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uno

oo-noˈu.no
A single, bright red apple sitting by itself on a simple wooden surface, representing the number one.

📝 In Action

¿Cuántos años tienes? — Tengo uno.

A1

How old are you? — I'm one.

Necesito un bolígrafo, no dos.

A1

I need one pen, not two.

Es la una de la tarde.

A1

It's one in the afternoon.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • un (a, an, one)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • uno por uno – one by one
  • todo es uno – it's all the same

one

Also: a
A hand pointing to a single blue book on a shelf filled with identical red books, selecting 'one' from the group.

📝 In Action

De todos los pasteles, quiero uno de chocolate.

A2

Of all the cakes, I want a chocolate one.

¿Necesitas un bolígrafo? Toma uno.

A2

Do you need a pen? Take one.

Uno de mis mejores amigos vive en España.

B1

One of my best friends lives in Spain.

Word Connections

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • uno de los/las... – one of the...

one

Also: you, someone
A generic, featureless person seen from behind walking down a city street, representing 'one' or 'someone' in a general sense.

📝 In Action

Uno nunca sabe qué va a pasar en la vida.

B1

One never knows what's going to happen in life.

En esa situación, uno tiene que ser fuerte.

B2

In that situation, you have to be strong.

A veces uno no sabe qué decir.

B1

Sometimes one doesn't know what to say.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Idioms & Expressions

  • ser uno de los nuestros – to be one of us; to be part of the group

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "uno" in Spanish:

a→one→someone→you→

🗣️ Practice in a Tongue Twister

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: uno

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence is correct?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
unir(to unite) — Verb
unidad(unity, unit) — Noun
unido(united) — Adjective
único(unique, only) — Adjective
unificar(to unify) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes directly from the Latin word 'ūnus', which also meant 'one'. It's one of the oldest and most stable words in the language.

First recorded: Before the 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: unoFrench: unPortuguese: um

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'un' and 'uno'?

They both mean 'one'. Use 'un' when it's directly in front of a masculine word ('un perro'). Use 'uno' when it stands alone ('Tengo uno'). The 'o' gets dropped when a masculine noun is right after it.

Why do people say 'Es la una' for 1:00, but 'Son las dos' for 2:00?

'Una' is singular, so you use the singular verb 'es'. 'Dos' (and every other hour) is plural, so you use the plural verb 'son'. It's like saying 'It is one' versus 'They are two'.

Can a woman use 'uno' to talk about herself in a general way?

Yes, absolutely. It's very common for anyone, regardless of gender, to use 'uno' when making a general statement, like 'A veces uno se cansa' (Sometimes one gets tired). While using 'una' is possible, 'uno' is the more common and neutral choice for this impersonal meaning.