A high quality simple colorful storybook illustration showing twelve identical bright yellow lemons arranged neatly in a group on a white background.

docena

doh-SEH-nah

nounfA1

dozen?a quantity of twelve

Also:scores?used loosely to mean 'many' or 'lots of'

📝 In Action

Necesito una docena de huevos para hacer el pastel.

I need a dozen eggs to make the cake.

Solo queremos media docena de panecillos, por favor.

We only want half a dozen rolls, please.

Vimos docenas de pájaros volando hacia el sur.

We saw dozens of birds flying south.

Word Connections

Synonyms

doce (twelve)

Common Collocations

media docena – half a dozen (six)
por docenas – by the dozen

💡 Grammar Points

Feminine Noun Rule

Even though it refers to the number twelve (doce), 'docena' is a feminine noun, so you must use feminine articles and adjectives with it (e.g., 'una docena,' 'la docena').

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'doce' instead of 'docena'

Mistake: "Compré doce de huevos. (I bought twelve of eggs.)"

Correction: Compré una docena de huevos. ('Docena' is the collective noun for a group of twelve, like how we use 'dozen' in English.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Common Items

This word is most often used when referring to eggs, flowers, rolls/donuts, or sometimes oysters. For other items, people usually just say the number 'doce'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: docena

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'docena'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

doce(twelve) - number

decena(group of ten) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do Spanish speakers sometimes say 'docenas de...'?

When used in the plural ('docenas de...'), it usually means 'lots of' or 'many,' similar to how English speakers might say 'scores of people' or 'dozens of times' to express a large, indefinite number.

Is 'docena' always feminine?

Yes, 'docena' is always a feminine noun, regardless of the gender of the items being counted (e.g., 'una docena de libros' [masculine books]).