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once

OHN-sehˈonθe

“once” means “eleven” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

eleven

Also: 11
Eleven simple red apples arranged in a cluster on a plain background, clearly illustrating the quantity eleven.

📝 In Action

Mi hermana cumple once años mañana.

A1

My sister turns eleven tomorrow.

Son las once y media de la noche.

A1

It is eleven thirty at night.

Necesitas once huevos para esta receta.

A2

You need eleven eggs for this recipe.

afternoon tea

Also: snack time
NounfB1
Chile
A cozy scene showing a simple wooden table set with a steaming mug of tea or coffee, a slice of toasted bread, and a small jar of jam, representing afternoon tea.

📝 In Action

¿Vienes a tomar la once con nosotros?

B1

Are you coming to have afternoon tea/the 'once' with us?

Para la once solo comemos pan y café.

B2

For the 'once' we only eat bread and coffee.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • tomar la once – to have afternoon tea/the 'once'

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "once" in Spanish:

11→afternoon tea→eleven→snack time→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: once

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'once' to describe a meal rather than a number?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
undécimo(eleventh (ordinal)) — Adjective
onceavo(one-eleventh (fractional)) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes directly from the Latin word 'undecim,' which also meant 'eleven.' Spanish simply smoothed out the sound over the centuries.

First recorded: Around the 10th century in Old Spanish.

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: onzeItalian: undici

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'once' ever change its form or gender?

No. As a number, 'once' is always 'once,' regardless of whether the things you are counting are masculine or feminine (e.g., 'once libros,' 'once mesas').

Why is the Chilean afternoon tea called 'la once'?

There are a few theories, but the most popular is that it comes from a code word used in the 19th century. People would say 'tomar once' to secretly mean 'tomar aguardiente' (to drink liquor), because the word 'aguardiente' has eleven letters.