tres
/ˈtɾes/
The English word 'three' is translated into Spanish as tres.
tres is the standard and most commonly used translation for the cardinal number 3. It can be used to refer to the digit/figure 3 as a noun.
Meaning: cardinal number 3 (num)
Which one should you use?
While tres is used for the cardinal number 3, you should use tercero/a when you want to say 'third' to refer to the third item in a list or sequence.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike many other Spanish numbers, tres is invariant, meaning it does not change its form based on the gender of the noun it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtɾes/
Did you know?
- In certain Spanish-speaking regions, the number tres is part of the famous 'tresillo' rhythm, a specific musical pattern used in many Latin genres.
- When referring to a person's age, such as 'three years old', you do not say the person 'is' three, but rather they 'have' three: tiene tres años.
- While tres is a simple number, it is the root of the word trébol, meaning 'clover'. This links the number to the typical three-leaf shape of the plant.
Examples in context
- La vi tres veces.I have seen her three times.This sentence shows how to use tres when counting occurrences.Tatoeba #2058846 by Shishir, translation #308645 by CK
- Casi son las tres.It is almost three.This sentence shows how to use tres when telling the time.Tatoeba #1328279 by Shishir, translation #31620 by CK
- Llámala a las tres.Call her up at three.This sentence shows how to use tres when referring to a specific time of day.Tatoeba #1543189 by marcelostockle, translation #72695 by CN
- Tengo tres hermanosI have three siblings
- Tengo tres dedos en la mano derecha.I have three fingers on my right hand.
- Compré tres camisetas nuevas.I bought three new shirts.
- Son las tres en punto.It's three o'clock.
- Mi hija tiene tres años.My daughter is three years old.
- Nací el tres de mayo.I was born on the third of May.
- Ese libro es el tercero de la saga.That book is the third in the series.
- 1625 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are talking about buying fruit.
- ElenaNecesito comprar tres manzanas.I need to buy three apples.
- Daniel¿Solo tres? No son suficientes.Only three? They are not enough.
- ElenaTengo otras tres en casa.I have three others at home.
- DanielEstá bien, busquemos las manzanas.All right, let's look for the apples.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “three” translations and entries tres, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
