How to Say “Uno, Dos, Tres” in Spanish

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uno, dos, tres
/ˈuno ˈdos ˈtɾes/word by word
uno, dos, tres is the Spanish phrase for 'one, two, three'.

How do you pronounce it?

/ˈuno ˈdos ˈtɾes/

Did you know?

  • The phrase is frequently used as a 'countdown' for a surprise, where the action happens on tres rather than zero.
  • The word uno is a linguistic relative of the Russian word один 'odin' and the Ancient Greek οἶος 'oios'.
  • In certain Latin American slang, counting to three is used as a warning or a 'final chance' before someone loses their patience or takes action.

Examples in context

  • Cuenta uno, dos, tres para la foto.
    Count one, two, three for the photo.
  • Digo uno, dos, tres y saltamos.
    I say one, two, three and we jump.
  • Empezamos con uno, dos, tres.
    We start with one, two, three.

Example conversation

Alejandro and Elena are lifting a heavy table together.

  1. Alejandro

    Estás lista, Elena?
    Are you ready, Elena?
  2. Elena

    Sí, estoy lista.
    Yes, I am ready.
  3. Alejandro

    A la cuenta de uno, dos, tres, levantamos.
    On the count of one, two, three, we lift.
  4. Elena

    Uno, dos, tres, ¡ya!
    One, two, three, now!

Sources

  • IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (uno, dos, tres) and can differ in connected speech.
  • Word origins: Wiktionary entries dos, tres, uno, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Vicki Christine
Vicki ChristineHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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