las dos
/las dos/from spelling rulesfeminine, plural
In Spanish, two o'clock is las dos.
The phrase las dos is used to refer to the start of the third hour. You can specify the time of day by adding de la mañana for in the morning or de la tarde for in the afternoon.
Meaning: the start of the third hour (noun)
Which one should you use?
While las dos refers to the time, adding en punto specifies that it is exactly two o'clock on the dot. Using Sobre las dos changes the meaning to around two o'clock.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the feminine plural article to agree with the implied noun horas (hours).
How do you pronounce it?
/las dos/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using el dos to refer to the time. Although dos is a number, you must use the feminine article las because it must agree with the implied feminine noun horas.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, if you agree to meet a las dos for a social gathering, arriving exactly at two o'clock might be seen as arriving too early.
- If you say las dos in a conversation about people or objects, it may not refer to the time at all, but instead mean 'the two of them' referring to women.
- The word dos shares the same ancient Proto-Indo-European ancestor '*dwóh₁' as the English word 'two'.
Examples in context
- Ven a las dos.Come at two o'clock.This sentence shows how to use las dos when specifying a time to arrive.Tatoeba #2274672 by Shishir, translation #2255596 by _undertoad
- Son las dos en punto.It's two o'clock.This sentence demonstrates how to state that it is exactly two o'clock using las dos.Tatoeba #5043067 by don_ramon, translation #1391528 by enteka
- Son las dos de la tarde.It's two o'clock in the afternoon.This sentence shows how to specify that it is two o'clock in the afternoon using las dos.Tatoeba #593412 by Shishir, translation #240089 by CK
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Javier are coordinating a meeting time.
- María¿A qué hora nos reunimos?What time are we meeting?
- JavierPodemos vernos a las dos.We can see each other at two o'clock.
- MaríaPerfecto, allí estaré.Perfect, I will be there.
- JavierMuy bien, María, hasta entonces.Very well, María, until then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “two o'clock” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dos, las, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
