um, dois, três
/ˈũ ˈdojs ˈtɾe(j)s/word by word
The English phrase "one, two, three" is translated into Portuguese as um, dois, três.
The first three cardinal numbers used for counting.
Which one should you use?
The default form um, dois, três is used for masculine nouns or when counting in isolation. In Portuguese, um is used for the number one, whereas um can also function as the indefinite article "a" or "an" in English.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting feminine nouns, the number one changes from um to uma and two changes from dois to duas. The masculine forms are um, dois, três.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈũ ˈdojs ˈtɾe(j)s/
Did you know?
- In Brazil, when someone is about to dive into a pool or start a race, they often shout um, dois, três e já!, adding 'and now!' to the sequence.
- The Portuguese word um shares a common ancestor with the Latin word ūnum, which eventually gave English the word 'one'.
- In certain regional Brazilian dialects, the final 's' in dois and três can be softened or omitted in rapid speech, making them sound almost like 'doi' and 'tre'.
Examples in context
- Há apenas um livro na mesa.There is only one book on the table.
- Ele possui dois carros.He has two cars.
- Tenho só um irmão.I have only one brother.
- Comprei dois ingressos para o show.I bought two tickets for the concert.
- Um, dois, três, começar!One, two, three, start!
- Eu contei um, dois, três.I counted one, two, three.
- Diga um, dois, três para a foto.Say one, two, three for the photo.
Example conversation
Felipe and Juliana are playing a simple counting game.
- FelipeVocê sabe contar até três?Do you know how to count to three?
- JulianaSim, eu sei: um, dois, três.Yes, I know: one, two, three.
- FelipeMuito bem, Juliana!Very well, Juliana!
- JulianaObrigada, Felipe!Thank you, Felipe!
