK locale data can differ.

Locale locale = Locale.forLanguageTag("es-419");

Strings strings = Strings.withFallbackLocale(locale)
  .localizedStringSupplier(() -> LocalizedStringLoader.loadFromFilesystem(Paths.get("strings")))
  .localeSupplier((matcher) -> matcher.bestMatchFor(locale))
  .build();

NumberFormat numberFormat = NumberFormat.getNumberInstance(locale);

// Raw numbers select language forms; NumberFormat produces the display values

// CARDINALITY_ONE
Number oneDayCount = 1;
String oneFormattedDayCount = numberFormat.format(oneDayCount);

// Expected: 1 día
assertEquals(oneFormattedDayCount + " día", strings.get(
  "Delivery.LeadTime", Map.of("dayCount", oneDayCount, "formattedDayCount", oneFormattedDayCount)
));

// CARDINALITY_MANY
Number manyDayCount = 1_000_000;
String manyFormattedDayCount = numberFormat.format(manyDayCount);

// Expected: 1,000,000 días
assertEquals(manyFormattedDayCount + " días", strings.get(
  "Delivery.LeadTime", Map.of("dayCount", manyDayCount, "formattedDayCount", manyFormattedDayCount)
));

// CARDINALITY_OTHER
Number otherDayCount = 0;
String otherFormattedDayCount = numberFormat.format(otherDayCount);

// Expected: 0 días
assertEquals(otherFormattedDayCount + " días", strings.get(
  "Delivery.LeadTime", Map.of("dayCount", otherDayCount, "formattedDayCount", otherFormattedDayCount)
));

// Exact-tag formatting sample
Number localeProfileDayCount = 1_000_000;
String localeProfileFormattedDayCount = numberFormat.format(localeProfileDayCount);

assertEquals("1,000,000", localeProfileFormattedDayCount);

assertEquals(Cardinality.MANY, Cardinality.forNumber(localeProfileDayCount, locale));

// Expected: 1,000,000 días
assertEquals(localeProfileFormattedDayCount + " días", strings.get(
  "Delivery.LeadTime",
  Map.of("dayCount", localeProfileDayCount, "formattedDayCount", localeProfileFormattedDayCount)
));

Cardinality Ranges

These are CLDR's explicit range mappings. For any start/end pair not listed, Cardinality.forRange(...) falls back to the ending cardinality.

  • CARDINALITY_ONE - CARDINALITY_OTHER

    Matches CARDINALITY_OTHER

  • CARDINALITY_OTHER - CARDINALITY_ONE

    Matches CARDINALITY_OTHER

  • CARDINALITY_OTHER - CARDINALITY_OTHER

    Matches CARDINALITY_OTHER

Cardinality range example

The start and end cardinalities select the locale's CLDR range result. The selected form wraps a separately formatted display range.

Sample localized strings file
es-419.json Localized Strings File (Latin American Spanish) 
{
  "Delivery.Window": {
    "commentary": "Estimated delivery window, expressed as a range of days.",
    "translation": "{{window}}",
    "placeholders": {
      "window": {
        "range": {
          "start": "minDays",
          "end": "maxDays"
        },
        "translations": {
          "CARDINALITY_ONE": "{{formattedDayRange}} día",
          "CARDINALITY_MANY": "{{formattedDayRange}} días",
          "CARDINALITY_OTHER": "{{formattedDayRange}} días"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
Usage and expected results

The Java code passes raw range endpoints for selection. Because NumberFormat formats one number at a time, it formats both endpoints separately and joins them for display; choose range punctuation appropriate to your application.

Locale locale = Locale.forLanguageTag("es-419");

Strings strings = Strings.withFallbackLocale(locale)
  .localizedStringSupplier(() -> LocalizedStringLoader.loadFromFilesystem(Paths.get("strings")))
  .localeSupplier((matcher) -> matcher.bestMatchFor(locale))
  .build();

NumberFormat numberFormat = NumberFormat.getNumberInstance(locale);

// Raw numbers select language forms; NumberFormat produces the display values

// CARDINALITY_OTHER range
Number minDays = 1;
String formattedMinDays = numberFormat.format(minDays);
Number maxDays = 2;
String formattedMaxDays = numberFormat.format(maxDays);
String formattedDayRange = formattedMinDays + "-" + formattedMaxDays;

assertEquals(Cardinality.OTHER, Cardinality.forRange(
  Cardinality.forNumber(minDays, locale),
  Cardinality.forNumber(maxDays, locale),
  locale
));

// Expected: 1-2 días
assertEquals(formattedDayRange + " días", strings.get(
  "Delivery.Window",
  Map.of("minDays", minDays, "maxDays", maxDays, "formattedDayRange", formattedDayRange)
));

Ordinalities

All ordinal numbers use ORDINALITY_OTHER; no value selects a different form.

Example: Toma la 2.ª a la derecha..

Language-Specific Examples

These examples show how Lokalized models grammatical choices and translation behavior that commonly affect Latin American Spanish application copy. Each example identifies the Lokalized language forms and other library features it uses.

Gendered subject and adjective agreement

Spanish keeps the article and adjective aligned with the selected subject's gender. This example uses clienta, a standard feminine form; la cliente is standard as well.

Language references: RAE/ASALE - cliente, clienta, RAE/ASALE - listo, lista, RAE - predicate-attribute agreement

Lokalized forms used: Gender

Sample localized strings file
es-419.json Localized Strings File (Latin American Spanish) 
{
  "The customer is ready.": {
    "translation": "{{customer}} está {{ready}}.",
    "placeholders": {
      "customer": {
        "value": "gender",
        "translations": {
          "GENDER_MASCULINE": "El cliente",
          "GENDER_FEMININE": "La clienta"
        }
      },
      "ready": {
        "value": "gender",
        "translations": {
          "GENDER_MASCULINE": "listo",
          "GENDER_FEMININE": "lista"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
Usage and expected results
Locale locale = Locale.forLanguageTag("es-419");

Strings strings = Strings.withFallbackLocale(locale)
  .localizedStringSupplier(() -> LocalizedStringLoader.loadFromFilesystem(Paths.get("strings")))
  .localeSupplier((matcher) -> matcher.bestMatchFor(locale))
  .build();

assertEquals("El cliente está listo.", strings.get(
  "The customer is ready.", Map.of("gender", Gender.MASCULINE)
));

assertEquals("La clienta está lista.", strings.get(
  "The customer is ready.", Map.of("gender", Gender.FEMININE)
));

Stressed-a article selection

Most Spanish feminine nouns beginning with stressed a- or ha- take el in the singular when the article immediately precedes the noun, while remaining feminine, as firmada makes visible here.

Language reference: RAE/ASALE - el before feminine nouns beginning with stressed a- or ha-

Lokalized forms used: Phonetic

Sample localized strings file
es-419.json Localized Strings File (Latin American Spanish) 
{
  "I received {{noun}}.": {
    "translation": "Recibí {{article}} {{noun}} firmada.",
    "placeholders": {
      "article": {
        "value": "noun",
        "translations": {
          "PHONETIC_STRESSED_A": "el",
          "PHONETIC_OTHER": "la"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

The application-provided resolver classifies each raw term at runtime. Its small lookup map stands in for application-specific pronunciation logic or a lexicon.

Usage and expected results
Locale locale = Locale.forLanguageTag("es-419");

Map<String, Phonetic> phoneticsByTerm = Map.ofEntries(
  Map.entry("acta", Phonetic.STRESSED_A),
  Map.entry("carta", Phonetic.OTHER)
);
PhoneticResolver phoneticResolver = (term, ignoredLocale) ->
  phoneticsByTerm.getOrDefault(term, Phonetic.OTHER);

Strings strings = Strings.withFallbackLocale(locale)
  .localizedStringSupplier(() -> LocalizedStringLoader.loadFromFilesystem(Paths.get("strings")))
  .phoneticResolver(phoneticResolver)
  .localeSupplier((matcher) -> matcher.bestMatchFor(locale))
  .build();

assertEquals("Recibí el acta firmada.", strings.get(
  "I received {{noun}}.", Map.of("noun", "acta")
));

assertEquals("Recibí la carta firmada.", strings.get(
  "I received {{noun}}.", Map.of("noun", "carta")
));

Addendum: Language Form Rules

The language form expressions above are specified by Unicode Technical Standard #35 and use the following notation:

  • n absolute value of the source number (integer and decimals)
  • i integer digits of n
  • v number of visible fraction digits in n, with trailing zeros
  • w number of visible fraction digits in n, without trailing zeros
  • f visible fractional digits in n, with trailing zeros
  • t visible fractional digits in n, without trailing zeros
  • c/e compact decimal exponent operands used by some CLDR compact-number rules