veces

times?referring to occurrences or instances

Also:occasions?a bit more formal

BEH-sess

/'be.ses/

NounfA1

neutral

A cheerful cartoon squirrel is shown performing the same action: sitting on a small wooden stump. The squirrel is depicted three separate times across the image, illustrating three distinct instances or occurrences.

📝 In Action

He ido a Madrid dos veces.

I have been to Madrid two times.

Te lo he dicho muchas veces.

I've told you many times.

A veces, prefiero quedarme en casa.

Sometimes, I prefer to stay home.

La mayoría de las veces, el tren llega puntual.

Most of the time, the train arrives on time.

Word Connections

Synonyms

ocasiones (occasions)

Common Collocations

a veces – sometimes, at times
muchas veces – many times, often
pocas veces – few times, rarely
dos veces – twice
otra vez – again, another time
de vez en cuando – from time to time, every now and then
tal vez – maybe, perhaps
en vez de – instead of
a la vez – at the same time

Idioms & Expressions

raras veces – rarely, seldom
la primera de muchas veces – the first of many times

💡 Grammar Points

Singular vs. Plural

'Veces' is the plural of 'vez'. Use 'una vez' for 'one time' or 'once', and 'dos veces', 'tres veces', etc., for 'twice', 'three times', and so on.

Counting Occurrences

Combine a number with 'veces' to say how many times something happens. It's the go-to word for counting instances.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing 'veces' and 'tiempo'

Mistake: “No tengo muchas veces para jugar.”

Correction: No tengo mucho tiempo para jugar. Use 'tiempo' for 'time' as a general concept or duration. Use 'veces' for countable instances, like counting on your fingers.

Saying 'one times'

Mistake: “Fui a la tienda una veces.”

Correction: Fui a la tienda una vez. Since 'una' means one, you need the singular form 'vez'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Learn the Phrases

Many expressions with 'veces' act like single vocabulary words. It's easiest to memorize 'a veces' (sometimes) and 'tal vez' (maybe) as complete units.

Pronunciation Note

In Spain, the 'c' in 'veces' sounds like 'th' in 'thin' (/BEH-thes/). In Latin America and most of the Spanish-speaking world, it sounds like an 's' (/BEH-sess/). Both are perfectly correct!

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: veces

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses a word related to 'veces' to mean 'maybe'?

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Word Family

vez(time, turn, occasion) - Noun

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'veces', 'tiempo', and 'hora'?

Great question! 'Veces' is for countable instances ('three times'). 'Tiempo' is for time as a general concept or duration ('I don't have time'). 'Hora' is for the time on a clock ('What time is it?') or a specific hour ('See you in one hour').

Why is it 'una vez' but 'dos veces'? Why does the word change?

'Vez' is the singular form, meaning one of something. 'Veces' is the plural form, meaning more than one. It's just like 'one cat' versus 'two cats' in English. Since 'una' means 'one', you use the singular 'vez'.