Inklingo

How to Say "times" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “times” is “veces” — use 'veces' when referring to the number of occurrences or instances of an event, similar to 'times' in phrases like 'two times' or 'many times'..

veces🔊A1

Use 'veces' when referring to the number of occurrences or instances of an event, similar to 'times' in phrases like 'two times' or 'many times'.

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momentos🔊A1

Use 'momentos' for general or collective periods of time, often implying a short duration or a specific point in time, like 'moments'.

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ocasiones🔊A1

Use 'ocasiones' when referring to specific instances or opportunities, similar to 'occasions' or 'times' when meaning 'on certain instances'.

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tiempos🔊A1

Use 'tiempos' when referring to historical periods, eras, or general long stretches of time, like 'the old times' or 'times have changed'.

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fechas🔊A1

Use 'fechas' specifically for calendar dates or specific points in time within a year, like 'the dates of the festival'.

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English → Spanish

veces

/BEH-sess//'be.ses/

nounA1general
Use 'veces' when referring to the number of occurrences or instances of an event, similar to 'times' in phrases like 'two times' or 'many times'.
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.

Examples

He visitado España tres veces.

I have visited Spain three times.

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.

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.

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'.

momentos

/moh-men-tohs//moˈmentos/

nounA1general
Use 'momentos' for general or collective periods of time, often implying a short duration or a specific point in time, like 'moments'.
A series of three small, distinct, colorful vignettes arranged horizontally, depicting fleeting actions: a single raindrop hitting a puddle, a camera flash going off, and a tiny bird taking flight from a branch.

Examples

Dame unos momentos para pensar.

Give me a few moments to think.

Necesito unos momentos para terminar el correo.

I need a few moments to finish the email.

Compartimos muchos momentos felices durante las vacaciones.

We shared many happy moments during the vacation.

Masculine Plural

Since the single word ('momento') is masculine, the plural form 'momentos' is also masculine and requires masculine adjectives and articles: 'los momentos' (the moments), 'pocos momentos' (few moments).

Using 'horas' instead of 'momentos'

Mistake: “Dame unas horas para pensarlo (when you mean a short time).”

Correction: Dame unos momentos para pensarlo. (Use 'momentos' for brief, general time; 'horas' implies a longer, specific duration.)

ocasiones

oh-kah-SYOH-ness/o.kaˈsjo.nes/

nounA1general
Use 'ocasiones' when referring to specific instances or opportunities, similar to 'occasions' or 'times' when meaning 'on certain instances'.
Three distinct, small storybook panels aligned horizontally, showing a sequence of different times: a sunrise, a rain shower, and a full moon.

Examples

En ocasiones especiales, cocinamos juntos.

On special occasions, we cook together.

En ocasiones, me gusta desayunar tarde.

Sometimes (on occasions), I like to have a late breakfast.

Solo nos vemos en ocasiones especiales, como Navidad.

We only see each other on special occasions, like Christmas.

Perdió muchas ocasiones para invertir su dinero.

He missed many opportunities to invest his money.

Always Feminine

Remember that 'ocasión' is always a feminine word, so it uses 'la' or 'las' (las ocasiones).

Ocasiones vs. Veces

Mistake: “Using 'veces' when referring to a specific event or formal gathering (e.g., 'Fuimos a la boda dos veces').”

Correction: Use 'ocasiones' for specific events or chances (e.g., 'Fue una ocasión especial'). Use 'veces' when counting how many times something happened (e.g., 'Fui a la tienda tres veces').

tiempos

tee-EHM-pos/ˈtjem.pos/

nounA1general
Use 'tiempos' when referring to historical periods, eras, or general long stretches of time, like 'the old times' or 'times have changed'.
A winding path illustrating different historical eras, featuring a large silhouette of a dinosaur representing prehistory, a medieval stone castle, and a stylized futuristic silver building.

Examples

En tiempos antiguos, la comunicación era lenta.

In ancient times, communication was slow.

En aquellos tiempos, la vida era mucho más simple.

In those times, life was much simpler.

Recordamos los viejos tiempos con mucha nostalgia.

We remember the old times with a lot of nostalgia.

Estos son malos tiempos para la economía global.

These are bad times for the global economy.

Plural vs. Singular

While 'tiempo' (singular) often means 'time' or 'weather,' 'tiempos' (plural) almost always means historical periods, eras, or the general state of things.

fechas

/FEH-chahs//ˈfetʃas/

nounA1general
Use 'fechas' specifically for calendar dates or specific points in time within a year, like 'the dates of the festival'.
A row of red ripe tomatoes on a vine, representing specific points in time or items in a sequence.

Examples

¿Conoces las fechas del evento?

Do you know the dates of the event?

¿Cuáles son las fechas de tus vacaciones?

What are the dates of your vacation?

Las fechas de los exámenes ya están publicadas.

The exam dates are already published.

En estas fechas, siempre hace mucho frío.

At this time of year, it is always very cold.

Making 'fecha' plural

To talk about more than one date, we simply add an 's' to the end of the singular word 'fecha'.

Calendar order

In Spanish-speaking countries, dates are written as Day/Month/Year. Keep this in mind when reading numerical dates!

Don't use for romantic meet-ups

Mistake: “Tengo una fecha con mi novia.”

Correction: Tengo una cita con mi novia.

Confusing 'veces' with other time words

The most common mistake is using words like 'momentos' or 'ocasiones' when you mean the number of occurrences. Remember, 'veces' is almost always used when you can substitute 'times' with a number (e.g., 'two times', 'three times').

Related Translations

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