Both in Spanish
In Spanish there are two different ways to say "both":
- ambos / ambas [+ noun]
- los / las dos [+ noun]
For example:
Tiene dos hermanos y ambos se fueron a estudiar a Inglaterra.She has two brothers and both [of them] went to study in England.
Ambos/-as can be used as adjectives accompanying the noun or as a pronoun when the noun has already been mentioned in the conversation.
Note there is a masculine and a feminine form to agree with the gender of the noun:
- ambos hermanos (masc),
- ambas redacciones (fem)
The same can be expressed with los dos/las dos (the two [of them] = both):
Use the masculine article los for masculine plural nouns, and the feminine article las for feminine plural nouns:
- los dos niños
- las dos sandalias
Note that los dos/las dos can also be used on their own as pronouns, when the noun has already been mentioned:
me gustan los dos relojes → me gustan los dos
me gustan ambos relojes → me gustan ambos
Be careful not to mix both forms:
- los ambos
- dos ambos
- ambos dos
- los ambos dos
- los dos ambos
All of these are incorrect!!
Note that the use of "ambos/ambas" is slightly more formal than "los/las dos".
Want to make sure your Spanish sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »
