docena
/doˈθena/feminine
The Spanish word for 'dozen' is docena.
docena is a noun used to refer to a group of twelve items. When you want to specify what the dozen consists of, use the structure docena de followed by the noun, such as una docena de rosas (a dozen roses). To say 'half a dozen', use the phrase media docena. If you want to express that something is sold or bought 'by the dozen', use the preposition por followed by the plural docenas, as in por docenas.
Meaning: twelve (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
docena is a feminine noun. Because of this, any accompanying adjectives must also be feminine, such as una docena completa (a full dozen). The plural form of docena is docenas.
How do you pronounce it?
/doˈθena/
Did you know?
- While docena is used for counts of twelve, Spanish speakers use the word decena to refer to a group of ten, creating a mirrored system for both base-ten and base-twelve counting.
- The Spanish word docena is a cognate of the English word 'dozen', as both descended from the Latin word duodecim, meaning 'two plus ten'.
- Unlike English, where 'dozen' can act as a numeral adjective, docena is strictly a noun, which is why Spanish requires the preposition de before the items being counted.
Examples in context
- Compramos huevos por docenas.We buy eggs by the dozen.This sentence shows how to express buying items 'by the dozen' using docena.Tatoeba #11760422 by Seael, translation #41247 by CK
- Compré dos docenas de lápices.I bought two dozen pencils.This sentence demonstrates how to count multiple units of a dozen using docena.Tatoeba #721864 by Shishir, translation #256295 by CK
- Compré media docena de huevos.I bought half a dozen eggs.This sentence illustrates how to express 'half a dozen' using docena.Tatoeba #1016033 by hayastan, translation #262181 by adjusting
- Necesito comprar una docena de manzanas.I need to buy a dozen apples.
- Recuerdo cuando mi abuela horneaba media docena de pasteles cada semana.I remember when my grandmother used to bake half a dozen cakes every week.
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía is at a bakery and Javier is helping her with the shopping list.
- Javier¿Cuántos huevos necesitamos para el pastel?How many eggs do we need for the cake?
- SofíaSolo necesitamos una docena.We only need a dozen.
- JavierVale, yo los compro ahora.Okay, I will buy them now.
- SofíaGracias, Javier, eres muy amable.Thanks, Javier, you are very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dozen” translations and entries docena, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
